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2016-07-08 Friday NewsCity of Mendota Heights Weekly Update Mendota Heights City Hall 1101 Victoria Curve www.mendota-heights.com (651) 452.1850 Visit us on: Facebook.com/ MendotaHeightsMN Twitter.com/ @Mendota_heights DATES TO REMEMBER: Tuesday, July 12 Parks Commission 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 13 Airport Commission 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 19 City Council 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 26 Planning Commission 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 2 Night to Unite Tuesday, August 2 City Council 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 9 State Primary Attachments: Pipeline, Just the Facts July 8, 2016 Highway 13 Slope Repair Update Absentee Voting for State Primary The State Primary Election will be held on August 9, 2016. Ballots can be cast at your local polling site from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm. If you cannot make it to the polls on Aug 9th, you may request an absentee ballot in one of the following ways: 2016 Clean-up Day Fun Fact As part of the May 7th Clean-Up Day event, residents of Mendota Heights recycled 8,220 pounds of electronics and 8,300 pounds of scrap metal. Thanks to all that participated in this year’s event. State Trunk Highway 13 is closed between Wachtler Ave and Sylvandale Rd through September 2nd. The closure is taking place so a contractor can finish constructing a retaining wall on private property. The wall will prevent future land- slides. MnDOT has granted a permit for this closure. A traffic detour is posted. This past week, the contractor mobilized to the site and began grading work. Weather has slowed the work, but the contractor plans to mobilize the concrete crews, fabricate concrete forms and set the reinforcing steel for the first concrete pour next week. An update will be posted each week in this newsletter or in the Pipeline. • In-Person Mendota Heights residents wishing to vote absentee in person can obtain a ballot at the Dakota County Northern Service Center, 1 Mendota Road West, West St. Paul. The Mendota Heights City Hall is no longer serving as an absentee voting site. • On-Line Go to MnVotes.org to apply for an absentee ballot. The ballot will be mailed di- rectly to you. • US Mail Mail or fax a paper Absentee Ballot Application to Dakota County Elections, 1590 Highway 55, Hastings, MN 55033. Officials will mail a ballot to you. You do not need to be registered to vote to apply for an absentee ballot. If you are not registered to vote, you will receive a Voter Registration application with your absentee ballot. Public Works All Public Works employees attended chainsaw safety training. The Parks Crew picked up trash in the parks daily. They dragged, chalked, and striped soccer, lacrosse and ball fields. They finished putting sealer on the pavilion at Mendakota Park. Storm cleanup was completed after Tuesday’s storm. The Utilities Crew checked the lift stations daily. The warning tracks were sprayed for weeds at Mendakota Park, Kensington Park, and Hagstrom King Park. Fall protection was installed at the main lift station. The electrical meter was cleaned at the Lilydayle lift station. The manhole buried by MnDOT on Slyvandale and Highway 13 was located. The Streets Crew did catch basin and curb line clean up after the storm. Fallen trees were removed. The new plow truck was delivered. Vehicles were washed and chainsaw maintenance was done. 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) – Landscape and catch basin installation at the corner of Stratford and Victoria is scheduled for the coming weeks. Sidewalk installation at Walsh & Victoria is scheduled for next week. Boulevard sod replacements were completed. Mendota Road Neighborhood Improvements (2016) – Contractor has started the project. Pavement removal and storm sewer installation has begun on Mendota Road. Substantial completion for Mendota Road (frontage road) is estimated for early September; substantial completion for Warrior Drive, High Ridge Circle, and Sibley Court is expected in early August. Update of Local Surface Water Management Plan (LSWMP) – The consultant was sent the 1993 city-wide model. Watershed Management Organization approval is expected in August with final City adoption in January 2017. Lake Augusta Alum Treatment (2017) –The Lower Mississippi River Watershed Management Organization (LMRMWO) will be managing the project that will apply alum to the lake to reduce the amount of phosphorus in the water. Treatment is expected in September/October of 2016 or spring of 2017. The Pipeline N E W S L E T T E R Public Works Engineering July 8, 2016 Ivy Falls Creek Control Structure Repair (2016) – Staff will be including the lining of a faulty outlet pipe at one of the storm water ponds located on Somerset Country Club with the Sanitary Sewer Lining contract to be executed later this year. Staff will provide a temporary repair until then. County Projects Highway 110 Greenway Trail Crossing (2017) – County staff is coordinating the trail alignment with representatives from MnDOT, Mendota Plaza, and Dodge Nature Center. Design is anticipated to be complete in time to bid with