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Issue 37 - Heights Highlights Fall 1995PAGE 1 October, 1995 ISSUE 37 STREET REHABILITATION UPDATE Friendly gulls Construction activity on the Friendly Hills street reconstruction project will soon be suspended for the year. There are several loca- tions throughout the project where the first layer of blacktop has broken up. The City Council is concerned that additional pavement problems might materialize on this project afterthe upcoming spring thaw and has decided to delay construction of the final course of bituminous on the streets until 1996. Delaying the final lift will reduce the risk of having to patch a newly finished street surface and consequently insure that the completed project is of the highest quality possible. Breakups in the blacktop primarily occurred within the area of the trenches which were excavated either to install the new storm sewer -- item or the watermain which was replaced on Decorah Lane. This ition probably occurred as a result of the trenches becoming saturated rather than the result of inadequate compaction. All streets were test rolled prior to paving in an attempt to identify problem areas. Wherever problems were identified, corrections were made prior to paving, but a majority of the streets appeared to have the required stability. What sometimes happens is that the street section being tested will "bridge" over saturated trenches during the test, only to fail in the future after repeated traffic loadings. The contractor will repair the most serious pavement problems this fall. Manhole castings and gate valves are under the first layer of blacktop. They will not be raised until spring to avoid problems during snow plowing. Some time after May 1, 1996 city staff will meet with the contractor to re-evaluate the condition of streets. At that point, all pavement problems will be repaired and manhole castings and gate.valves will be raised. The final layer of blacktop will then be installed. All of the effort that the Friendly Hills Task Force spent in support of this improvement project, as well as the input they and the neighborhood provided, has paid off handsomely. The city has re- ceived numerous favorable comments about the reconstruction pro- ject, both from Friendly Hills residents and other Mendota Heights residents who have driven through the neighborhood. If you have driven through Friendly Hills during the past few years but have not done so recently, the picture printed within this article speaks for _U. ..arley's Valley View Addition This past summer, Council conducted public hearings with the Curley neighborhood to discuss the city's second major street recon- struction project. The neighborhood overwhelmingly desired city standard streets with storm sewer and concrete curb and gutter. The city's engineering department is currently developing plans and specifications for the improvements. The project will be bid some- time this winter. Construction will begin next summer. The Curley Addition was selected as the second neighborhood to be completed under the city's street rehabilitation/reconstruction program because a number of its residents had submitted a petition requesting that their neighborhood receive the improvements next. At the public hearings, a consensus was quickly reached by the neighborhood that the project should include improvements similar to those constructed in Friendly Hills. The Future There are a number of other. neighborhoods in the city that have street surfaces which are in terrible shape and need to be rebuilt. No new neighborhood has stepped forward and requested to be next, nor has the city made a decision on which one it will be. If you've been grumbling about the condition of your street but have been reluctant to pursue street improvements because you don't think you would like curb and gutters, take a drive through Friendly Hills. When you see how beautiful the neighborhood looks, you may very well change your mind. A decision must be made as soon as possible about which neighborhood is scheduled for street improvements after the Curley Addition so that the appropriate neighborhood hearings can be con- ducted sometime next spring. If you are interested in having your street improved, call either Jim Danielson or Marc Mogan at 452- 1850 to discuss the possibilities with them. PAGE 2 HEIGHTS HIGHLITES October. 1995 The Plows are Coming! Whether we like it or not, winter will soon arrive. When the inevitable deposits of snow and ice occur, the Public Works Depart- ment will clear city streets in accordance with a snow plowing policy adopted in 1991. The primary goal of the policy is to restore mobility to the city as quickly as possible under all snowfall events. The Public Works Superintendent will determine when to begin snow or ice control operations based on specific criteria. Those criteria include the depth of the snowfall, the existence of icy conditions or drifting which affect travel, and the time of the snowfall in relationship to heavy use of streets. Snow removal of two inches or more will begin as soon as possible after the snowfall. If we could be granted a wish for the coming season, it would be for all of us to be kept as safe as possible from the hazards of winter driving. Your public works crew will do their best, but this wish can only come true in Mendota Heights if you do your part as well. Property