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Issue 09 - Heights Highlights Spring 1987PAGE 1 SPRING, 1987 INSUL Y SPEAK UP! I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER THAT AIRPLANE For most Minnesotans, summer means long evenings, barbecues, and mosquitos. If you live in Mendota Heights, particular- ly south of Highway 110, it also means airplane noise. The phenomenal growth in the number of flights at Minneapolis - St. Paul International since airline deregulation in 1982 has caused a worsen- ing of the problem. One might think that aircraft noise would be fairly easy to solve, but unfor- tunately that's not the case. The Metropolitan Airports Commission, the Metropolitan Council, the Minnesota Pol- lution Control Agency, the Federal Avia- tion Administration, and the State legisla- ture, as well as the 13 cities surrounding the airport, are all involved in trying to remedy the conflict between airport noise ' residential neighborhoods. With that y "players" in the game, it's not easy to reach a mutually acceptable solution. Mendota Heights and Eagan are at the end of Runways 11L and 11R, the preferred departure route under the air- port's noise control program. Ap- THOSE WEEDS o 0 0 Property owners should be aware that the City will again actively enforce or- dinances regulating the removal of noxious weeds or grass in excess of 12" in height. Violators will be notified and given a reasonable time to correct the problem. If notices are ignored, the city will contract with a mowing service to mow the property in violation. Bills will be sent to the owner and any unpaid bill can be certified to the county and col- lected with next year's property taxes. CITY SERVICES PHONE a City Hall 452-1850 Engineering Department 452-1086 • Police S Fire • EMERGENCY DIAL 911 • Police. Non -Emergency 452-1366 • Police Evenings/Wedkends 450-1111 • Public Works Garage 454-4059 proximately 55% of the departures take off in this direction, because of the availability of a highway/industrial cor- ridor where the noise impact is more ac- ceptable. The two communities have his- torically supported this preferential route, and planned land use accordingly, but the increase in traffic over the past few years has meant that more and more planes are straying out of the corridor and are flying over existing residential neighborhoods to the north and south. Mendota Heights and Eagan are mem- bers of the Metropolitan Aircraft South Abatement Council (MASAC). MASAC has endorsed the request of the two cities to restudy the corridor, and to attempt to agree upon an acceptable corridor that provides sufficient space for safe aircraft PARKS DELAYED BUT NOT CANCELLED o Tuesday, April 21st was to have been the day when Mendota Heights voters decided whether to proceed with a sub- stantial parks improvement program. Un- fortunately, the referendum to authorize issuance of bonds to fund the program had to be called off when the City and School District 197 failed to reach an agreement for an athletic complex at Henry Sibley High School. The Sibley complex was to have been a major component of the $1.86 million referendum, and would have included two softball fields, a baseball field, two soccer fields, lighting of the existing ten- nis courts, and drainage improvements to existing fields on the south campus area. Other components of the referendum in- cluded 17 miles of bicycle/pedestrian trails, and numerous miscellaneous im- provements to existing neighborhood parks. The parks Commission and City Coun- cil remain firmly committed to a parks im- provement program, and are considering options for another referendum to be sub- mitted to the voters in the next six months to a year. operations, yet minimizes noise impact on residences. Mendota Heights has also adopted a Noise Attenuation Ordinance, which dis- courages the proliferation of noise incom- patible land uses in the southern part of the City. The ordinance restricts types of uses and requires extra sound insulation in those structures that are allowed. SUMMER HELP The City of Mendota Heights will be receiving applications until June 15, 1987 for part-time summer employees in the Public Works Department. The positions will be approximately 36 howl per week (depending on weather) at an hourly rate of $5.50. Applicants must be 18 years of age and applications are available at the City of Mendota Heights, ENGINEER- ING DEPARTMENT, ROOM 214, 750 South Plaza Drive, during the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 4:30 P.M. Call 452-1850 for more information. CITY MILL RATE DROPS Many residents received a pleasant surprise recently with the receipt of their tax statements for 1987. The overall mill rate for 1987 reflects a drop of ap- proximately five mills. Thanks to a strong growth of taxable value reflecting the ac- tive 1985 building season, values have in- creased 15 percent. The City was reas- sessed by the County in 1986. Some resi- dents have a higher home value which offsets the reduction in mill rate. In general, if your new home value reflects less than a 7 percent increase, you will benefit from the reduced mill rate. For the average home with a 1986 market value of $123,000, the tax bill will drop $183. If the value increased by 5 percent, the tax will still be reduced by $103. The building