The URL can be used to link to this page

2005-11-04 Friday NewsDISPATCHING CHANGES TO DAKOTA COUNTY Bright and early at 0500 hours on Tuesday morning this week Stacey, Mark Tandy from Logis and Dakota County Sheriff s Office personnel all showed up here and at West St. Paul to make the official changeover from West St. Paul dispatching to Dakota County. There were a few glitches with the radio repeaters, 2 of the 3 new Qwest lines did not function (even though they had been tested) the telephone lines and the 911 conversion all went fine. The radio conversion because of the Qwest lines and the paging tones did not work perfectly, but they did work and did not impact the police, fire or medical responses. Now, on day four, everything is progressing. They are still working on paging to make paging tones right. City Hall is scheduled to have fiber connected and working on Friday. The Fire Hall and Public Works Garage will also be added soon. This will bring CAD and LOGIS into the building, and speed up our communication totally, and will also expand engineering's access to much more Dakota County information. On Thursday morning of this week, Police Chief Asenbrener attended a table top exercise conducted at Eagan Fire Hall with ten of the eleven Dakota County cities, Dakota County, Emergency Management and Ambulance Service all participating. The drill was sponsored by a grant through Homeland Security. The incident took place over a train bridge that was blown up in Burnsville. This train wreck involved train cars with three different chemicals, with one leaking. It involved evacuating 4800 people, clothing, feeding, and housing them, traffic and everything else necessary for the evacuation. The incident was projected to last 7-12 days. The facilitators and Incident Management Team will write up an "after incident" corrective action plan and the participants will then take the appropriate corrective action. HALLOWEEN BONFIRE The annual Halloween Bonfire was held on Monday, October 31" at Mendota Plaza. The Fire Department provided hot dogs and pop and Ziggy's provided cookies for the event. Brian Vogel provided his horses and wagon for hay rides. From what I heard (I was home with my grandkids) this year's bonfire was the biggest and best ever. Council Member Duggan told me that he estimated that well over 2,000 residents were there. Police Chief Aschenbrener told me that he would agree with that estimate because there were absolutely no parking places left anywhere near the event. KOWALSKI'S WINE MARKET Thursday night was the grand opening for Kowalski's Wine Market. The Mayor and Council Members were on hand to "Cut the red ribbon". It has been a long time coming and we were all very excited to have the first (after Gateway Bank) grand opening on the Village Green. Coldstone Creamery, Vera's Hair Salon, Fantastic Sams and Caribou Coffee are all planning on opening later this month too. Respectfully submitted, Jim Danielson Attachments: Just the Facts, Pipeline, Parks and Recreation Commission Agenda, ARC Agenda, Planning Commission Agenda Synopsis, Pioneer Press Article "Lights out at West St. Paul 911 center" and "Pilot Knob hill at issue", Sun Current Article "Pilot Knob to belong to the people", South-West Review Mailbag Article "Preserving the historic Pilot Knob site", Villager Article "Preservation wins out on Pilot Knob", Citizens' Guide to Endangered Green Space 2004, Great River Greening Postcard, Electric Base Rate Case memo, email on Ramp Closure and Informational Meeting Notice, Issue # 09-41 11/0412005 f tilaiiat 3'd Degree DU10-26-06 2155 hours Officer Steve Meyer responded to a request for assistance from a Metro Transit Officer who was on his way home from work. The Lieutenant had spotted a car stopped in the middle of the road. He stopped thinking the driver might require some help. In checking he found the driver to be intoxicated. When Officer Meyer arrived he asked the driver to step out of the car. She complied and immediately fell to the ground. She was not asked to complete any SFST's as it was difficult for her to stand. The driver provided a PBT sample of .158 and after being read the MIDI Implied Consent Advisory provided and evidentiary test of .18. She was transported to the Dakota County Jail. Damage to Prapany 10-27-9S 0913 hours Sgt Anderson spoke with a homeowner who reported that the night before a pumpkin was thrown through the front picture window. They felt it might be related to his high school aged son. 4th Dagvas Del 10-28-05 04,11.2 hours While on patrol Officer Tanner Spicer observed a car slow to a stop about 500 feet from a stop sign, which they drove through when they got to the sign. The vehicle then crossed the fog line twice and attempted to pull onto the freeway. The curve of the entrance ramp was extremely difficult to maneuver and the car had to stop and realign before making it to the freeway. Officer Spicer stopped the car on 35E just north of the river. The driver failed all SFST's and blew a .164 on the PBT. He was transported to MHPD where he was read the MIS Implied Consent, The suspect