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2009-11-20 Friday News4TH ANNUAL MENDOTA LIGHTS On December 5th between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. The Village will have its 4th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. Between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. there will be an open house with strolling Dickens Carolers. There will be free face painting and hay rides between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Santa will be visiting the village from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. At 6:00 p.m. the tree lighting will be hosted by King Boreas Rex LXXIII Christopher Schnee - man and the Royal Family. There will also be singing by the Visitation Choir and a greeting from Mayor Huber. November 20, 2009 Come join in the festivities and enjoy the afternoon and evening with friends and neighbors as The Village comes alive for the Holiday Sea- son. PAR 3 YEAR END SUMMARY FDick Spicer, Chair of the Mendota Heights Par 3 Greens Committee, gave a brief presentation to the City Council on Tuesday night. While the golf industry as a whole is on the decline, the Par 3 business is growing. R After our second full season of operations, Dick was pleased to report another profitable year. The course has seen a number of improvements over the past 2.5 years and it is in terrific condition. The Greens Committee is actively planning events and programs which will enhance revenue, but also reinforce the "brand" of this I course as a truly unique course which caters to youth and beginning golfers. While the 2009 annual report will be presented in January, a number of residents have asked about the basic information on the course: Thank you to everyone who has worked to make this a successful project that benefits the entire community. We Ylook forward to another successful season in 2010! MISSISSIPPI NATIONAL RIVER AND RECREATION AREA Jake attended a meeting at the National Park Service (NPS) office on Wednesday regarding the N Mississippi National River and Recreation Area — formerly referred to as MNRAA, but now shortened to MISS. The meeting was attended by NPS Staff, MN Department of Natural Re- sources Staff, and staff from local Planning and Recreation departments surrounding the EMISS. The primary topic of discussion was defining criteria for funding trail projects which connect the MISS trail system to the rest of the Region. Jake was surprised by the sheer volume of projects under consideration. NPS staff was pleased with the discussion and will bring a Wbrainstormed list of 20+ criteria down to a much more manageable size. The other primary dis- cussion topic was opportunities to promote the river as a recreational amenity. The NPS has S supported Wilderness Inquiry, a non-profit that focuses on providing inner-city youth a chance to connect with nature. Wilderness Inquiry and the NPS are finding demand from several demo- graphic groups for the river tours. The NPS will continue to work with Mendota Heights to identify opportunities for our community to connect with the MISS. November 20, 2009 Rounds Played D2007 6,547 2008 12,314 A2009 12,562 Thank you to everyone who has worked to make this a successful project that benefits the entire community. We Ylook forward to another successful season in 2010! MISSISSIPPI NATIONAL RIVER AND RECREATION AREA Jake attended a meeting at the National Park Service (NPS) office on Wednesday regarding the N Mississippi National River and Recreation Area — formerly referred to as MNRAA, but now shortened to MISS. The meeting was attended by NPS Staff, MN Department of Natural Re- sources Staff, and staff from local Planning and Recreation departments surrounding the EMISS. The primary topic of discussion was defining criteria for funding trail projects which connect the MISS trail system to the rest of the Region. Jake was surprised by the sheer volume of projects under consideration. NPS staff was pleased with the discussion and will bring a Wbrainstormed list of 20+ criteria down to a much more manageable size. The other primary dis- cussion topic was opportunities to promote the river as a recreational amenity. The NPS has S supported Wilderness Inquiry, a non-profit that focuses on providing inner-city youth a chance to connect with nature. Wilderness Inquiry and the NPS are finding demand from several demo- graphic groups for the river tours. The NPS will continue to work with Mendota Heights to identify opportunities for our community to connect with the MISS. November 20, 2009 MAYOR/MANAGERS MEETING The monthly Dakota County Mayor/Manager meeting included a presentation on Living Longer and Stronger (LLS) in Dakota County. The LLS program, a partnership between Dakota County and DARTS, is an initiative to prepare for the changing needs of an aging population, driven by people who live and work here. The discussion at the meeting centered around the