owners also have snow removal responsibilities, aside from the obvious. You must clear your own driveways, and areas around newspaper tubes and trash cans. It is also your responsibility to clear the snow from around your mailboxes so that mail can be delivered. The city cannot accommodate requests for city crews to remove snow that has been plowed around mailboxes. If you use a snow plowing service, be sure to remind the operators that they must pile your snow on your own property. In past years some services have pushed the snow across the street to another person's property, leaving a wind -row to freeze in the street. This not only creates neighborhood friction and driving difficulty, it is also a violation of city ordinances and could result in the issuance of a ticket. Please inspect your mailbox post before heavy frost arrives. If it is unlikely that the post can withstand the impact of snow sprayed by the plows, you should consider replacing it YOUR OPINION COUNTS! The City Council would like your opinion on the transit service currently provided to our community. The Metropolitan Council Transit Operations (MCTO) division oper- ates two bus routes in Mendota Heights (Routes 29 and 5), both to downtown St. Paul. Due to low ridership, MCTO has pro- posed to completely eliminate Route 29 service. Our Council is concerned by this action because of the cost assessed to our commu- nity by MCTO. For 1995, Mendota Heights residents are required by State law to pay $420,000 to MCTO for the service they pro- vide. This cost shows up on the bottom of your property tax bill under the category of "Other". Clearly, with just two, and perhaps only one, bus route serving Mendota Heights, our community is not getting its money's worth from MCTO at the present time. What changes could be made in Mendota Heights' transit service to increase its value to you? Should direct service be provided to downtown Minneapolis, as well as St. Paul? Is inter -suburban service needed? If so, to where? Would service to the Mall of Amer- ica be useful? Would an improved park and ride location in the City make a difference? before winter sets in. If a good post is bro- ken by city plowing after the ground is frozen, city crews will do a temporary repair in the winter. They will return after the . spring thaw to install a new post. The city will repair or replace any mailboxes dam- aged by city plows. If your mailbox or post. is damaged, call City Hall and leave your name, phone number and address. Repairs will be done as quickly as possible. Please call or write to City Hall with your comments and/or suggestions. Your City Council tries hard to maximize the effective- ness and efficiency of public services pro- vided within Mendota Heights. Your input will help us provide direction to the MCTO in hope of maximizing the public value of their service. CITY DIRECTORY Council Members: Charles Mertensotto, Mayor 454-3394 John Huber 450-0729 Christine Koch 451-9508 Sandra Krebsbach 454-5696 Jill Smith 688-7444 Staff Members: Tom Lawell, Administrator 452-1850 Kathleen Swanson, City Clerk 452-1850 James Danielson, 452-1850 Public Works Director Dennis Delmont, Police Chief 452-1366 John Maczko, Fire Chief 454-3266 Code Enforcement Officers: Paul Berg & Dick Gill 452-1850 WEB WORM Perhaps you have noticed the large "spider web -looking" growths hanging on a number of trees around town. We have received quite a few calls on this subject, many ofwhich are concerned that the webs are somehow har- boring gypsy moths. Staff has pursued this matter with the State Department of Agricul- ture, and have learned that the culprit causing these webs is the Fall Web Worm. This worm does not adversely affect a tree and is not considered a "quarantined pest" by the Agriculture Department. They sug- gest that you use a strong garden hose spray to knock the web out of a tree if it is aestheti- cally offensive to you. Should you have other questions about the Fall Web Worm, the Agriculture Department suggests that you call the U of M's Plant Information Clinic at 1-900-988-0500. The call will cost you $2.99, unless of course you stump the experts with a question they can't answer. Then the call is free. ��� Printed on recycled paper `L4 PAGE 3 HEIGHTS HIGHLITES October, 1995 New Materials Accepted at the Drop Off Centers Polystyrene and Boxboard added to list of items at drop off centers In 1995, two new items, that cannot be recycled at the curbside, have been added to the list of items accepted at the Dakota County Recycling Collection Center, located at 1705 Highway 13 in Burnsville and at Recycle Minnesota Resources located at 775 Rice Street in St. Paul. Polystyrene items include food and beverage containers commonly referred to as styrofoam, loose fill packaging "peanuts", egg cartons, cups, bowls, plates and sandwich containers. All materials must be clean and dry with no food residue. Boxboard items includes dry food boxes such as cereal, cake, chip, cookie, potato chip, pretzel and snack boxes. Bathroom containers such as tissue boxes, toilet paper and paper towel rolls, Aspirin boxes and toothpaste boxes are also made out of Boxboard. Other containers made out of Boxboard are pop, water, beer, shoe, gift and game boxes. DROP OFF CENTERS Complete list of items accepted at no charge. Both centers pay for aluminum cans. Cans - aluminum and steel Aluminum foil (clean) Cereal boxes/Boxboard (remove