had difficulty understanding English and Officer Spicer needed to use the "AT&T Language Line" to translate the MN Implied Consent. After two calls to the language line the suspect took a breath test that revealed a BAC of .12. He was cited and released. Speeding I DAS I Warrant 10-28-05 0617 hours Officer Steve Meyer stopped a car for 52 mph in a 40 mph zone. The driver did not have a license but did have a warrant out of Sherburne County, with a $500 bail. The driver was arrested and brought to the MHPD. A short time later the driver's girlfriend arrived and posted bail. The suspect was released with a new -1- Issue # 09-41 11/04/2005 court date. DAS 10-28-05 2246 hours Officer Tanner Spicer observed a car cross over the fog line and then drive over the curb. The vehicle was stopped immediately and the driver was ID'ed by a damaged MN D/L. A D/L check revealed the driver was suspended. The car was towed and the driver was cited. DAC 10-28-05 2257 hours Officer Meyer spotted a man driving by him that he had recently cited for being "canceled inimical to public safety." Officer Meyer ran a computer check and confirmed that the R/O was still cancelled. The driver attempted to make his way into a business before Officer Meyer could catch up with him. After confirming his identity and driving status the driver was arrested and transported to the DC jail. AOA 10-2-05 0040 hours Officer Tanner Spicer responded to lower Lilydale at the train bridge, the far east end of town, to assist to SPPD on a personal injury car accident. He found a van rolled over with the occupants trapped and requiring extrication. After providing some first aid Officer Spicer was relieved at the scene by SPPD. Juvenile 10-30-05 2338 hours Officer Jeff VonFeldt responded to a resident's request to deal with a juvenile that was caught sneaking out of the house. Situation resolved. Attempted Suicide 10-31-05 0613 hours Officer Jeff VonFeldt responded to a residence on a third pa ,a call of a man attempting to commit suicide. Upon arrival at the residence Officer VonFeldt could see the man in the garage. After finally making contact the man was incoherent and obviously in distress. With assistance frorn WSPPD the situation was brought under control and the man went with healtheast Ambulance to United hospital. 1�� D�r�r Arse 10-31-05 08'0 hours Officer Jennifer Fordham responded to the men's locker room at the high school about a locker whose contents were started on fire. The fire spread to adjacent lockers before staff put it out. The SRO worked with school staff, interviewed multiple parties and reviewed surveillance video to locate a suspect. The suspect was arrested and transported to Dakota County Juvenile Detention Center (JDC). The case is at the County Attorney's Office awaiting criminal charging. 5trh Degree Controlled Substance Vloiation/DUi 11-03-05 001 hours Officer Denise Urmann responded to a residential neighborhood on a citizen's report of a suspicious vehicle. The car was spotted a short time later weaving and driving on the wrong side of the road. When the squad turned around the car quickly pulled into a driveway and the driver went around the back of the house. The man was quickly located; he smelled very bad and was a complete mess. The man appeared to be strung out on drugs. After a short conversation he was arrested for DUI. A methamphetamine pipe was located in the front seat of the car. After being read the MN Implied Consent Advisory the man agreed to provide a breath test which revealed a BAC of .00. A Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) was called in from the Eagan PD. He confirmed the suspect was under the influence of meth. Under Miranda the man stated he was "driving like an idiot, my bad" he also admitted to owning the meth pipe in the car. He was transported to the Dakota County Jail. &V,,IP-a i0Af' -2- 1 The Parks Crew ordered the satellites for the Halloween bonfire at the South Plaza site. They cut up leaves at Friendly Hills Park behind the backstop at the north end of Ivy Falls Park. With the summer season ending, the Kensington and Mendakota buildings were cleaned out. They blew out the sprinkler systems and had to replace broken sprinkler heads at City Hall and Mendakota Park. The tennis nets were removed from the parks. They set up the aerator at Rogers Lake and tested it for use this winter. The Street Crew took down the fencing and signs at the Halloween bonfire site. They pushed in any unburned brush. This year, the wind was in our favor and there were no complaints. The Fire Department put the remaining fire out on Wednesday night after their drill. John Ambrose repaired the tail gate on the parks trailer. They pushed up the debris at our dump site to make room for the Halloween bonfire debris. They finished hauling out demo debris to the demolition site. building •- • to United Properties• • .1 squartr, foot tenant space finish at 1285 and 7., 940 square foot tenant space finish at 1295 NorthlandDrive. The tenant spacefor valuationof the building p•- 10 111. 