six different teams that are in- volved in this project and the work that has been taking place on this project over the past year. An interesting piece of information that came out of the meeting was the percentage of Baby Boomer population in each city and township in Dakota County. The percentage of boomers (age 49-73) in each community ranged from 20% to 38% with the county average being 30%. The lowest percentage in the county belonged to Farmington and the entity with the highest percentage of Baby Boomers in the county belongs to Mendota Heights. There are 5,349 residents in our city between the ages of 49- 73. Issues like fmances, health and wellness, transportation, services, housing and work and commu- nity are being reviewed by this project and these issues will have a significant impact on Mendota Heights as our community looks to the future. For more information on this project please visit www.dartsl .ori. DATES TO REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER Planning Commission Meeting 11-24-2009 7:00 p.m. Thanksgiving Day—City Hall Closed 11-26 && 27-09 DATES TO REMEMBER IN DECEMBER City Council Meeting 12-1-09 7:00 p.m. Park & Recreation Meeting No Meeting Airport Relations Commission Meeting No Meeting City Council Meeting 12-15-09 7:00 p.m. Planning Commission Meeting TBD Five-day forecast Tomorrow Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Nov 21 Nov 22 Nov 23 Nov 24 Nov 25 �1 �z Partly Cloudy Rain Rain Snow Snow Hi: 530 Hi: 510 Hi: 530 Hi: 370 Hi: 310 Lo: 430 Lo: 460 Lo: 350 Lo: 290 Lo: 270 Attachments Just The Facts, Pipeline, Planning Commission Agenda, Southwest Review Article "Developer interested in former tennis club," "Open house lays out long-term transportation options", Jim Kilburg Retirement Invitation and Upcoming Park/Recreation/Community Events. November 20, 2009 Tie latest �cecvs frv� t6ie �le�q'ata �Feigiits�olite �eyartynent %-I I JAZ I Mike Aschenhrener 11/20/2009 ri M -STEP Conference M -Step, also known as the Minnesota Symposium on Terrorism and Emergency Preparedness, was held at the Northland in Brooklyn Park this past week. Emergency Managers, Police & Fire Chiefs, First Responders, School Officials, and Emergency Medical Personnel convened for the state of planning and response preparedness conference in Minnesota. The base level of emergency response is far better today than it was on 9-11-01 when the United States was re -introduced to terrorism at home. The keynote speakers talked about terrorism preparedness and what needs to be done as we move forward. Quick fact noted in one presentation: there have been over 400 incidents of terrorism in the US since 9-11, all of which were shut down in the planning or preparation stages. The speaker used a sports analogy for baseball where the batter steps up and hits 400 home runs. How long can that be sustained as time goes on? Mendota Heights has been working diligently on updating and practicing its emergency responses. We are constantly assessing our risks and adjusting our responses, a never ending process of planning and preparation. Public Assist Friday 1602 hours Officers Rosse, Patrick, Meyer, Inv. Petersen and Sgt. Garlock responded to an address in Mendota on a report of a potential weapon pointing incident. The reporting party thought someone across the street was potentially pointing a gun at him and some friends who were outside their house. As it turned out, the party across the street was painting with a roller and the neighbor thought it looked like a gun but it was not. There could be some history between the neighbors or simply an over -stimulated imagination; either way, there were no weapons involved and the issue was peacefully resolved. Unauthorized Use of Vehicle Friday 1612 hours Officer Scott Patrick and Sgt. John Larrive responded to a residence in reference to a juvenile problem. The parent reported that their 15 year old daughter took the family car without permission. A KOPS alert was sent out about the vehicle and the young woman and a friend were eventually located later that evening in Hudson, Wisconsin, after getting lost. The parents went to pick her up 11/20/2009 along with the vehicle and the teenage girls got home safely. Parking Ordinance Saturday 0836 hours When driveways are full, people sometimes get creative to avoid a citation and park on the grass in their yard instead of the street. A complainant called Saturday morning and reported that a residence in his neighborhood had a vehicle parked in the grass. In addition, there were six vehicles parked in the driveway. Per the complainant, he thought that there was room to park all 6 cars in the driveway so the one car should not have been parked on the grass. It is not illegal to park on the grass in your own yard; it may look tacky, but city code does not ban it. On-going OFP Issues Saturday 1532 hours Officers and records staff have been continuously dealing with a family