the MnDOT Highway 110 Rehabilitation project (see below). County staff will be participating in an open house on August 18th at Market Square Park (City Hall will be the backup location if weather impacts the park site). For more information contact Jacob Rezak, Project Manager, at 952-891-7981 or jacob.rezak@co.dakota.mn.us Traffic Signal Improvements: I-494 & Pilot Knob Road (2016) – Signal installation is complete. A Joint Powers Agreement for shared financing of the project was approved at the July 6th City Council Meeting. If issues arise with the new signals, contact Stacy Reilly, Project Coordinator at stacy.reilly@co.dakota.mn.us or at 952-891-7935. East-West Transit Study – Staff attended a meeting with Dakota County on Thursday. There will be a Policy Maker Workshop on July 13th at Eagan City Hall. Mayor Krebsbach and Council Member Norton will serve as representatives to the Policy Maker Committee. There are two open houses scheduled for July 19 from 4:00pm – 6:00pm at the Apple Valley Transit Station and July 20th from 5:00pm – 7:00pm at the Wentworth Library. The study’s web site will include an interactive map where the public can mark and comment on their transit preferences. For more information, contact Joe Morneau, Dakota County Project Manager, at 952- 891-7986 or joe.morneau@co.dakota.mn.us. State Projects Highway 13 Slope Repair (2015-2016) – Highway 13 is now closed and will reopen on September 2nd. MnDOT issued a permit for the closure. The City has asked for weekly updates that will be posted on the City web page. The City’s Facebook site will also be used to communicate updates. Highway 110 Rehabilitation (2017) – Staff attended a Project Team Meeting on Wednesday. Construction staging and detour routes are being evaluated in response to a business meeting held on June 29th. MnDOT has already began to act on issues raised by area residents during a neighborhood meeting held on June 15th. There will be a public open house at Market Square Park on August 18th from 4:30 – 6:30 (City Hall will be the backup location if weather impacts the park site). For more information contact Molly Cline, MnDOT Project Manager, at 651- 234-7723 or molly.cline@state.mn.us. Highway 149 (Dodd Road) Rehabilitation (2018) – Staff is assisting the MnDOT project team in producing the Environmental Document for the project, and is coordinating the incorporation of the trail gap segment between Maple Street and Marie Avenue. Staff will be meeting with MnDOT next week to finalize the details of incorporating the trail into the highway project. Staff provided construction details for the trail segment from South Plaza Drive to Mendakota Park. This section will be rehabilitated in conjunction with the MnDOT project. Contact Tara McBride, MnDOT Project Manager at 651-234-7506, or tara.mcbride@state.mn.us for more project information. Other Activities Engineering Consultant Services Pool – Staff is producing the contract documents to send to the selected consultants. By establishing a pre-approved consultant pool, the City will be able to more quickly and efficiently bring in consultant assistance on projects and other necessary tasks. Please contact the Engineering Department for questions or further information. Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Peer review – The Consultant presented their findings to City Council in a workshop on July 6th. The CIP was found to be prioritized properly given the current polices. The consultant made some suggestion for improved record keeping, and cost estimating, and suggested regular workshop meetings with City Council and staff specifically to discuss the street program. Highway 149 Trail Corridor Plan & SHIP Grant – Staff received preliminary cost estimates and recommended trail alignments from our consultant. These were sent to Dakota County for inclusion in the Regional Solicitation Grant Application through the Metropolitan Council. The grant application will be a joint application with Dakota County and would be for funding to construct a separated trail facility between Marie Avenue and Delaware Avenue along Dodd Road, as well as part of the Mendota-Lebanon Hills Greenway Trail from Decorah Lane/Wagon Wheel Trail south to Mendota Heights Road. Grant applications are due July 15th. Pollinator Friendly Activity/Victoria Road Public Seminar – Staff is assisting area Dakota County Master Gardeners in hosting an “open house” style seminar at the corner of Victoria Road and Douglas Road on July 27th from 6:30pm-7:30pm. In 2014, the City reconstructed Victoria Road in this area and worked with Master Gardeners to plant native grasses and flowers along the road way between Marie Avenue and Douglas Road. There was also a “no-mow” grass patch planted north of Douglas. This was a pilot project to demonstrate the survivability and benefit of utilizing native plantings along roadsides rather than traditional turf. The seminar is open to the public. 