plastic liners) Corrugated cardboard Glass bottles and jars Household batteries (Burnsville only) - Newspaper • Magazines and catalogs w Newspaper .4 Milk cartons and drink boxes - Mixed Mail Office paper Paint and aerosol cans (empty) Plastic bottles with a neck (no motor oil bottles) Polystyrene #6 Dakota County Recycling Center 1705 Highway 13 Burnsville, MN 484-5373 Highw,y i ■ 121st Street 0 E A 0 Hours Monday -Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. RECYCLING Cereal Boxes/Boxboard: OK: cereal, cake, noodle, detergent, shoe and 12 -pack type boxes, toilet tissue and paper towel rolls. NOT OK: refrigerator, freezer or microwave boxes, milk cartons, drink boxes, egg car- tons, and boxes with food, plastic or foil stuck on them. Polystyrene #6: OK: foam cups, bowls, plates, egg cartons, clam shells, and #6 clear plastic food con- tainers. Polystyrene (Styrofoam) packaging peanuts. NOT OK: insulation board, plastic bags, TV/electronic block and shape polystyrene and meat trays with drainage pads and holes. Mixed Mail and Paper Fiber Recycling Comes to Mendota Heights December 1, 1995 By December 1, 1995. all licensed residential haulers will pick up "mixed mail' for recycling. Each garbage hauler may have a different system of how to collect this material and residents are encouraged to contact their individual haulers or to look for information from their haulers on specific collection instructions. Mixed mail is sometimes referred to as "junk mail' and includes anything that arrives in the mail, except for product samples. ACCEPTED PAPER TYPES NOT ACCEPTED Anything that arrives in the mail Office papers Adding machine paper Bills and receipts r'ost-it notes Envelopes (windows o.k.) Stationery Bills and receipts File Folders Magazines and small catalogs Product samples Plastic wrappings Tissue, napkins, papertowels Carbon papers Boxboard Some Haulers in Mendota Heights already are collecting mixed mail and paper at the curbside. If you need further information, call your hauler or contact the City recycling program at 452-1850. PAGE 6 HEIGHTS HIGHLITES WARMING HOUSE SCHEDULE Weather permitting, the city's ice rinks and warming houses will open on December 22nd. There are warming houses with both hockey and pleasure rinks at Wentworth Park, Marie Park and Friendly Hills Park. There is a warming house with pleasure skating only at Ivy Hills Park. Warming House and Rink Locations: Wentworth Park: Between Dodd Road and Wachtler Avenue Marie Park: West of Victoria on Marie Avenue Ivy Hills Park: Butler and Ivy Hill Drive Friendly Hills Park: South of Decorah Lane on Pueblo Drive Warming House Hours: Ivy Hills Park Saturday, Sunday and school vacation days Noon to 6:00 p.m. Closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Marie/Friendly Hills/Wentworth Parks Weekdays 4:00 - 9:00 p.m., Saturday and school vacation days Noon to 9:00 p.m., Sundays Noon to 8:00 p.m. and Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day Noon to 4:00 p.m. Closed on Christmas Day. Rules will be posted at the rinks and an attendant will be on duty at each of the rinks warming house hours. The rinks will be closed when the temperature reaches 10 degrees below zero, thirty degrees below zero wind chill factor or when they have not been plowed. Snow is cleared from rinks after all city streets have been plowed and sanded. For more information concerning ice rinks, call city hall at 452-1850. ICE SKATING LESSONS Outdoor ice skating lessons will be offered again this winter at Friendly Hills Park. Classes being offered include Adult Begin- ner, Tiny Tot with parent, Beginner, Ad- vanced Beginner and Intermediate. Classes will most likely take place on Sunday after- noons starting January 7, 1996. For more registration information concern- ing cost and times ' please call after No- �. vember 1, 1995. Heights Highlites is a government news- letter distributed to residents to inform them on events and activities that affect Mendota Heights. All articles, layout and production are done by city staff members. If you know any residents who are not receiving the Heights Highlites, please in- vite them to contact City Hall, 452-1850, to be placed on the newsletter mailing list. RINK ATTENDANTS NEEDED Rink attendants are needed for the city's outdoor ice rinks. If you are interested in applying for one ofthese part-time positions, stop by City Hall between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays for an application and job description. Applications will be accepted through November 13, 1995. The salary for the attendant positions will depend on expe- rience. If you need further information, call City Hall at 452-1850. From: City of Mendota Heights 1101 Victoria Curve Mendota Heights, Mn. 55118 October, 1995 HALLOWEEN BONFIRE ol The city's annual Hallow- een Bonfire will be held on Halloween evening, Octo- . _ her 31, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The event will again be conducted behind the Mendota Plaza Shopping Center. Mr. Ed Paster, owner of the Plaza, has graciously allowed the event to occur on his property in the past and will do so again this year. Mr. Russ Wahl, his wife Marilyn and their family and friends will distribute free hot dogs and refreshments at the bonfire. Russ started the Halloween Bonfire event nearly 25 years ago. He has been spearheading it ever since. To fund the fust bonfires, Russ solicited