that is going through the courts to have determine guardianship of an elderly man with Alzheimers. There is constant conflict between his current (second) wife, and his first wife and their adult children. Several calls for service have been generated at this address and Dakota County Social Services is also involved. In addition, several Orders For Protection have been issued in an attempt to keep things peaceful at the residence. There is a court date for the family today (Friday the 20th) and everyone is hoping that a peaceful mediation agreement will be reached at court. Mail Theft Monday 1146 hours Officer Scott Patrick met with a party in the lobby who was reporting theft of mail and a fraudulent check being cashed. After speaking with the victim, it was determined that a promotional check (those annoying ones you get from your credit card company) was stolen out of her mailbox and then cashed. The victim did not realize this had occurred until he was notified by the Postal Service that some of his mail was recovered in St Paul. He then learned from his credit card company that a promotional check had been cashed in excess of $2500. The report was forwarded to investigations to follow-up with a potential suspect who cashed the check at a US Bank location. Welfare Check Tuesday 2019 hours Officer Mike Shepard responded to an address after receiving a phone call from a concerned friend. The friend had just spoken to a female resident on the phone and was concerned that she potentially had a stroke, due to slurred speech. After making contact with the woman, it was determined that she was also very disoriented and confused. Officers requested HealthEast respond to evaluate the woman and they determined she should be transported to the hospital. Contact was made with the woman's friend and family to advise them of the fact that she was in route to the hospital. Identity Thefts Officers took several reports from victims this week for identity theft. In one case, credit was obtained at two out of state retail stores to make large purchases and in another case several banks accounts were opened in Georgia using a resident's social security number and driver's license number. These cases are extremely frustrating for the victims and the police. Because of jurisdictional/physical distance issues they are very hard to investigate and obviously they are frustrating for victims because of the numerous- headaches they produce. In most cases, victims are not even careless with their personal information. One of the best things you can do is keep tabs on your financial accounts so if a problem does arise it can (K becaught Vca,�u'�ghtye,arly //,7,* on and stopped. //,7,*R dI/`oaeweekd/ GKK� /Kk -2- Public Works The Parks Crew cleaned up the brush pile along the pedway in Friendly Hills Park from the trees that were cut down. The brush was then chipped up. The Groundmaster 5910 was cleaned up for the season. The shrubs around the shop were trimmed. There was a power outage at the Northland lift station on Wednesday from 11:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. Rich cleaned the sanitary sewer lines on First Avenue, Woodridge Drive and Clement Street. He helped the Parks Crew clean leaves out of the foundation plantings at City Hall. He also did a sanitary sewer inspection at 1183 Dodd Road which was a broken service repair. The Streets Crew replaced two broken curb boxes on Twin Circle Drive. Class 5 was brought in and put down on the Rogers Lake Park's driveway and top parking lot. It was then leveled and graded. John Ambrose did welding on the front of truck 308 and installed curb rubbers for the wings and plows. Engineering PILOT KNOB - Seven limestone blocks were placed at the Pilot Knob Phase 1 area overlook (westerly portion of site) on Wednesday. The carved inscriptions on each block, in the Dakota Language, identify the seven villages located along the river when Fort Snelling was built. Other recent restoration efforts, primarily at the Phase 2 site, include removal and burn -off of invasive plants, tilling and seeding of native grasses and flowers. 2010 Reconstruction (North End) - Mike and Bobby began surveying for the 2010 reconstruction project. Once the survey is complete plans will be generated this winter and let for bids in February. Lake Drive Closure - Staff has received a number of responses to the letter mailed regarding the potential closure of Lake Drive. Feedback has been equal in favor and against the proposed change. Staff will continue to work with residents in the hopes that the public hearing will be civil and not cause neighborhood rift. Lower Mississippi River WMO (LMRWMO)- Mendota Heights has been hosting the visioning meetings for the LMRWMO management plan. The LMRWMO is advisory in nature, but the plan being revised is a basis for member cities to work from in establishing their own storm water management policies. The meetings will continue though December with the draft plan being scheduled for completion in February. CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA November 24, 2009 7:00 P.M. City Council Chambers 1) Call to Order 2) Roll Call 3) Approval of the October 27, 2009 Planning Commission Minutes 4) Hearings a) Discussion of City Zoning Ordinance b) Discussion on Cancellation of December Meeting. 