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Heights Highlights July-AugustHIGHLIGHTS MENDOTA HEIGHTS NIGHT TO UNITE 2024 INSIDE July-August 2024 Receive $3 off one round of golf or footgolf. Original coupon must be presented at time of payment. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Offer expires July 31, 2024. SAVE on GOLF 1695 Dodd Road · Mendota Heights Tee Times 651-454-9822 MendotaHeightsMN.gov L to R: Council Members Paper, Lorberbaum, Mazzitel- lo; Mayor Levine; Council Member Miller Mayor Stephanie Levine SLevine@MendotaHeightsMN.gov 651-686-0340 C: 651-302-0861 Councilor Sally Lorberbaum SLorberbaum@MendotaHeightsMN.gov 651-503-5564 Councilor John Mazzitello JMazzitello@MendotaHeightsMN.gov 651-249-7306 Councilor Jay Miller JMiller@MendotaHeightsMN.gov 651-994-0482 Councilor Joel Paper JPaper@MendotaHeightsMN.gov 612-237-1133 PUBLIC MEETINGS* City Council Bi-weekly; 1ST & 3RD Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Airport Commmission Odd months; 3RD Wednesday at 6 p.m. Natural Resources Commission Monthly; 2ND Wednesday at 6 p.m. Parks and Recreation Commission Monthly; 2ND Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Planning Commission Monthly; 4TH Tuesday at 7 p.m. Meetings are held at City Hall. Watch live meetings on Ch. 18/798 HD and meeting replay at townsquare.tv/webstreaming. *Dates and times are subject to change, visit MendotaHeightsMN.gov/Calendar. 7 CALENDAR EVENTS CALENDAR MendotaHeightsMN.gov/Calendar JUL 9, 16, 23, 30 AUG24 Mattress Recycling 9 a.m.-Noon Mendakota Park Drop o mattresses, box springs and crib mattresses for a fee. Parks Celebration: Pickleball Tournament 9 a.m. Grab your paddle and register for this annual event. AUG9 Parks Celebration: Food Truck Festival 4:30-8 p.m. Join us at Mendakota Park for live music and 8+ food trucks. Tour de Rec 1:30-2:30 p.m. Free fun for kids; nd locations and activites online. Final Tour de Rec of the summer is Aug. 6. AUG10 Parks Celebration: Passport to Parks Enjoy Yoga in the Park, Kids Fest, Hooked on Heroes shing and more. Find schedule of events online. JUL 11, 25 Adult Walking Group 9 a.m. Join this group for a walk around Mendota Heights. Registration is free, and location information is shared with those who register. AUG 8, 22 Adult Walking Group 9 a.m. Join this group for a walk around Mendota Heights. Registration is free, and location information is shared with those who register. Music in the Park 6 p.m. Market Square Park Bring a chair and enjoy live music; concerts continue Aug. 7, 21; Sept. 6. JUL 10, 24 Cliff Timm Memorial Fishing Derby 4-7 p.m. Rogers Lake Park Bring your pole and catch the big one! Registration required. JUL18 AUG11 General Election Primary Day 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Visit your assigned precinct location to cast your vote. More info at MendotaHeightsMN.gov/Elections AUG13 2 A Message From THE MAYOR As we enjoy the warm summer days, City Council members and staff are planning for 2025. The budget process will begin in earnest in August with groundwork done by staff in July. The budget reflects the Council’s strategic priorities, and we invest significant time to ensure it brings the best outcome for residents. While budgeting is challenging, we take pride in balancing our community’s wants and needs. We remain mindful of the community’s desire for reasonable tax rates while preserving the City’s AAA bond rating, a testament to strong fiscal management. The budget process is proactive and anticipates the future needs of residents. One key area of focus is the future of the Police Department/City Hall building, which requires significant upgrades and repairs. We hoped to secure state funding through the bonding bill that did not pass, but we are now exploring creative solutions to meet public safety needs. The City Council recently approved a take-home squad car plan for the Police Department. This initiative will help attract and retain police officers while addressing several public safety concerns. The plan will also save taxpayer dollars in the long run, although there are up-front costs associated with the purchase of additional squad cars. To cover these costs, we will leverage a portion of our funds from the Public Aid Safety program allocated by the state legislature in 2023. Community safety is always top priority reflected in our budget, with about 50% allocated to police and