1 The latest from the Mendota Heights Police Department CHIEF Mike Aschenbrener SERGEANTS Eric Petersen Tanner Spicer Peyton Fleming POLICE OFFICERS John Larrive Todd Rosse Jeff VonFeldt 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 Jon Clayton Dan Iverson CHAPLAINS Butch Millett John Snider Alberto Vargas Lynn Liberman Sue Plucker Joel Detlefsen Lenny Andrie JULY 08, 2016 POWER OUTAGES Ladders, a maƩress, a pickup truck topper, luggage, a workout bench and believe it or not, a doll house, those are just a few unsecured items picked up off Minnesota roadways in recent weeks that risked the lives of motorists. The Minnesota State Patrol recently parƟcipated in Secure Your Load Day, reminding motorists about the dangers of unsecured loads. Since Jan. 1, the Patrol has responded to more than 2,700 debris calls in the Metro and nearly 5,200 debris calls Statewide. According to the U.S. Department of TransportaƟon, at 55 miles per hour, an object weighing just 20 pounds that falls from a vehicle strikes with an impact of half a ton. It’s the law in Minnesota to secure any load on a vehicle or trailer. With the recent storms and the storm season not over yet, it’s important to remember a few things when you encounter a power outage. Always keep a ﬂashlight and extra baƩeries handy. Never use candles in a power outage or other emergency. Turn off or disconnect any appliances or electronics you were using when the power went out. Leave just one light turned on so you know when your power comes back on. Don’t light a ﬁre indoors. If you’re cold, put on layered clothing. Leave the doors of your refrigerator and freezer closed to keep your food as fresh as possible. When you feel conﬁdent that your home is secure, check for the source of the outage. If you ﬁnd that some things work normally and others do not, you may have just blown a fuse. If none of your lights work, check to see if your neighbors power is out too. Calling your local energy company may give you insight on what is going on or when they expect power again. If you see a power line or uƟlity pole that has fallen, STAY AWAY. Live power lines can cause injury or even kill you. 2 MAIL THEFT FRIDAY 1052 HOURS Sergeant Tanner Spicer spoke to a party by phone regarding a mail theft. The woman stated that her mail might have been stolen sometime around Memorial Weekend. She said there has been no monetary loss as of yet and had already notified the appropriate institutes. FOUND DOG MONDAY 1435 HOURS While on routine patrol, Officer Nick Gorgos was waved down by citizens around the Delaware/Wentworth area. The citizens had found a dog on the loose with no collar or tags. It was an older dog with orange fur and a white/gray face. Gorgos took custody of the dog and Four Paws later came to the PD to retrieve it. MENTAL HEALTH MONDAY 2136 HOURS Officers Phil McCarty, Jeff VonFeldt and Sergeant Fleming responded to a home on a party that was out of control and breaking things. Officers made contact with the male who said he was letting his anger out by breaking a piece of wood into several pieces and slamming doors. Officers were able to calm him down and he was allowed to stay in the home. TRAFFIC STOP/STOLEN PLATES TUESDAY 1425 HOURS While on routine patrol, Officer Nick Gorgos observed a vehicle without a front license plate. He then ran the rear license plate and learned it was a stolen plate out of St. Paul. Gorgos approached the vehicle and saw the license plate that belonged to the vehicle in the back seat. He made contact with the male juvenile driver who stated that he had no idea the plate was stolen on the vehicle. The correct plate was put back on the vehicle and a citation was issued to the juvenile for Displaying Stolen License Plates. SOLICITOR THRUSDAY 1152 HOURS Officer Mike Shepard received a complaint of a male who was going door to door soliciting seal coating services. Shepard arrived to the area to find a man beginning to spread chemicals around the garage of the home. Shepard asked the man if he was going door to door selling services and at first he said no then later admitted to going through the neighborhood soliciting his services. Shepard then spoke with the homeowner who stated that he was approached by the man who offered to seal coat his driveway for $250.00 so he agreed. Shepard told the man to not continue with his services and was issued a Peddlers citation. 3 07/01‐07/07 2016 YTD Calls for Service Citations Warnings Police Reports Response Time Average 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! The three digit telephone number “9‐1‐1” has been designated as the “Universal Emergency Number,” for ciƟzens throughout the United States to request emergency assistance. It is intended as a naƟonwide telephone number and gives the public fast and easy access to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). In the early 1970s, AT&T began the development of sophisƟcat‐ ed features for the 9‐1‐1, with a pilot program in Alameda, County, CA. The feature was called “selecƟve call rouƟng.” By the end of 1976, 9‐1‐1 was serving about 17% of the populaƟon of the US. In 1979, 26% of the populaƟon had 9‐1‐1 service. By 1987, those ﬁgures had grown to 50% of the US populaƟon had access to 9‐1‐1 emergency service numbers. Canada also chose to adopt 9‐1‐1 giving 9‐1‐1 an internaƟonal stature. At the end of the 20th century, nearly 93% of the US populaƟon was covered by some type of a 9‐1‐1 service. Approximately 96% of the geographic US is covered by some type of 9‐1‐1. 9-1-1 Fun Facts!