donations from the bank, local golf courses and businesses. More recently, the city has contributed funding for the food and beverages. The city will allow residents to dump brush and small logs at the site until the fenced is full. (Remember, brush and small loi;- only - do not bring leaves or trash to the site.) The area available for the bonfire has been reduced because of recent parking lot im- provements at the Plaza. City staff will moni- tor the size of the pile closely, and as soon as the brush pile reaches its largest manageable size, it will be restricted from further depos- its. Bundle up your little goblins and prin- cesses and j oin your neighbors at the bonfire. Your children will not only have a safe alter- native to trick -or -treating: your whole family can also enjoy hot dogs, pop and other good- ies for free. You will undoubtedly have a fiendishly good time! POSTAL PATRON MENDOTA HEIGHTS, MN 55118 Bulk Rate U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 6166 St. Paul, Mn. 55118 CARRIER ROUTE PRESORT - PAGE 5 HEIGHTS HIGHLITES October, 1995 Change Your Clock Each year, thousands of people needlessly die or are injured in home fires. Tragically, many of them would be alive or unharmed today had their homes been equipped with working smoke detectors. Al- though 82 percent of American homes have smoke detectors, nearly one-third of those detectors do not work because of worn or missing batteries. To reduce and prevent fire tragedies, the Mendota Heights Fire Department will again participate in the national home fire safety campaign called "Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery." Our message is simple and potentially lifesaving: change the batteries in your smoke detector when you change your clock back from daylight -savings time. To help you remember this, at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 28, the emergency warning sirens will be activated. When you hear the sirens, check and change the batteries in your smoke detectors and take a few other fire prevention measures. Check your smoke detector itself by pushing the test button, plan "two ways out" and practice these escape routes with your family. Remember, "Change your Clock, Change Your Battery." It could save your life or the life of someone you love. Change Your Batteries DEER CONTROL UPDATE Mendota Heights takes great pride in the amount of open space preserved throughout the community. Another population which also appreciates this open space is the growing herd of whitetail deer which reside in Mendota Heights. In recent years the city has been approached by those concerned about the deer overpopulation problem and the damage which results -- deer/vehicle accidents, damage to vegetation, possible health risks posed by deer ticks carrying Lyme Disease, etc. Over the past four winters, our city and other cities in Northern Dakota County have permitted limited deer hunting on certain select properties. Beginning later this month, another limited deer hunt will take place in Mendota Heights on private property owned by eight individual property owners in the area of the city bounded by Dodd Road, Wentworth Avenue, Delaware Avenue and Marie Avenue. This hunt was requested by the affected property owners. It will be closely monitored by the city, the Department of Natural Resources, and the Metro Bowhunter Resource Base. The deer hunt will begin in late October and will run through the end of the year, or until twenty deer have been removed, whichever comes first. The hunt is on private property and only those hunters previously tested and selected by the Metro Bowhunter Resource Base will be allowed to participate. Without natural predators, the metropolitan deer population will likely need future periodic thinning to establish and maintain a healthy deer herd. To balance our desire to experience the sight of freely roaming deer with our concerns about public health, safety and economics, your cooperation is required as well. The natural carrying capacity of the deer habitat within the city is frequently disrupted when homeowners decide to artificially feed the deer --)pulation. This practice leads to increased deer propagation and more negative community .pacts. We ask for your cooperation in not feeding the deer within your neighborhood. Also, if your neighbors engage in this practice please encourage them to stop, or give us a call at City Hall and we will gladly ask them for their cooperation. WILL YOU LEND A HELPING HAND? Would you like to get a little extra exercise this winter and serve your community at the same time? Here's a great solution! The fire department is looking for indi- viduals to "adopt" fire hydrants. To qualify for adoption, all you need to do is promise to keep the area around a hydrant free of snow and ice and accessible in time of need. Your investment of time and energy will earn the dividend of gratitude from the fire- fighters and from those whose lives and property you will be helping to protect. If you're interested, call Diane at 452-1850 for further information. DEPARTMENT RECEIVES AWARD The Mendota Heights Fire Department has received the "1995 Minnesota Fire Depart- ment Community Service Award." The award is presented annually by the F.I.R.E./EMS Center ofthe Minnesota Tech- nical College System and is the highest honor a fire department can receive in the state. It specifically commends the depart- ment