1. r certificateof occupancy issued on October 10 for .a 12-72' Main Suite #101 in Town Engineering There was a water main break on William Court on Saturday. St. Paul Regional Water Services had it repaired on Sunday. There was another water main break on Aztec Lane on Wednesday. Public Works did their first sanding last year on November 27th. The first plowable snow fall, curb to curb, was on January 2nd of this year. November 4, 2005 TO: City Council, Commission Members, and City Administrator FROM: Patrick C. Hollister, Administrative Assistant SUBJECT: Planning Commission Agenda Synopsis The Planning Commission will discuss the following items at their November 22, 2005 meeting: Planning Case #05-58 Ronald W. Buelow 1666 Mayfield Heights Road Critical Area Permit for a Deck Planning Case #05-59 Jeromy D. Shultz 689 Evergreen Knolls Conditional Use Permit for a Fence Planning Case #05-60 James P. Losleben 815 Hazel Court Wetlands Permit for Landscaping and Grading Planning Case 405-61 Peter F. Jackson 589 Emerson Avenue West Front Yard Setback Variance for a Home Addition Planning Case #05-62 Daniel P. Nelson 919 Delaware Avenue Side Yard Setback Variance for a Home Addition Planning Case #05-63 Darrell Guessford and Yeen Ching Chong 1319 Delaware Avenue Front Yard and Side Yard Setback Variances for a Home Addition Planning Case #05-64 Mike Doyle, Fischerville Coffee House 2150 Dodd Road Front Yard Setback Variance for a Freestanding Sign Planning Case #05-65 Matthew Ropchak Lloyd's Barbecue 1455 Mendota Heights Road CUP for an Accessory Structure Planning Case #05-57 Paul Aplikowski, Wold Architects (for Mendota Elementary School) 1979 Summit Lane Conditional Use Permit for the Removal of Over 400 Cubic Yards of Fill and Variance to the Curb and Gutter Requirements for Parking Lots Planning Case #05-52 Quinn S. Hutson St. Peters Church, 1405 Highway 13 Preliminary/Final Plat, Conditional Use Permit and Variances for Conversion of a Vacant Single -Family Home into an Accessory Structure (Storage Building) CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS AIRPORT RELATIONS COMMISSION AGENDA November 9, 2005 — City Council Chambers 1. Call to Order - 7:00 p.m. 2. Roll Call 3. Approval of the Octoberl2, 2005 Airport Relations Commission Minutes. 4. Unfinished and New Business: a. Chauncy Case Presentation b. 2006 POA Preparation c. Resolution Adoption d. City Administrator Update e. Updates for Introduction Book 4. Acknowledge Receipt of Various Reports/Correspondence: a. Star Tribune Article "NWA debuts sleek Airbus in Twin Cities b. 2006-2012 Capital Improvement Program C. MAC Environmental Review Process d. MSP/NOC Meeting Minutes from October 4, 2005 e. MSP/NOC Meeting Agenda for November 16, 2005 f. September 2005 ANOM Technical Advisor's Report g. September 2005 ANOM Eagan/Mendota Heights Departure Corridor Analysis h. October 2005 MSP Noise News i. Airport Noise Report, October 10, 2005 j. Airport Noise Report, October 17, 2005 lc. Airport Noise Report, October 24, 2005 1. Airport Noise Report, November 3, 2005 5> Other Commissioner Comments or Concerns 7. Upcoming Meetings MAC Meeting 11-21-05 - 1:00 City Council Meeting 11-15-05 - 7:30 NOC Meeting I1-16-05 - 1:30 8. Public Comments 9. 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. This may not, however, be possible on short notice. Please contact City Administration at (651) 452-1850 with requests. CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA Wednesday, November 9, 2005 6:30 p.m. — Council Chambers 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. October 11, 2005 Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes 4. Chair Spicer's Report on Committee Meeting to Plan 2006 Park Celebration/ 50th Anniversary Recognition. 5. Clarification of City's Relationship with MHAA 6. October 2005 Recreation Programmer's Report 7. DNR Permit for Roadway Improvements on Wagon Wheel Trail 8. Joint Council/Parks Commission Workshop 6:00 pm December 6, 2005 9. Updates • NURT Trail • Requests from Residents for Construction of Two Trail Segments • Pilot Knob Site • OPUS/Ecolab • December 2005 Commission Meeting Cancelled • Police Report 10. Other Comments 11. 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. This may not, however, be possible on short notice. Please contact City Administration at (651) 452-1850 with requests. Lights out at West St. Paul 911 center Posted on Tue, Nov. 01, 2005 Lights out at West St. Paul 911 center Callers in .aFP suburbs unlikely to .ua tk c'ha ; k ounty on anlida. ; more services in 2PQ17 P�oneer Press John Morson's first day on the job 31 years ago turned out to be his worst day. Page 1 of 2 On Jan. 11, 1974, a propane explosion killed three West St. Paul firefighters and an apartment caretaker. The rookie police dispatcher worked 72 hours straight. Too busy with the tasks at hand, Morson even hung up on CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite. Starting today, after 36 years in business, the communications center in West St. Paul will cease operations. The St. Paul suburb of 20,000 residents is closing its 911 and police -fire call center as part of a consolidation