activity in 1986 and 1987 has con- tinued at a high level which should give a favorable outlook for the future subject to current legislative actions. PAGE 2 HEIGHTS HIGHLITES SPRING, 1987 Rebecca Birch Clerk -Receptionist Police On January 1, Becky Birch began full- time employment in the Police Depart- ment as a Clerk -Receptionist. Becky began her career with the City as a part- timer during the summer of 1986 when she came on board to assist the depart- ment with the increasing workload. Becky has been a resident of Mendota Heights since 1967. She graduated from Henry Sibley High School in 1983, went on to graduate from Normandale College and has been manager of a local tanning salon for the past four years. Becky, who has played softball for five years and really enjoys it, became a mem- ber of the Police Department's "unoffi- cial' team when a game was held in Sep- tember, 1986 matching the City's police and fire departments. The Fire Depart- ment won that game, but anyone who watched the game will certainly remem- ber the "little whirlwind" who more than once showed the "big guys" how to do it. Can't wait until this year's match, can you? I" D1011 N MAO The City Council, at its May 5th meet- ing, accepted the resignation of Police Captain Eugene Lange, effective June 30, 1987. "Cap'n Lange" has served the City of Mendota Heights for 25 years in all areas of the Police and Fire Departments. He has been the City Fire Marshal, build- ing coordinator, patrol supervisor, Fire Captain, Investigator, acting Police Chief and all around handyman. He has now decided to spend some time with his fami- ly and his hobbies. Friends and co-workers are organizing a farewell dinner to recognize the career and valuable contributions of this unique and versatile professional. The dinner will be held at Mendakota on June 19th. More information is available at 452-1366. The Heights 'Highlites is a goveniment newsletter distribitted to residents to ac- quaint them of events or activities that af- fect klendota Heights. All articles, as i-i%ell as layout and production, is dome by City staff members. The very early spring we all are enjoy- ing means not only robins in March, but also the buzz of construction around the city. Homebuilders and city contractors are warming up to what promises to be the busiest construction season in the city's history. New home start-ups for 1987 already total 50, and the total for the year should top 150, which is about 100 more than the yearly average from 1980 to 1985. The majority of the growth is in the southeast area; the Copperfield 11 addition has about 55 new lots, and there is still new home construction in the Copperfield 1st addition. Grading for the Copperfield III addition, with 70 new lots, will begin in early summer. Construction of public Receptionist PLAZ The city's newest employee is Nancy Platz, who started work as the Recep- tionist/Clerk-typist on April 27th. A life- long resident of South St. Paul, Nancy graduated from that city's high school in 1985. Prior to her employment here, Nancy worked as a part-time secretary for an accounting firm and as a full-time sales person at Herberger's for the past two years, where she was assistant manager of the shoe department. Nancy loves animals, as her dog Ap- ples and bird Twinkee would confirm. Her favorite passtimes are reading and watching the Twins, both at the Stadium and on TV. We're sure you will enjoy Nancy's cheerful attitude and pleasant smile on your visits to City Hall. • 'r�NNIN ple'` ,� On March 17, 1987, the City Council authorized the appointment of Richard (Dick) Gill as a part-time Code Enforce- ment intern. Dick's duties will consist of building permit review and approval, field inspections, enforcement of weed and nuisance ordinances and general enforce- ment of Zoning Ordinance requirements. Dick has had many years of practical ex- perience in the construction trade as a foreman and superintendent. He is cer- tified as a Class I Building Inspector and is studying to take the Class 2 test soon. Dick lives in Northfield with his wife Pat and their three children. His hobbies in- clude restoring old automobiles, hunting, fishing, snowmobiling and golfing. utilities has just begun in the Mendakota Estates subdivision, located south of I dakota Golf course, and east of Ro,�,_rs lake. The development has 35 single fami- ly lots, and provides access to a new club house proposed for Mendakota golf course. Three new developments are proposed for the open land north and west of the United Methodist Church. Rolling Woods addition will have 18 new lots, The Ponds of Mendota Heights addi- tion will have 22 new lots and the Wesley addition near the church will have 5 new lots. Stratford Woods, a new develop- ment between Victoria Ave. and Strat- ford Road, will have 13 new lots. There are two new subdivisions near the inter- section of Wachtler and Wentworth. To the southeast is Deer Trail Hills, which has 12 new lots, and to the northeast is P,!rk Place, which consists of 41ots. Two utility projects that were started last year were finished this spring: the Nor- thend project and Evergren Knolls II Ad- dition were both paved as weather per- mitted. Council has recently approved the Copperfield 3 and Hampshire Estates plats. The adjacent plats are located west of