2016-03-18 Friday NewsCity of Mendota Heights Weekly Update
Mendota Heights City Hall
1101 Victoria Curve
www.mendota-heights.com
(651) 452.1850
Visit us on:
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MendotaHeightsMN
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@Mendota_heights
DATES TO REMEMBER:
March 22
Planning Commission
7:00 p.m.
April 5
City Council
7:00 p.m.
April 12
Parks Commission
6:30 p.m.
April 13
Airport Commission
7:00 p.m.
April 19
City Council
7:00 p.m.
April 26
Planning Commission
7:00 p.m.
Attachments:
Pipeline, Just the Facts
Dakota County Simple Steps
Flyer
March 18, 2016
Spring Clean Up 2016
This weekend is a great time to do some spring
cleaning in preparation of Mendota Heights’
Spring Clean Up day. This year’s event will be held
on Saturday, May 7 at Mendakota Park from 8:00
a.m. to 12:00 p.m. This even is limited to
Mendota Heights’ residents with current ID,
driving personal vehicles and small trailers.
New this year: Due to the weight of beams,
landscape timbers and sharp metal edges, we can no longer accept construction or
remodel debris. These items should be hauled to a landfill.
Document shredding is back for a second year. We are accepting paper documents
for a flat fee of $5 per vehicle. Residents are asked to remove 3-ring binders, binder
clips, metal tabs on file folders. No business materials will be accepted.
Visit www.mendota-heights.com for more information and a list of items accepted.
2016 Recreation Program Registration
Registration for summer programs opened this week. Over 300 registration have
been processed, generating over $16,000 in recreation fees. New this year is Teen
Tuesday (ages 12 to 15). There are still plenty of openings for youth programs this
summer. Visit www.mendota-heights.com for additional summer recreation
program information.
Mendota Heights 5K Run/Walk Event
Twelve weeks and counting...It’s time to start training for the Mendota Heights 11th
Annual 5K Run/Walk. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, June 4th. Early
registration fee is $25 and all race proceeds go directly to Special Olympics. So save
the date and start your training program for the 11th Annual 5K Run/Walk!
2015 Clean Up Day Volunteers
MOVE WITH
ENERGIZE ENGAGE ENJOY
SIMPLE STEPS
MOVE WITH
April 1 - July 31
SIMPLE
STEPS
Join Dakota County’s
FREE
Walking Program
Register at
www.dakotacounty.us
(search “Simple Steps”)
or call 651.554.6100
ENERGIZE and reduce stress
ENGAGE with friends
ENJOYyour community
Track minutes Get rewards Share your success
Public Works
The Parks Crew temporarily repaired a slide at the Mendakota Park playground
and ordered new parts to permanently fix the slide. The equipment trailer was
sandblasted and painted. The trucks and equipment were cleaned and detailed.
The equipment at Par 3 was serviced. They assisted the Fire Department with a
grass fire on Thursday. A tree inspection seminar was attended OSHA training
was completed. Interviews were conducted for seasonal employees.
The Utilities Crew Completed OSHA training and cleaned all the lift stations. The
sanitary sewer line was jetted near Lloyds BBQ. Interviews were conducted for
seasonal employees, and a safety meeting was attended.
The Streets Crew trimmed trees on Concord Way. A temporary mailbox repair
was completed on Miriam Street. The plow was taken off truck 308 and serviced.
They attended a chain saw safety class. A new bracket was welded for the air
dryer on plow 308.
Engineering – Project descriptions simplified for easier reading. For more
information, please contact the Engineering Department at (651) 452 -1850.
City Projects (construction year)
Victoria Road Reconstruction & Rolling Green Neighborhood Rehabilitation
(2014/2015) – Warranty and punch list items to be completed in the spring .
Mendota Road Neighborhood Improvements (2016) – Plans have been submitted
to MnDOT for review. A neighborhood meeting is scheduled for March 23 rd form
6:30-8:00pm at City Hall. Authorization for Bid is expected at the April 5th City
Council meeting, bid opening on April 27th, and bid award is scheduled for May 3rd.
Construction is expected to begin in June after the end of the school year.
Update of Local Surface Water Management Plan (LSWMP) – Staff has provided
the consultant background materials. A draft plan is expected by the end of June.
Watershed approval is expected in August with City adoption in January 2017.
Lake Augusta Alum Treatment (2016) – Grant funded. Board of Soil and Water
Resources (BWSR) is reviewing the Work Plan submitted by the Watershed Board.
Project will be overseen by the Lower Mississippi River Watershed Management
Organization (LMRMWO) Board. Treatment is expected in the fall.