with Dakota County. That means the center's customers — the residents of West St. Paul, Mendota Heights, Lilydale, Mendota, Sunfish Lake and those who need to report a fire in South St. Paul — will also be making the switch. But residents are unlikely to notice any difference. They'll still dial 911 for emergencies. The phone will just be answered by county sheriff's dispatchers in Hastings. All other non -emergency numbers — and most everything else — will remain the same. "There's the same firefighters in the trucks, the same cops on the street," Morson said. "It's just a different voice when they call 911." The move foreshadows a major consolidation slated for 2007, when Dakota County will build a countywide center with state-of-theart 800 -megahertz communications equipment to serve its nearly 400,000 residents. While today's closing brings more advantages than disadvantages, it also means the loss of part of the suburb's identity and a 24 -hour -a -day human presence in City Hall at 1616 Humboldt Ave. "I think it's sad," Morson said. "You lose personality. You lose personal touch." Morson is the person most identified with the center, because of his 31 -year tenure and his position as civilian director of emergency management for the last 25 years. But Morson quit his city job earlier this year to take a job in emergency planning for HealthEast Care System in St. Paul. He left July 31 after it became clear that the City Council wanted to close the center. "I told everybody I was not going to be the last person to turn out the lights," he said. The closing leaves Dakota County with five call centers, from a high of seven. In addition to the county center in Hastings, the municipal ones are in Eagan, Apple Valley, Lakeville and Burnsville. Those city -operated ones are also scheduled to close in 2007. "I can see it's inevitable with the 800 megahertz consolidation," Morson said. "When you put everybody under one umbrella, you gain a lot more control, more resources and more people. When you have separate entities, it takes a lot of people to man the ship." The "money crunch" caused by a decline in generous federal and state funding is driving such consolidations, Morson said, as cities struggle with the expense of keeping up on their own centers in the face of changing technology. Police Chief Manila "Bud" Shaver said the transition is already paying off. http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/local/I 3047472.htm?template=contentMo... 11/2/2005 Lights out at West St. Paul 911 center Page 2 of 2 The stand-alone operation didn't have the capability of computer-assisted dispatching, Shaver said. That meant instructions to officers had to be relayed by voice from a dispatcher. The county system allows for instructions to be relayed to computer screens in squad cars, usually a more efficient method, Shaver said. Also, Shaver said, the new arrangement groups the Dakota County suburbs of Inver Grove Heights, South St. Paul, West St. Paul, Mendota Heights, Mendota, Lilydale and Sunfish Lake on the same two channels — one for fire and one for police, improving communication. But Shaver also acknowledged that some advantages of having local dispatchers might be lost. Among the incidents that stood out: Shaver recalled when a dispatcher, talking to a suicidal person on a cell phone who wouldn't give her location or name, recognized the woman's voice from a previous incident. That familiarity started a conversation that ended with the woman getting help, Shaver said. The West St. Paul call center had six civilian employees. All but two have found jobs elsewhere, Shaver said, and he hopes they will find positions. Brian Bonner can be reached at bbonner@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-2173. 200') t€.NulPioncur:'re.>aradwinuysceso..G... ...i..>€.�.t.,n =. http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/local/13047472.htm?template=contentMo... 11/2/2005 MENDOTA HEIGHTS Preserving Pilot Knob The city of Mendota Heights will buy an 8.5 -acre section of Pilot Knob hill, opting to preserve the parcel rather than allow housing to be built.there. But Edina -based Minnstar Builders still has an option to buy 17 adjacent acres, east of Pilot Knob Road and north of Acacia Boulevard. PIONEER PRESS .City buys 8.5 acres; builder still has option BY BRIAN BONNER Pioneer Press In the first battle over Pilot Knob, the preservationists beat the housing developers. But a rematch could be coming soon. On Tuesday night, the Men- dota Heights City Council voted 5-0 to buy an 8.5 -acre section of the.100-acre hill, a revered and, to some, a sacred place. The city will own the mostly vacant parcel, which is being purchased from landowners John N. Allen and Joel Butten- hoff for nearly $2 million after a combination of state, Dakota County and city money was assembled. But the story isn't over yet in the St. Paul suburb. Edina -based Minnstar Builders Inc. still has a contract to�buy an adjacent 17 acres of the hill from Acacia Park Ceme- tery, which takes up Pilot Knob's remaining 75 acres. The developers might want to put housing