Delaware and north of future Mer Heights Road. The developers intenu Lo install streets and utilities to serve the 130 single family lots this construction season. This project will have a significant im- pact on local traffic in the southeast area of the city because it will complete the connections of Mendota Heights Road to Delaware Avenue and Huber Drive to Mendota Heights Road. Both roads are designated State Aid roads and are designed to accommodate higher traffic volumes than are local streets. Not all of this season's construction is for new single family developments. The new Yorkton Centre Pointe South business park located at the intersection of Trunk Highway 110 and Lexington is nearing completion, and construction of two build- ings is underway. One of these is a Health clinic affiliated with the Baptist hospital, and the other is a three story of- fice building. Future development of the remaining 9 lots should take several years. The City isn't alone in the construction blitz. Both the County and State have plans for street work this spring season. Dakota County has an overlay plan --d for Wagon Wheel Trail that will sm out some of those nasty potholes. 1 ne State will be doing some major overlay work on Trunk Highway 149/Dodd Road. Blacktop will be overlaid from Trunk Highway 110 north to Smith Avenue. PAGE 3 HEIGHTS HIGHLITES nrxuvu, lyai THE "TREE HOLE MOSQUITO" Most mosquitos are unwelcome pests, one variety, Aedes triseriates, or the Gree hole" mosquito, can be hazardous to your health and even deadly. Relatively rare, the tree hole mosquito lives in the hardwood forests of southeastern Min- nesota, and has found its way as far north as the southern Twin Cities suburbs, in- cluding ours. Aedes triseriates is particularly in- sidious because it carries the LaCross en- cephalitis virus, and can transmit that virus to people, especially children 18 or younger. Each year the disease strikes 20 to 60 persons nationally; several cases have been documented in the Twin Cities LOAN FUNDS A 1'. DEFERRED LOANS ARE • • . CALL NOW AS LOAN FUNDS ARE 'MITED The Dakota County HRA is now taking applications for deferred loans and 3% loans for property improvements. Eligible housing rehab includes roofing, siding, windows, electrical, plumbing, heating, improving energy efficiency and other property improvements. The em- phasis of this program is to not only in- crease the appearance and value of the rehabilitated homes but to also correct all hazardous and unsafe conditions that might exist. To discuss your possible eligibility, call Ellie Stark at 423-4800 and ask her about the Rehab Program Income limits for the loans are: Family Deferred Loan 3 % Loan Size Income Income 1 13,500 21,300 2 15,450 24,300 3 17,350 27,250 4 19,300 30,400 5 20,850 32,300 6 22,400 34,200 7 23,950 36,100 r 8 25,500 38,000 _f you are eligible, an HRA person will write job specifications, make job es- timates and help bid and contract the work. Dakota County HRA - Ellie Stark 423- 4800. area. Symptoms of being bitten by a virus- infected mosquito range from none at all, to mild flu-like symptoms, to mental con- fusion, convulsions, and even permanent damage to the central nervous system and death. You can help protect our community from this disease by eliminating the breed- ing areas of the "tree hole" mosquito. Un- like other species of mosquitos, the "tree Hole" does not breed in swamps or flood- waters. Rather, it relies on the rot holes of hardwood trees, and containers such as old tires, cans, and toys which are al- lowed to collect water and debris. Please survey your property, filling in tree holes and cleaning up the debris. The Metropolitan Mosquito Control District is holding an informational meet- ing in our City Council Chambers, 750 South Plaza Drive, on Wednesday, June 17, at 7:30 P.M. You can also call the District at 645-9149 to receive informa- tional brochures. The Mendota Heights City Council meets the first and third Tuesday of each month, at 7:30 p.m., in the Community Room of the Dakota County State Bank Building, 750 South Plaza Drive. Citizens are welcomed and encouraged to attend. The City staff prepares the meeting agenda and informational materials on the Thursday preceding the meeting. If you would like to place an item on a Council agenda for discussion, please con- tact City Administrator Kevin Frazell, or City Clerk Kathy Swanson, as much in ad- vance as possible. Phone - 452-1850. Your other opportunity to raise an issue or question with the Council is directly at the meeting. "Public Com- ments" are scheduled early on the agen- da: This is the time when citizens can speak to any item not scheduled on the agenda for later consideration that eve- ning. However, it is Council policy that is- sues raised at the meeting will not usually be answered that evening. Rather, the matter will be referred to the staff for preparation of a background report, with any possible Council action to be con- sidered at the next scheduled meeting. The Council and staff hope you will take the opportunity to get better ac- quainted with you local government by visiting a meeting soon. I' "M N Ilkyj NOW N Ell' A good time to practice fire preven- tion is all year. A good opportunity is in the Spring when one is "programed to clean". Get rid of oil -soaked rags