for extensive community service that is above and beyond normal fire suppression duties. The award recognizes the many hours our firefighters and their families devote to hosting events and programs such as Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery, Fire Safety Business Recognition, Annual Safety Camp, Mendota Smoke Detector Give Away, just to name a few. The Community Service Award was pre- sented to the fire department at the May 16, 1995 City Council meeting, which was at- tended by many retired and active firefight- ers and their families. Presentation of the award, a gold firefighter's ax, was made to Fire Chief John Maczko by Adam Piskura, State of Minnesota Director of Fire Training. Nomination for the award was supported by the Cities of Mendota Heights, Sunfish Lake, Mendota and Lilydale and Inde- pendent School District #197. PAGE 4 HEIGHTS HIGHLITES October. 1995 COOPERATIVE EFFORTS UNDERWAY TO ADDRESS AIRPORT NOISE City efforts to minimize airport noise experienced by community residents have expanded with the formation of the Northern Dakota County Airport Relations Coalition. This organization is comprised of representatives from the cities of Mendota Heights, Eagan, Inver Grove Heights, Mendota and Sunfish Lake. It is dedicated to cooperatively dealing with those air noise control measures the five cities can collectively support. Topics currently being addressed by the group include nighttime flight restrictions, noise abatement departure profiles (how quickly aircraft gain altitude on departure), and the need to minimize aircraft routing over established residential areas whenever feasible. Those involved in this collaborative effort understand there will always be air noise issues which will divide us as cities. Nonetheless, there are many air noise control measures worth advocating which we can collectively support. Believing that a unified voice is ultimately more compelling before the Metropolitan Airports Commission, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the State Legislature, the Northern Dakota County Airport Relations Coalition is working hard to further our collective air noise mitigation goals. Should you have specific concerns or suggestions for the Coalition, please feel free to contact City Hall. A New Focus On September 5, production began on the magazine show "Insight 7." The bi-weekly series airs on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. on channel 33. It features news and views from seven cities in Northern Dakota County, including Mendota Heights, Lily - dale, Sunfish Lake and Mendota. Each 30 minute show contains one feature story focusing on a community event or issue and several shorter segments highlighting and promoting various community activities and school district updates. Rounding out the program are a community bulletin board seg- ment, a local sports wrap-up highlighting a local athlete, and a community clip showcas- ing home videos submitted by viewers. The series is professionally produced by NDCTV and NDC4 staff at the local public access television center at 5845 Blaine Ave- nue in Inver Grove Heights. Anyone inter- ested in submitting home video for inclusion in the program should contact Erik Johnson at 451-7834. Update Wins Award The "Mendota Heights City Hall Update" monthly cable television show was awarded the Producer of the Year Award for the Gov- ernment Access Channel during the recent Seventh Annual NDCTV Producer Awards Night. The award was given to "City Hall Up- date" in recognition of outstanding contribu- tions in the production of local program- ming. Individual Producer of the Year Awards were also given to Mayor Charles Mertensotto as the host and star of the show and to Administrative Assistant Kevin Batchelder for his role as script writer and producer. "City Hall Update is the longest running show on any NDCTV channel. The program, which airs on Channel 18 at 6:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month, received this same award in 1992. Congratulations to the Mayor and Kevin for their continued efforts on this quality production and for their recognition by NDCTV. CITY SAYS "THANKS ! " The City extends its thanks to the Sibley Sting Soccer program and the Mendota Heights Athletic Association soccer pro- gram for their voluntary efforts on Saturday, September 9, 1995. Twenty five volunteers from these programs donated their time a efforts to plant approximately 60 evergreo._ trees along the fence which separates I-494 from the soccer fields at South Kensington Park. The trees, purchased by the city, were planted at this location to provide a wind, noise and visual barrier between the park and the freeway. This volunteer effort, in coop- eration with the city, was much appreciated and should enhance the soccer facility in South Kensington Park for many years to come as the trees grow and mature. The soccer fields are receiving a lot of use from these youth programs, as well as for adult games. On a typical Saturday morning over 150 players and parents can be seen enjoying this facility. Air Noise Getting to You?? When air noise becomes unbearable and disrupts your family's lifestyle, the Metro- politan Airports Commission wants to hear from you. Call the MAC Air Noise Com- plaint Line at 726-9411. If possible, wh, you call please be prepared to provide infc,_ mation on time, location, direction and air- craft type.