there, although any new proposal would likely be smaller in scope than the proposed 157 luxury town homes on the 25 acres the devel- oper once had under contract. "We haven't decided what to do, of course. We would have to design a whole new project," said Timothy Bohlman, Minnstar's senior project manag- er. "We have to look at whether' any kind of project is feasible on the remaining portion." City Administrator Jim Danielson expects the developer to,-,. sound out the City Council about what the five elected offi- cials want to do. ""They have been in to talk to us`," Danielson said of Minnstar Builders. "We think they're going to come to the council to . ask if they have any interest in" having housing built on the IT acre site. That parcel is also mostly vacant, except for two houses where cemetery employ- ees live. `But Danielson said that if the developer is interested in build- ing; an in-depth environmental study, known as an environmen- tal impact statement, would have to be done first. The council ordered the study in 2003 after a potent coalition of preservationists, Native Americans and 'histori- ans argued against developing the site because of Pilot Knob's historical importance. The hill is widely believed to have been a Native American burial ground. It was also the site of the 1851 Treaty of Men- dota, which opened up 35 mil- lion acres west of the Mississip- pi River to European -American settlement. Dakota Indians know Pilot Knob as oheyawahe, a "hill much visited." With the tranquility of the cemetery, the hill is now a nature preserve of sorts. The peace is upset, however, by planes from. the Minneapolis - St. Paul International Airport, only a mile away, and heavy traffic from the Mendota Bridge. Still, the beauty remains. Across the river from Fort Snelling, the skyline of down- town Minneapolis and the con- fluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers are all visi- ble on clear days. The city Mans to complete the purchase in December and then restore the 8.5 acres to its original, mid -1800s prairie habitat. Local historian Bruce White, who has studied Pilot Knob's past, said he and oth- ers will oppose ft develop- ment on the hill, including the '17 -acre parcel the cemetery is trying to sell. "All the issues that were raised apply to the whole area, not just the 8.5 acres," White said. "People have asked: `Would you be happy if you saved this one piece?' No. We don't think development is the right thing for that hill." oheyawahe, a `'hili much visited." White said cemetery offi- cials have acknowledged that Pilot Knob is "a sacred place for Indian people. I'd hate to see them turn around and say it doesn't apply to this proper- ty that they want to develop." Dale Bachmeier, general manager of Acacia Park Ceme- tery, couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday. Brian Bonner can be reached at bbonner@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-2173. LO 0 0 N ti N U. O. s sem. U C s O of m 0. N d z x 0 c3 c c 0 a O C0 U bA ,y CZ ti r; in 0 y 0 p 4� •� 'c6 •� O H d O U y .00) S i 1tp CS bA > +� - r m o ca cd cs a) r~ m U �, a s. ,, A ° f� P i �U ��aUi-3 O0 �4 xdy phi c� � .�wN ° y �" � UU �' N W�,g 0�. c, o p,o yx1 Dy y R a>. cn o oo m cd y c� 4 0 a�4- -0 W �" s� � Clcd r ai 47 � � O s, ++ � m ++ 0 0��U� 0 y•'"m""�� + w o >?+ ,U `''' 4) a) � Sw" a) cd 0 Cd +j �-+ t.. O .' " O •ti O a> �C cd ° ("D � aA � o ° C� U d � � ' bA cd a� � >~ � w cd o � 4 0 V) 04 N "� o "" �.. >~ H to U T5 S°i a r-•+' •'+" y �" .�: ''O U rn _ CZ z >, Z 0 2 cd ,N o " „~..i •^" �'y) .�, 0 cd h � d sp0 a)a 0 m � �Sj y t H CS *r p' o cd •,Oy op, � Vis~ m�Y °off pmp,api,�O�co�'�,�y04' CD (2) t,zf�aS+;� p >caOpcd wU r; .° cd X14 � oto :CO O y p.a co- fy ° °3 (c�M o o4�F�0 o.0 �y o r-+ p+ (D +J U "rri rl s. -- J -i v 'C/� •ri •i•i ;a Q% - - 0,0 0W s�.0 .+•1 ' �V'CL)4 �rs(n o0$-4 41y +��4 U cambjD CD (L) ' °'" s-. � s� 11 .0 O 0 x' .+� �� 4 a) O _d p ..+ cry a� � o �i p O y c o aa)i ^O o a) o•��r�, y y �+;C7'y.� pp',v� o� 14 dH s w o, y °� p off ~'��,� a�bn� off r a�izs � .>i S" ¢, S- S" �r �+. 0 � '� � � ° � y � ca � ca c (Z W s~ >~ rn O � � cd 421 1 cd m P, cd � ++ m a C/� U) co c6 cd FA cd. S- P4 +d bA W U U bA U U ++ cd cd Uta � .+, A � P. CO cd cd se p ,ti x .Q 0 o z t4 O cd +� �.� OP,4 to 0 cd m 0 y, d d .Opp cd +�z� 0 000 ccz 7;1 o o s0, ,� �4 ': p y • , ,� �, ,o w .� cd �A �o xHC7 Oy ybU; cn �yy x�y�°O�; Cd ;>,!5 o�cd ,q �c cn PCd cd CO) m 41 cz °cz � .>cd pym �+o 1:11 � w G6 0�P+ci c� 'OO O+ w 5 w as NWo p 4-1 P o O y OM .np 0'�U cz iOpaSU 0 0),00�Wv4ao �= T5�41+w.d�0~go a> a� •~r.i-�� UCZ o NO0 0O ��p+Aa o cn +cd c'Ja .`.n 0 z P4 14 i, ; 0 -� to" +� 0 3 E- E-4 0 71 CD H o cz ..ax�N xx � aPp( + a' O5 d ;-4 ro m D 0tmio, ,n a 4.4 w 4d`sa�m oa.+��m�ssV-�� Ayp aiJsgbOnAHO"Uoac y �,nrcd s 0 O ywoo .O ISO pp s: W0 Oo0 �m �o•^p�p + Z .,� o a) sacdo oO ,cs ooH+O+, 0 d wpO pay0oop°000w+Cvm+- Q + �s o m +' U) �,'+9 O 0 to CD �N r- I=„ ;Z° cd m o bJD °� p�ys pcmd , a�oyymC) CO a) t � .c~oHpo cz H CL � MHm'yff A ° o o 59 q00 �o~w W U +J w w 4• •4i p+J 4 10 'Z 0 "d cd 'n P,m r .