5) Verbal Review 6) Adjourn 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 651-452-1850 with requests. t'llW I;tus[ µ Monday, November 16, 2009 Developer interested in former tennis club Danielle Cabot Review Staff Monday, November 16, 2009 Purchase agreements are signed for a new senior rental development at the former site of Lilydale Tennis Club. The property has been vacant since 2006 when the club closed. The six -acre property forms an "L" at Interstate 35 E and the Mississippi River. Southview Senior Living hopes to develop the four acres along the river. While details are far from finalized, the project could provide 120 units. Southview Senior Living has This isn't the first proposal for the site. An attempt was made late in 2006 to begin a condominium project by signed on to develop the developers Mendota Homes, based out of Little Canada. Mendota Homes also developed Lilywood Lane condos. former Lilydale Tennis Club Those plans were quashed in recent years when the Twin Cities condominium market became over -saturated and the project's financers, Highland Bank, backed out. site. Linda E. Andersen/Review Mendota Homes defaulted on a loan for a project in Northfield in June of 2008. While the regulatory process for a planned unit development was completed for the Tennis Club site, a developer's agreement was never finalized. In fact, the only people who have taken advantage of the space since the Tennis Club's demise were a group of protestors who took up residence for a brief time before the Republican National Convention in September of 2008. According to Mendota Heights police Chief Mike Aschenbrener, the property was investigated Aug. 27, 2008, and while no one was on the site, police found a carpet with "No RNC" painted on it, buckets of chemicals, pvc piping, food, sleeping bags, candles, maps to St. Paul, hardware and "Welcome Committee" pamphlets. Regarding the latest proposal, Mayor Tom Swain said Southview owner Lance Lemieux would like to design high-end rental properties for seniors at the Tennis Clubsite. Southview Senior Living recently opened the Twin Cities' first LEED certified senior housing project, Inver Glen Senior Living in Inver Grove Heights. Lilydale City Council members have been following the project closely. "It's not very good sitting vacant as it is," Swain said. "Anything suitable that is attractive, built well, and managed well, and is compatible with the rest of the buildings in Lilydale - we'd be anxious to look at it." "Almost anything is better than an empty, ugly building," added council member Bob Bullard. "With that said, I've seen the preliminary sketches and I think they are very attractive." Mendota Homes president John Mathern may not have given up entirely on the site. Swain said he is looking at using the remaining two acres for an apartment project. Danielle Cabot can be reached at southwest@lillienews.com or 651-748-7815. Content © 2009 Software© 1998-2009 1up[ Software, All Rights Reserved Monday, November 16, 2009 Open house lays out long-term transportation options IGH anticipates growth along 1-494 Danielle Cabot Review Staff Monday, Nover, oer 1h 2009 Questions about the Dakota County Visioning Study drew residents to an open house at Veteran's Memorial Center in Inver Grove Heights Nov. 10 The study, paid for by the cities of Eagan, Inver Grove Heights, Dakota County, MnDOT and the Metropolitan Council, takes into account the development plans of the area's cities and forecasts the transportation needs of the region as far out as 2030 based on those plans. Both Inver Grove Heights and Eagan are planning development in the northern corners abutting Interstate 494 in the next 20-30 years The information presented by engineering consultant firm SRF Consulting Group projected traffic congestion problems along Interstate 494 between Interstate 35E and Dodd Road, the interchange at Dodd Road and the interchange at Robert Street. Volume and capacity problems are also identified along Robert Street. The possibilities for adapting to these potential demands are varied and growing. An additional interchange can be built at any number of places along 494, according to the report. Roads such as Robert Street and Argenta Trail south of 1-494 can be expanded, redirected to create new connections, and in the case of Argenta Trail, redirected around a neighborhood to the east and away from a protected wetland. Fears addressed SRF principal Marie Cote said many of the more than 100 residents who attended the open house showed up angry about