2020-03-04 Council Work Session MinutesCITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS
DAKOTA COUNTY
STATE OF MINNESOTA
Minutes of the Council Work Session
Held Tuesday, March 4, 2020
Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a workshop of the Mendota Heights City Council was held at City
Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve, Mendota Heights, Minnesota.
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Garlock called the meeting to order at 6:45 p.m. Council members Miller, Paper, and Petschel were
also present. Council member Duggan was absent. Staff in attendance included City Administrator Mark
McNeill, Police Captain Wayne Wegener, Community Development Director Tim Benetti, Public Works
Director Ryan Ruzek, Finance Director Kristen Schabacker, and City Clerk Lorri Smith.
DISCUSSION OF AMENDMENT TO CITY CODE SEC. 5-5-4 B.2 (FALSE ALARMS)
Police Captain Wayne Wegener explained the amendments to City Code Section 5-5-4. B (2) are being
proposed due to a couple of businesses having a substantial number of false alarm calls, and significant
charges being incurred. Factors that contributed to this include the businesses not keeping the key holder
information up to date with the Dakota County Communications Center, the false alarm reports were not
run regularly, invoices from the false alarm reports were not sent out on a regular basis, and the current
City Code does not place a cap on the amount billed per false alarm in a calendar year.
The Police Department has notified the businesses and requested that they update their key holder
information with Dakota County. The false alarm reports are now being run monthly and sent to the
Finance Department for billing on a regular basis.
It is proposed that the ordinance language include a cap on the amount billed per false alarm. After the fifth
false alarm, the subsequent false alarms will be charged out at $100 each, within the same calendar year.
Mr. Wegener noted that this ordinance will affect only false alarms and does not affect false fire alarms.
He noted that this should correct issues in the future.
Staff will place this ordinance proposal on the March 17, 2020 Council agenda for consideration.
ADJOURN
Mayor Garlock adjourned the meeting at 6:53 pm.
Neil Garlock, Mayor
ATTES
Lorri Smith, City Clerk