The Pipeline N E W S
L E T T E R
Public Works
Engineering
March 18, 2016
County Projects
Highway 110 Greenway Trail Crossing (2017) – Design is continuing on the
project. City easements for the trail connections will be brought before City
Council later this year.
Traffic Signal Improvements: I-494 & Pilot Knob Road (2016) – Plans are at
MnDOT for review. Work is expected along with MnDOT project (see below).
State Projects
Highway 13 Slope Repair (2015-2016) – There will be a second closure of Highway
13 between Wachtler and Sylvandale beginning in early June and lasting to late-
July. This closure will allow for the completion of the slope reinforcement work not
completed during the winter.
Highway 110 Rehabilitation (2017) – A Public Hearing will be held on April 5th at
the City Council meeting. Municipal Consent will then be considered by the
Council. MnDOT is proposing to close the access point east of Lexington (except
for emergency vehicles). MnDOT also needs to establish new drainage easements.
Changes to access through the median are not part of Municipal Consent. For
more information contact Molly Cline, MnDOT Project Manager, 651 -234-7723 or
molly.cline@state.mn.us.
Highway 149 (Dodd Road) Rehabilitation (2018) – Staff is working on getting a
bike/pedestrian facility incorporated into the project from Marie Avenue north to
Delaware Avenue (see SHIP grant below). Contact Tara McBride, Project Manager
at 651-234-7506, or tara.mcbride@state.mn.us for more project information.
Pilot Knob Bridge over I-494 Expansion Joint Repair (2016) – MnDOT will be fixing
bridge deck concrete expansion joints on the Pilot Knob Road bridge over I-494.
Work is expected to take 10-14 days. Staff is attending a pre-construction
meeting on March 24th, and will learn proposed construction dates afterwards.
Other Activities
City-Wide Trail Plan Update – The City has received a Statewide Health
Improvement Program (SHIP) grant from Dakota County to study the Dodd Road
(Highway 149) corridor for bicycle/pedestrian improvements. Staff attended a
scoping meeting on Thursday with our Planning Consultant to review the project
scope and establish a timeline for the work.
Engineering 101 Seminar (April 6, 2016 – Eagan Community Center) –
Invitations for the upcoming seminar have been sent out. The seminar is
scheduled for Wednesday, April 6th, 2016 at the Eagan Community Center from
6:00pm – 9:00pm and will cover municipal requirements and practices for
maintaining traffic, streets, storm water, utilities, and a discussion of funding
these needs. City Council, Commissioners, and City Staff are asked to RSVP to
Mark McNeill by March 25th.
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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
Shayna Hoechst
Becky Pentel
RESERVES
Randy Pentel
Jim Knox
Jeff Parker
CHAPLAINS
Butch Millett
John Snider
Alberto Vargas
Lynn Liberman
Sue Plucker
Joel Detlefsen
Lenny Andrie
MARCH 18 2016
FEMALE POLICE OFFICER HISTORY
U.S. ImmigraƟon and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enforces federal
laws governing border control, customs, trade and immigraƟon to
promote homeland security and public safety.
ICE was created in 2003 through a merger of the invesƟgaƟve and
interior enforcement elements of the former U.S. Customs Service
and the ImmigraƟon and NaturalizaƟon Service. ICE now has more
than 20,000 employees in more than 400 offices in the United States and 48 foreign
countries.
The agency has an annual budget of approximately $6 billion, primarily devoted to two
operaƟonal directorates — Homeland Security InvesƟgaƟons (HSI) and Enforcement
and Removal OperaƟons (ERO). A third directorate, Management and AdministraƟon
(M&A), is charged with providing professional management and mission support to
advance the ICE mission.
The first female police officer in the United States, Alice Wells, was hired by Los
Angeles Police Department in 1910. Since then, the number of female officers in law
enforcement has been steadily increasing and now accounts for approximately 16% of
all sworn officers.
Currently Mendota Heights Police Department employs three female officers. Female
officers tend to handle certain situaƟons, such as domesƟc disputes, differently than
male officers, but gender does not impact job performance. At the end of the day, our
male partners just see us as “one of the guys.”
2
DOMESTIC FRIDAY 1503 HOURS
Sergeant Tanner Spicer responded to a home on a domestic call between a man and a woman who were
yelling at each other. Upon arrival to this frequented home, Spicer made contact with the husband and wife
and learned the argument began over the wife not giving the husband the credit card to bring the dog to the
clinic and he said she was plotting against him. In looking at the house further, the phone cord appeared to
have been pulled from the wall and broke. In asking if he did that in an attempt to prevent the wife from
calling 911, he replied yes. Spicer placed the husband under arrest , he was transported to jail.