firefighting services. We also believe that “community keeps community safe.” Stay safe this summer by using reflective tape and lights when walking or biking before or after dusk, keeping cars and doors locked and garage doors closed. Most importantly, get to know your neighbors by participating in Night to Unite. Last year, residents hosted a record-breaking 45 block parties. Let’s challenge ourselves to break that record this year! If you haven’t already, register your celebration at MendotaHeightsMN.gov/NightToUnite. Enjoy the rest of the summer! Stephanie B. Levine, Mayor CITY COUNCIL 6 This year, 332 runners gathered for the 19th Annual Officer Scott Patrick Memorial 5K; raising $17,800 for Special Olympics. The race is held in honor of Mendota Heights Police Officer Patrick who was killed in the line of duty in 2014. Thanks to all of the residents, volunteers and businesses who made race day a great success! Officer Scott Patrick MEMORIAL 5K Night to UNITE Each year, the City of Mendota Heights hosts Night to Unite, a summer evening dedicated to celebrating community. Night to Unite 2024 is Tuesday, Aug. 6. Register your Night to Unite event by Friday, Aug. 2, so members of the Police, Fire and Ambulance service can stop by! MendotaHeightsMN.gov/ NightToUnite About SOLICITORS Solicitors working in Mendota Heights must register with the City and are required to wear identification of their name and company; then, they can operate from 9 a.m. to 30 minutes before sunset. To exclude solicitors and peddlers from your property, post a sign near the door with the words “Peddlers and Solicitors Prohibited.” If you have concerns about a solicitor, call the Police Department at 651-452-1366. Always call 911 in an emergency. MendotaHeightsMN.gov/ CityCode (Title 3; Chapter 3) Mendota Heights is one of more than 850 Minnesota cities participating in the GreenStep Cities challenge – a free, continuous improvement program based upon best practices tailored to Minnesota cities, with a focus on cost savings, energy use reduction and encouraging civic innovation. After two years of participation, the City has earned the Step 3 Award by implementing 22 sustainability activities such as adopting sustainable purchasing guidelines, establishing a living streets policy and tracking municipal building energy consumption. Watch for additional GreenStep actions as the City works toward accomplishing the next step in the program. MNGreenStep.org GreenStep CITIES Speed Cameras IMPROVE SAFETY Mendota Heights Police are planning for the use of speed cameras near local schools after the State of Minnesota authorized the Department’s participation in a pilot program. With an in-house speed camera already owned by the City, officers can monitor speed and issue citations, with $40 fees for driving over the speed limit; the fees double if a driver exceeds 20 miles over the limit. However, each driver receives a warning on their first violation. Speed camera technology greatly assists the Department with traffic enforcement and improves safety for pedestrians in school zones. Watch for more information and a series of community meetings this fall, before the Department begins speed camera enforcement in 2025. MendotaHeightsMN.gov/ Police In partnership with the Lower Mississippi River Watershed Management Organization (LMRWMO), the City is encouraging residents to stencil a storm drain and help prevent pollution in lakes and rivers. Free stenciling kits are now available at City Hall – call 651-452-1850 to reserve one today, and help protect local waterways! MendotaHeightsMN.gov/ StormDrains Stencil a STORM DRAIN 6 3 Dakota County residents can get help repairing household items, clothes, electronics and more at a Fix-It Clinic. These monthly events help keep items out of landfills and empower people to repair things on their own. Show up to the upcoming Fix-It Clinic on Saturday, Aug. 17 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Wentworth Library in West St. Paul. The event is free and you do not need to register to participate. Helpful volunteers will guide you through each step, from troubleshooting to a completed repair. Bring up to three items that need fixing or mending such as lamps, vacuum cleaners and clothes. You must be able to carry items into the clinic, so no overly large items. Bring any tools and supplies you think might help with the job, but you are not required to