the possibilities proposed by the study. But after learning more, she said many of them were satisfied with the information. Cote clarified to visitors that closing access to Dodd Road from Interstate 494 is not being considered. She said that engineers tested a range of scenarios to better understand traffic patterns, including various extremes of shutting off access points entirely. By shutting down the interchange at Dodd Road, that traffic would shift almost entirely onto an Argenta Trail interchange. However, despite having that information, she said that no one is proposing closure of Dodd Road access as a solution to future congestion. The information also clarified that while expansion of Argenta Trail, i.e. Delaware Road south of 1-494, could be part of a package of solutions, expansion of Delaware north of 1-494 would have no benefit to traffic patterns, and is not being considered. While Cote may have appeased the worries of some, others still appeared disgruntled after reviewing the information A Mendota Heights resident said many of the issues could be resolved through better mass transit in the area. SRF consultant David Montebello said while a percentage of the traffic growth was allotted to mass transit outlets, the study did not include any plans for mass transit that are not already being planned by the Met Council at this time. He said the relative low density of the area made certain forms of mass transit less effective for the study's purposes. Deb Camp of Inver Grove Heights said she was "disheartened" by the possibility of expanding Argenta Trail. Her property sits to the east of the road. She said when her family first considered buying the property they checked with MnDOT to see if there were any possibilities of expanded traffic routes nearby. She said her family was told "No." No immediate plans in sight For residents who are unhappy with the potential changes, the timeline for any of these projects to come to fruition may be of some comfort. City's comprehensive plans, which require updates every 10 years, project out roughly 20-30 years. The end result of the study is to map out what changes to the regional system would best accommodate burgeoning planned growth in the area, however, it will not set out timetables for projects or identify funding sources. None of these proposed scenarios are funded in MnDOT's 10 -year plans. Whether these projects take shape will depend on what actually happens over the next decades. In the case of a new interchange, planning would take well over five years just to finish environmental studies, secure permits, gain right-of-way, update the plans of local regional and state agencies, and complete final design. Something to say? SRF will accept comments for a few weeks more, according to Montebello, after which time they will be tabulated and summarized. This information will be presented to a study advisory committee than includes the cities of Mendota Heights and Sunfish Lake. Another open house is tentatively planned for February. Danielle Cabot can be reached at southwest@lillienews. Com 651-748-7815. Content © 2009 Software © 1998-2009 1up! Software, All Rights Reserved Assistant Fire Chief Jim Kilburg is Retiring! Come celebrate at: Mendakota Country Club 2075 Mendakota Drive Mendota Heights, MN 55120 Thursday, December 17, 2009 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. Help us celebrate his retirement after 27.5 years of service as a Firefighter, Captain and Assistant Fire Chief for the Mendota Heights Fire Department Hors d'oeuvres and cash bar RSVP to Nancy at 651-255-1149 by 4:30 on December 11, 2009 Assistant Chief ice. I I Jim Kilburg Serving since 1982 Upcoming Park /Recreation / Community Events: Mendota Heights Par 3 Golf Course Clubhouse: 651.454-9822 Closed for the season - if good weather prevails call Clubhouse to inquire if flags are out. MHParks & Recreation Programs Registration Required @ 651.452-1850 For information regarding "Fall and Winter Parks & Recreation Programs" Call 651.452-1850 or www.mendota-heights.com Mendota Heights Athletic Association www.mendotaheightsathietics.com or Amelia 1957@aol.com Community Events: November 21s`, 2009 - Saturday Firemen's Dance - contact Nancy at City Offices for info / tickets Evening Scheduled Use of City Hall Meeting Rooms Use of a meeting room can be scheduled with the City Hall receptionist - 651.452-1850 Monday, November 23`d 1:00 pm - Planners meeting in small conference room Tuesday, November 24`h 7:00 pm * Mendota Heights Planning Commission in Council Chambers Tuesday, November 24`h 5pm to 10pm - Police Department Sergeants interviews in large conference room Wednesday, November 25`h 6:30 pm Kensington Manor Townhomes in large conference room Thursday, November2e CITY OFFICES CLOSED Friday, November270 CITY OFF /CES CLOSED Tuesday, December 1s' 7:00 pm "Mendota Heights City Council meeting November 20`h, 2009 Friday News - gk