- 4-+ 4� a � rn LO O O N O m U O m f` al Octi O 0,0 M4-3® *� as 3 -.75 7�j C) `�°Id , y� �a O N P4 z S-+ �+ Q) C� U3�r U O° N 4=jO P+ U ® O 013 a) O En In €�• 74-1°� C)v w Qa 0 .� cz t-4 Ilz PQ Id oca _� �aUO® U v o° o lob 10 QD) s-4 ® nen U C6 O `> V 0 a -a U 0 �, v Oxon - N `� N aa)i v � CJ a S+cn e 4-1 is t 1.-+ 0 , � O rc $ Z4-4 .a. a) O O O �+ CAS ra O + + •t, — 4) Q) O v2 P -a %r- • I ��+ - 4� �O O Ct �3 ® e epi QCZ X o a) o O as ... ® �y ® U) ° 4-jCoA cz " '0A r + C� ° &Z' ° c, " b . CO tj) ® 1 H as IH + ®'tea) cn O u) a 4-4 Q) 4 ..� _O - . , �°, ani sa v 05 c� a3 O > ° cin 0 O ° r. P4 v ct e) ® 4- Q) � Ln � ° �O z �' tj ® N O W y �'' 0 0 O N 0 0 0 �' � (n a) N�� _. .. ,. ,.a ;...1NEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 2 20Q5 Vol. 3, No. 15 Thursday, November 3,1955 Circulation: 20,000 by Dave Page The crowd at the Mendota Heights City Council meeting on October 18 was consid- erably smaller and less hostile than the,one that showed up two years ago to protest the proposed construction of luxury townhomes on Pilot Knob hill. In fact, after a political science class from Inver Hills Community College left midway through the proceedings, the council chambers were barely half full. Those who remained until the 9:30 p.m. ad- journment felt as if they were seeing history- if not made, at least preserved -as the council voted 5-0 to proceed with plans to purchase 8.5 acres of Pilot Knobbhill and return them to native prairie. "This is a miracle;' said City Council mem- ber Mary Jeanne Schneeman after the vote. "I wanted this with all my heart.' A formal vote to commit $400,000 toward the $1.97 million purchase price was sched- uled for November 1, after the council re -- viewed letters of commitment from the state, county and nonprofit Trust for Public Land (TPL) for the remaining amount. If all goes as planned, the TPL will close on the property before the end of the year and transfer the title to Mendota Heights. Located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers, Pilot Knob once served as a navigational reference for riverboat cap- tains. Though as much as 20 feet were lopped from the top of the knob during construction. of Acacia Cemetery in 1928, the rise at the eastern end of the Mendota Bridge still offers -d C p 0 O ra o a ,,-O -0 c c O N •� ° Co Ln ° N v (33 o � 4 O 0 -0 41 +� � � u O O1 � � � N > O v E c;y a g 1,4 .o Q ,' O y. y !]. v� to o O O + V o o V� "v) (1)o A o o •., o, c� o a y o g5 Lr,U Ga o o U w a :o °A 1) o ado-oo- rim`" o « V p cci W o) cd w :O to ° ,� x bA " O� .O U C~, ..0 .+•� N sy ^� O... �-' 'Z., "Cy U cd 0- �'�'' _y V 'y 'Li •o 0 . C1 OV w w cd [-c r + V � $ G C O - V V � � py b v 0 bA a� . 0 00 �' OZ1" N . O yyj 0 cd C U h C"..C". U O"' N 0 O cd ', U'+�'"+ `+�•� a"' � C V p o V 0 > �. o .d +� o ' 0 F• cd "d a-+ > V a. y * 'O '� bA v Cd cd pq s-+ O V V. cd v U V ,� V p �+ sr f i �" '+-fi N V .N y O N• ^+ m . o ' o Iz O 0�asb �' Q) -1::$ 0.. 00 0 ° b�A0 _o �p yQ p x w a� °'' ° Cd k" i o `" ;," baa fZ469* a M " 3 -ts :� o v 'y Q .a` > ::I � �? 0 3 >, ^O V `� .N, O A C y �>', O w 0 O v M o O" °� u p oNi w o 0 bA c w° oA o Y C1. p W v p n +� a®®� c�aoo^ct y 2s Coa of 9w wU cc Q ° v i >•° cuO °' o .0 - w o a� cd G v v + Cp - 'S "'. y 48 w0 M co � a O a� 0 O ' s~ +s1 @� A c- . V x 0 r.+ •" `d Aw 0 �sV. o T$ U �"*'� 'C O" �.`� pVp'� bA - °` y w cd 'c0j N cd 0 rd «f cd v }yy �y�a q yy O �+ 0 n + ai N O ,•� C1. C1. • ."y.' O �I 'LJ `j A F"a !y yam+ ° W N +�•' •� vtr" �"� 0.1 • �+ a� } + V v] cd '0 cd T3 Q v . bq c� �', +� .y. cid c� Z Na �j Vr. CZ �✓ " V L1 cd vi L. x14 ' w v, o: a'"i v 0 .00 �' o O "0 p cd O° N O C1 v H co a U C7 V C1. a y cz U 3 '> C1 V U E Cd -0> 0 5 0 96 P-4 Cd cd .D 'd Q cu 14-4 cd ,� 00 "' w 0 Q. O 0 0 N D o w ate, v o P O 0 O +�7cn Oh 9 u cd cd +� 0 N 0 O p V -. O V cd ar m cd ? p Q •� i i N cd s. i N ° +.+ c/) d+ +� ++ h W C� i� N E o 2� cd 0 r, o 0 o� to0 .� Iwo 3 0,� o o �� o(; V 3a �U °>A.x °�1. Yom' ° C14 v o U p o -� V 0 C1.'" CA a• a, Q)G :s 04 0 oCd C100 o cd °'ub ons ° �� ° �� 3 � , P" ;d p O. c v cd cd ., v c v bA 0 a� cri 3 c� o C1. C1+ V C3 o 0° n o cn . 0 cd o 0. �� W N w y ccs � CO p' i' � C1. 3 cJ C� ° oo « 'v bVo ° v v ,� : � b + + 0 ty cd o n 0 a, •CS = .� C1 0 c° 0 0 O v V p O co 'S °o ° ' ° W o ° o. A cd C1, C7 0 O x , + a� a� p cd 0 O n bA ij O 0 r 0 .s G cd 0' 0 ® cn -' F u� o o 0 O O 0 y O Q N O y A w'� a0a O cd cd 0 cd P4 4. O N O a� -- c U cd h C1 U N x 9 U O 3 �. 