TRAFFIC STOP/DRUGS FRIDAY 2314 HOURS
While on routine patrol, Officer Denise Urmann observed a vehicle with a broken tail light. Spicer ran the
plate and the registered owner came back with a felony warrant out of Ramsey County for 5th degree
possession. Officer Steve Hilyar assisted Urmann with the traffic stop. There were two occupants in the
vehicle, the driver had the active warrant and was placed in the squad while the vehicle was searched. The
passenger owned the vehicle. Inside the vehicle, a black pouch with a baggie full of a white crystalized
substance was found. In looking further, a scale, small silver spoon, brass knuckles, a knife, and a notebook
with drug notes were found. The car was towed and both were transported to jail.
FOUND PROPERTY SATURDAY 1511 HOURS
While on routine patrol, Officer John Larrive was stopped by a resident who had found a pair of pants, shoes
and a wallet in his trash bin at his home. Larrive checked the pants and found a wallet containing cash,
credit cards and a MN DL. Larrive ran the DL and it came back to a male living in West St Paul who had an
active warrant out for his arrest. Attempts are on-going to return his property and make the warrant arrest.
IDENTITY THEFT SATURDAY 1741 HOURS
Officer Nick Gorgos was advised to call a male reference a fraud. The male stated he received an email
sometime in January that stated he had viruses on his computer. He was then directed to a website that
allowed a person to access his computer and function it remotely. Later that day he received a phone call
from “Brad” who stated he had more viruses on his computer and he would again need to remotely access
his files. He was then instructed to go to Ace Pay Day in St Paul to wire $4,700 for the services. “Brad” start-
ed to become belligerent and that is when the male figured he was being scammed. He then checked his
banking account and noticed $32,000 was missing from it. The male was going to call his bank right away in
an attempt to stop the transactions. Case pending.
3
AOA SUNDAY 0131 HOURS
Officer Nick Gorgos, Phil McCarty and Jeff VonFeldt were advised by State Patrol that a trooper was in
pursuit of a silver Cadillac on 35E. Officers heard that the vehicle had crashed and the driver had fled.
Gorgos and McCarty arrived and assisted in taking the passengers into custody. The driver was found to live
only a few blocks from the crash site. Officers arrived at the home and after several call-outs, they entered
the home and found the suspect in the basement. He put his hands in the air and was transported to jail.
MENTAL HEALTH MONDAY 1013 HOURS
Officers Todd Rosse and John Larrive responded to a residence on an out-of-control female. Upon arrival,
officers were met by several family members who stated that the female was out of control. Family members
were unaware of anything that happened to cause the behavior but did say that she has a history of cutting
her wrists and drug/alcohol abuse. The family initially tried to get her to go to the hospital but she refused
and began getting out of control. Officers observed several signs of drug and/or alcohol abuse present on
her. She was placed on a Health & Welfare Hold.
AOA/MENTAL HEALTH TUESDAY 1917 HOURS
Sergeant Peyton Fleming was requested to assist Mankato PD on a welfare check of a suicidal female.
Fleming responded to the home and made contact with the female. She knew why he was there and she
admitted sending a group text message to three friends with suicidal comments. She also stated that she has
had previous mental health issues and agreed to be transported to the hospital.
AOA WEDNESDAY 1352 HOURS
Officer John Larrive, Todd Rosse and Sergeant Tanner Spicer were requested to assist Dakota County Park
Rangers on a disorderly male on the county trail system. It was reported that the male was yelling profanities
and flipping off trail users as well as the ranger himself. Officers observed the male jogging toward them and
was asked to stop jogging. The male instantly became verbally aggressive and was ordered to the ground
where he was handcuffed. A search was done on him and during that time, he was pulling away and yelling
and swearing how much he dislikes law enforcement. The park ranger ultimately trespassed him from the
trail system and he was released.
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03/11 ‐ 03/17 2016 YTD
Calls for Service 131 1,544
Citations 20 204
Warnings 21 210
Police Reports 22 216
Response Time Average 5.01 4.69
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
PD where Dakota County residents can safely and
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!
Sports Season
Is Approaching!
How to idenƟfy the signs
and symptoms of a
Concussion:
Appears dazed or
stunned
Is confused about
assignment or posiƟon
Forgets an instrucƟon
Is unsure of game, score,
or opponent
Moves clumsily
Answers quesƟons
slowly
Loses consciousness
(even briefly)
Shows behavior or
personality changes
Can’t recall events prior
to hit or fall
Can’t recall events aŌer
hit or fall
A concussion is a brain
injury caused by a bump or
blow to the head. Signs and
symptoms may not show up
right away and can appear
days or even weeks aŌer
the injury. If you child
reports any symptoms or
you recognize them, seek
medical aƩenƟon.