and col- lections of newspapers and magazines from basements and garages. Check for fuel and oil leaks from lawn mowers, snow blowers, and other small machines. Discard old or dented cans and invest in new safety approved fuel containers. Gasoline should never be in the close proximity of pilot lights on water heaters or furnaces. Every year we hear reports of someone who was seriously burned when gasoline fumes were ignited by pilot lights. The residents of Mendota Heights are doing a great job of practicing fire preven- tion and our low incidence of residential fires attests to that. For that, we thank you. Once again, we would like to urge you to maintain your smoke detectors. Detec- tors should be checked once a month. Review your EDITH (Exit Drills In The Home). Be sure each member of the family is aware of alternate plans for es- cape if the stairs from your sleeping area are cut off by smoke and flame. Have a place of assembly after evacuation so that all can be accounted for. rA"t, 4 HEIGHTS HIGHLITES SPRING, 1987 A one mile stretch of State Truck Highway 55 winds its way through western Mendota Heights, from the inter- section of Interstates 35E and 494 on the south, to the Mendota Bridge on the north. Although many residents may have little occasion to travel this road, Highway 55 will become an increasingly important route between downtown Min The Volunteer Fire Department has recently added five new members: Jim and Kevin Perron, 676 Callahan Place, and Aaron Coates, 2361 Dodd Road, all natives of Mendota Heights, and Mike Marasculio and Ken Wisenberger of West St. Paul. The addition of these recruits will bring the fire department staff to 36. New firefighters spend much of their first year going through extensive training, both in-house training and outside of the department. They attend a 12 week course in Firefighter I through the Dakota County Vo -tech system, and a 10 week First Responder Training Course for medical emergencies. It takes a very special person to make the commitment to become a volunteer firefighter and a very understanding and supportive family. Being a firefighter re- quires a substantial amount of time away from family life. Volunteer firefighters devote at least one night a week to train- ing, clean-ups or meetings, and are on call 24 hourse per day. Nn�i ` • ° ,k The Ladies Auxiliary of the Mendota Heights Fire Department were "filppen' the flaps" on May 3rd at their annual "All You Can Eat" pancake breakfast held at the Fire Hall. Proceeds from the break- fast will be used to purchase special equipment for the department. Other events sponsored by the Ladies Auxiliary are the semi- annual blood- mobile visits, in February and September of each year, and the annual Firemen's Dance will be held October 2nd. 101101 M% A 20 year veteran of the Mendota Heights Volunteer Fire Department, Jerry Nelson, retired on December 31, 1986. On March 21, he was honored at a retirement dinner attended by members of the Fire Department and City officials. Jerry's long-term dedication to help the community will be very much missed. neapolis, and the rapidly growing area be- tween the Twin Cities and Rochester. Major highway improvements, known as the Mendota Interchange project, are planned by the State Department of Transportation beginning in 1988. These improvements will substantially realign the connections between Highways 55, 13, and 110. Existing and currently planned land uses along the 55 corridor are a mixture of industrial, retail business, single-family residential, multi -family residential, and cemetery. The area is heavily impacted by noise from MSP airport, and develop- ment options will be somewhat limited by that effect. Yet with the community's new accessibility, interest in developing in the 55 corridor is increasing. With all of this in mind, the City Coun- cil has decided to complete a major land use study of the corridor. The Planning Commissi on and Council will be work- ing with the City's planning consultant, Howard Dahlgren, over the next -x months to consider the continued vial of existing and proposed land uses, as well as alternatives that might be avail- able. Specific issues to be studied in- clude: 1. Airport noise impacts and restrictions. 2. The future of existing single-family neighborhoods, including Rogers Rd., Furlong, and Mulvihill. 3. Zoning and uses of various large, vacant parcels. 4. Identification of potential funding sour- ces for redevelopment. City officials will be meeting early in the study process with area landowners and neighborhood groups to get their ideas and input. The hoped for result of the study is a long-range strategic plan that results in the corridor becoming an area of careful- ly coordinated land uses which reflect the high-quality aesthetic standards of Men- dota Heights residents and City officials. May 18th will be the official opening of the Courtyard by Marriott located on Nortnland Drive just east of Pilot Knob Road. This "special little hotel" has conference rooms, a small restaurant and lounge and other amenities in- tended to attract business travelers. From: City Of Mendota Heights 750 Plaza Drive South Bulk Rate Mendota Heights, Mn. 55120 US Postage PAID Permit No 6161 POSTAL PATRON SI Paul, Mn 5` CARRIER ROUTE MENDOTA HEIGHTS, MN PRESORT SS 118 AND SS 120