9 E clot Knob, known to Dakota people as Oheyawahi, "a hill much visited," is a prominent hill located at the east end of the Mendota Bridge. It consists of 79 - Above: "Pilot's Knob: Mouth of the St. Peters River," 1846-1848, water- color on paper. Artist: Seth Eastman, Minnesota Historical Society. Opposite: Photo: Sharell Benson M acre Acacia Park Cemetery and surround- ing 30 acres of open space. It is a place of distinctive historical and environmental importance, a sacred site, a burial place, a place known for its bird and animal populations, its natural beauty, and its impressive views of the city of Minneapolis and the Mississippi and Minnesota river valleys. STATUS: ENDANGERED The site is threatened by the construc- tion of a 157 -unit high- and medium - density housing project on 25.5 acres of the hill, including 16 acres of cemetery property. HOW TO GET THERE Pilot Knob can be reached from the WHAT YOU CAN DO AT PILOT KNOB The Acacia Park Cemetery, which makes use of ground -level grave markers, preserves a peaceful, park -like atmosphere. A walk or drive through the winding roads as they slope toward the Minnesota River pro- vides a sense of being far from urban sprawl. At the north end of Pilot Knob Road it is possible to see a view of the surrounding country, just as it was pos- sible to do in the 19th century. Throughout the area many unusual birds have been spotted, making it a strong attraction for birders. DESCRIPTION Pilot Knob/Oheyawahi has been sacred to Dakota people since long before white settlement. The nearby mouth of the Minnesota River—Mdote Minisota—was considered to be the center of the world by the Dakota. They used Oheyawahi as a burial place and a place for ceremonies. Europeans named it Pilot Knob or Pilot Hill because the site was a prominent landmark used by steamboat captains and travelers. Early visitors described the hill, its use by the Dakota, and the impressive view of the surrounding country. In 1851, U.S. government officials negotiat- ed a treaty with Dakota people on the slopes of Pilot Knob, purchasing title to 35 million acres of land in Minnesota, Iowa, and the Dakotas. In the late 19th century, the hill was used for farms. In the 1920s, Acacia Park Cemetery opened at the summit and on some of the west - facing slopes of the hill. When landscap- ing was done on the hill, a number of Dakota graves were moved and the remains preserved by the cemetery. Little development occurred on the hill except immediately adjacent to the Mendota Bridge and the area south of the ceme- tery. This has allowed the northern por- tions of the hill to remain open space. October 2002, how- ever, Acacia Park Cem- etery and another land owner made a purchase agree- ment with a developer to put a 157 -unit housing development on the north end of the hill in full view of Fort Snelling State Park and Historic Fort Snelling. In Citizens' Guide to Endangered Green Space 35 6 R E A T RIVER GRE E N I N C GREENING ECOLOGISTS PLAY KEY ROLE IN EFFORT TO RESTORE HISTORIC PILOT KNOB SITE ovember 2, 2005 Co Partners and Friends of Great River Greening: "he Pilot Knob Natural Resources Management Plan by Great River Greening ecologists is the center of Mendota Heights' work to restore the historic site above the Minnesota River. At last night's city council ;ouncil voted to acquire the 8.5 acre Pilot Knob site opening the way for the restoration work to begin. Che protection and restoration of Pilot Knob for a public natural area represents a historic opportunity to significant piece of Minnesota's history and restore some of the native prairie and savanna that has all bu `This is an unusual situation where we have clear drawings of the site from the mid 1800s, so we can tell ,ommunities were there before European settlement for the restoration plan," said Fred Harris, PhD., LeE or Great River Greening and primary author of the plan. "The restored Pilot Knob Natural Area will give housands of motorists crossing the Mendota Bridge a sense of the diverse and beautiful prairie landscap( oday." Known as ®heyawahi ("a hill much visited"), this prominent hill is a burial ground and sacred space to tl )eople. It was a landmark for river navigation recognized by early European -American settlers. Today t :he edge of Fort Snelling State Park, within a major bird migration route, and is mostly surrounded by de: irreening's Management Plan identifies the most appropriate targets for restoring and managing the Pilot etermines a basic low-cost strategy for achieving those targets. In addition it identifies several options t( roject such as including volunteers in the work and increasing the diversity of wildflowers. The project ,rm process as the site as been extensively disturbed since the late 1800s by agriculture and several deve ew native plants remain within a virtual thicket of invasive and exotic weeds. imple trails, an overlook and interpretive information are recommended and outlined in the plan as cruc :)mponents for such a significant place. The overall goal is to make this site an inviting place where peo] s views, experience the natural setting, and learn about and honor its storied past. You can learn more al River Greening's e-mail postcard offers periodic updates on Greening news and events. For more informal River Greening, visit our website www.greatrivergreenina.ora. TO: City Managers/City Administrators FROM: Colette Jurek, Manager — Community & Local Government Relations Xcel Energy SUBJECT: Electric Base Rate Case Filed Today I would like to inform you that earlier today Xcel Energy asked the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (N4PUC) to authorize an overall 8.05 percent increase in electric base rates, representing an increase of $168 million in annual revenue. This is the first time in 13 years that the company has requested such