bring any tools. dakotacounty.us Search: Fix-it Clinics Partially funded by Dakota County and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Stop by a Fix-it Clinic Instead of fabric weed barrier with mulch placed on top, try organic options for weed prevention in landscaping. Mulch decomposes and fabric fills with sediment, then weeds grow on the top and plants don’t get enough water below. Newspaper and cardboard (with no paper labels or wax coating) are more effective and inexpensive weed barriers that do not harm the environment; when they break down in the soil, they become organic material that benefits plants. Using leaves instead of wood mulch is a great natural alternative as well. In fact, leaves and native ground cover plants serve as a weed barrier in forests. With these options, you can avoid the use of non-organic materials in your landscaping! extension.sdstate.edu Search: Organic Garden Mulch A message from your local Master Gardeners. Organic Weed Barrier Election 2024 Primary Election Day is Aug. 13, and absentee voting is taking place now. You can request an absentee ballot online, or in person at City Hall, then be sure to return your completed ballot by 8 p.m. on Aug. 13. To vote in person on Primary Election Day, visit your assigned precinct. New this year, if you are voting in Precinct 4 and previously voted at St. Thomas Academy, your new precinct location is Friendly Hills Elementary, which is also the location of Precinct 5. General Election Day is Nov. 5. If you live in Mendota Heights, this is when you’ll vote for the next President of the United States, as well as a Mayor (two-year term) and two City Council members (four-year terms). To file for candidacy in the local election, you must have a residential address in Mendota Heights and file an affidavit with the City Clerk between July 30 at 7 a.m. and Aug. 13 at 5 p.m. Visit the City website to find everything you need to know about the 2024 Election; with questions, call City Hall at 651-452-1950. MendotaHeightsMN.gov/ Elections 4 The City Council sets strategic priorities to shape the work of City government. One of the Council’s priorities includes a commitment to providing and maintaining economic vitality and community vibrancy – a strategy that guides daily operations and project work. Fresh Air Fridays Mendota Heights resident Kirsten Ramirez is working closely with City staff to implement Fresh Air Fridays this summer. This citizen-led initiative encourages residents to make intentional choices and efforts to reduce their environmental impact, each Friday throughout the spring and summer months. More than 50 residents have already pledged to participate, and by submitting photos documenting their efforts, they have a chance to win fun prizes. There’s still time to participate, take the pledge online today! Oheyawahe Interpretive Plan Oheyawahe, a sacred Dakota site in Mendota Heights that is also on the National Register of Historic Places, is a place of importance for the Dakota and other Indigenous communities. With funding from the Minnesota Historical Society, the City is working in partnership with Dakota County, the Oheyawahe Task Force, and Full Circle Indigenous Planning + Design, to implement the first two of four phases of an interpretive program, providing a comprehensive educational experience to visitors at Oheyawahe for many years to come. MedotaHeightsMN.gov/ CouncilPriorities City Council PRIORITIES IN ACTION Allison Desmond is the City’s new Administrative Support Assistant. Allison was born and raised in Mendota Heights. She has almost 10 years of experience in administration with the State of Minnesota and where she was a specialist with the Minnesota Board of Architecture, Engineering, Land Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Geoscience and Interior Design. Allison enjoys being able to help the public in any way possible and is excited to serve the community that served her so well growing up. Sydnee Yengo is the City’s summer parks and recreation intern. She just finished her junior year at the University of Minnesota where she is majoring in nutrition. In her free time, she likes reading, crocheting, and anything involving being outside. She also loves finding new local coffee shops or restaurants. Sydnee is very excited to gain experience working with communities, writing policies, and working on sustainability projects. New CITY STAFF 5