an increase. While the case is being reviewed by the MPUC, we have requested that interim, or temporary, rates be put into place beginning January 1, 2006. The amount of the interim increase is 6.9 percent and this will apply to all customer rate classes. We are requesting this increase to recover the cost of significant plant and infrastructure investments from the past 13 years as well as increases in operating costs. These investments total nearly $5 billion. If we don't seek this increase today, we will not be in a position to make the future investments and provide service levels necessary to continue to meet growing electric demand, and that would be more costly to customers in the long run. We have carefully held the line on our operating costs during the past 13 years, without raising rates. However, just as other businesses have experienced, we have seen unavoidable increases in such areas as employee healthcare, security and technology improvements. Like Xcel Energy, many utilities in the country have requested increases in their base rates or plan to do so in the near future. We believe that even with our proposed 8.05 percent increase, our prices will remain competitive. For more information about this proposal, please feel free to contact me at (651) 458-1228. We also have on-line materials available at xcelenergy.com that may help answer your questions. Colette Jurek Jim Danielson From: Sue McDermott Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2005 2:57 PM To: Jim Danielson Subject: FW: Fwd: Ramp closure Sue McDermott, P.E. City Engineer 1101 Victoria Curve Mendota Heights, MN 55118 (651) 255-1123 - direct (651) 452-8940 - fax suem@mendota-heights.com -----Original Message ----- From: Nancy Daubenberger [mailto:nancy.daubenberger@dot.state.mn.us] Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2005 11:00 AM To: Sue McDermott Subject: Re: Fwd: Ramp closure Hi Sue - Please see note below from Chris Beckwith in Maintenance. ramp closures. Sorry about all the frustrated callers you've talked to! Nancy Nancy Daubenberger, P.E. South Metro Area Engineer - Dakota and Scott Counties Mn/DOT Metro District phone (651) 582 - 1379 fax (651) 634 - 2162 nancy.daubenberger@dot.state.mn.us It sounds like today is it for We'll be outta there soon - >>> Chris Beckwith 11/1/2005 10:55:53 AM >>> They are doing some clean-up and bitumnious work that required the ramp to be closed today but that should be it for ramp closures. We will have 2-3 more closures on mainline in the 9-2 timeframe and hopefully be done. These will probably be the left lane northbound. There is water in the conduit under the bridge that needs to be blown out so it doesn't freeze, otherwise, we are done. >>> Nancy Daubenberger 11/1/2005 10:38:37 AM >>> Hi Chris - This note is from Mendota Heights (I think the last one I forwarded you was from Lilydale). But anyway, Sue is asking about some advance signing for these ramp closures - would that be possible? Nancy Nancy Daubenberger, P.E. South Metro Area Engineer - Dakota and Scott Counties Mn/DOT Metro District phone (651) 582 - 1379 fax (651) 634 - 2162 nancy.daubenberger@dot.state.mn.us >>> "Sue McDermott" <SueM@mendota-heights.com> 11/1/2005 10:01:29 AM >>> Nancy - 1 We are getting inundated with calls about the Hwy 13 ramp closure just south of the Lexington bridge. As with the last complaint I forwarded to you about the bridge construction, people would like some advance warning of the closures. Is it possible for you to put some signage on TH 13 in advance of the closures? The last time the complaint was about TH 110 and changeable message signs were put up for 1 day. Thanks! Sue McDermott, P.E. City Engineer 1101 Victoria Curve Mendota Heights, MN 55118 (651) 255-1123 - direct (651) 452-8940 - fax suem@mendota-heights.com 0) L (-rl 0 Y'1' L�"T' Lu I J1' fl � -0-1 October 26, 2005 RE: Informational Meeting Notices Delaware Avenue from Dodd Road to Annapolis Street Reconstruction Project (City Project #200523) Dear Property Owner: CUD I An Informational Meeting regarding proposed street improvements to Delaware Avenue from Dodd Road to Annapolis is scheduled for Tuesday, November 8, 2005 at 6:30 P.M. at Mendota Heights City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve. The agenda will include discussion of proposed street and storm sewer improvements, estimated construction cost and estimated assessment amounts. Representatives from the Cities of Mendota Heights and West St. Paul Engineering Departments will be available to answer your questions at this meeting. This Informational Meeting is intended to provide a better understanding of the potential improvements in an informal setting. Please note that this is not a Public Hearing. If you have questions concerning the project, please call me at (651) 255-1123. Sincerely, HOD Sue McDermott, P.E. City Engineer CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS Cc: Jim Danielson, City Manager R IO R Wactorda (Cianfe, o Hiemdota He Me, HN 33 113 (65E� 4,92-R33O - FAX (65R) 432-8940 BEngineering\2005 Projects\Delaware DodAo AnnapolisMetterinfomeeting. DOC