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07 15 2025 City Council MinutesCITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY STATE OF MINNESOTA Minutes of the Regular Meeting Held Tuesday, July 15, 2025 Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the regular meeting of the City Council, City of Mendota Heights, Minnesota, was held at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve, Mendota Heights, Minnesota, CALL TO ORDER Mayor Levine called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Councilors Lorberbaum, Paper, and Maczko, were also present. Councilor Mazzitello was absent. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Council, the audience, and staff recited the Pledge of Allegiance. MOMENT OF SILENCE IN MEMORY OF OFFICER SCOTT PATRICK, EOW JULY 30, 2024 The Council and those present in the audience observed a moment of silence in memory of Officer Scott Patrick, AGENDA ADOPTION Mayor Levine presented the agenda for adoption. Councilor Paper moved adoption of the agenda. Councilor Maczko seconded the motion. Ayes: 4 Nays: 0 PUBLIC COMMENTS No one from the public wished to be heard. CONSENT AGENDA Mayor Levine presented the consent agenda and explained the procedure for discussion and approval. Councilor Lorberbaum moved approval of the consent agenda as presented, pulling item A. b. Acknowledge the Minutes from the May 13, 2025, Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting c. Acknowledge the Minutes from the June 10, 2025, Parks and Recreation Commission Work Session d. Acknowledge the May Par 3 Financial Report e. Adopt Resolution 2025-42 Final Payment and Acceptance of Fire Station Roof Replacement f. Approve the Hiring of a Public Works Maintenance Worker g. Adopt Resolution 2025-44 Formally Accepting Donations from the Heussner Family h. Adopt Resolution 2025-43 to Reject Bids for the Kensington East Street Improvements i. Approve Developer's Agreement for the Cobalt Business Center j. Approve a Massage Therapist License k. Approve Temporary On -Sale Liquor License — Holy Family Maronite Catholic Church 1. Approve Contract to Grind Brush at City Transfer Site in, Approve Purchase of Public Works Truck from Inver Grove Ford n. Approval of Claims List Councilor Paper seconded the motion. Ayes: 4 Nays: 0 PULLED CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS A) APPROVAL OF JULY 1, 2025 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES Councilor Maczko noted on page seven, the second paragraph, it should state, "...express address the concern..." On page 12, it should state, "....Councilor Mazzitelle Maczko..." On page nine, the spelling of Kolar should be verified and shown correctly in both uses. Councilor Maczko moved to approve JULY 1, 2025, CITY COUNCIL MINUTES AS AMENDED. Councilor Lorberbaum seconded the motion. Ayes: 4 Nays: 0 PRESENTATIONS A) CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS SPEED CAMERA UPDATE Police Chief Kelly McCarthy provided a brief update and progress report on the Speed Safety Camera System implementation. Councilor Maczko asked if these can only be on City streets or whether they could be placed on County roads or other roadways. Police Chief Kelly McCarthy replied that they can be installed anywhere, with permission. She stated that local roads were chosen at this time, but because of the good relationship with the County, she believed that they would provide the necessary permission. Councilor Paper asked how long it would be anticipated that a camera would be in a location. Jelly I5, 2025 Nleevdota Heights Crty Comvcil Page 2 of 10 Police Chief Kelly McCarthy anticipated that they would have this one location for the remainder of the year. She believed that they would want to have any camera in place for at least three months. She noted that if a camera is moved, the warning period would begin again. Councilor Lorberbaum asked now long the pilot program would run and for information related to success and failure benchmarks. Police Chief Kelly McCarthy replied that the pilot program would be four years in length. She stated that she hoped that this winter, they could develop a more qualitative instrument to measure the utility of the people in and around that area. She stated that if they are writing a lot of tickets, she would consider that a fail, or if the problem remains unchanged, that would also be a fail. She commented that there are residents in certain areas who perceive an issue with speeding, whether or not the data supports that. She commented that this is something that would address those concerns while not being intrusive to other members of the community. Councilor Maczko applauded the Chief for her use of warning tickets as a form of education. He recognized that it is the outliers that catch the attention of others. He stated that as a City, they are encouraging people to drive responsibly and do not intend to punish anyone or raise funds. He recognized that it is not that the Police Department wants to write tickets, but wants to have a safe city. Police Chief Kelly McCarthy commented that Mendota Heights is a safe community for drivers and pedestrians, and they are simply trying to address the outliers and perception. She noted that Marie was chosen as a location because of the changes that have already been made to that roadway. Mayor• Levine asked for more information on who would receive a ticket from an Officer versus the speed camera. Police Chief Kelly McCarthy replied that there is nothing about the speed cameras that precludes traditional enforcement. She stated that in Minnesota, the speed limit is the speed limit. She noted that historically, a three miles per hour (mph) grace was given to account for instrument calibration, but as technology improved, someone could theoretically be given a ticket for going one mph over the speed limit. She stated that the camera will never take a picture of the rear license plate and record the speed unless someone is ten mph over the speed limit. Mayor Levine commented that a Police Officer on the same street could issue a ticket for going three mph over the speed limit. Councilor Paper asked how much more work this would be administratively for the department. Police Chief Kelly McCarthy replied that this could be labor-intensive, but the City has the advantage of previous data. She explained how the work would be allocated between members of the department to issue warnings and tickets. She anticipated between one and two hours per day, spread out in the most economically feasible manner. She noted that there is a more automated system, but the City is choosing to utilize the system that it already has to record the data and use staff to sort through the data and send warnings and/or tickets. July 1$ 2025 Mendota Heights City Councz/ Poge 3 of 10 Councilor Paper asked if the owner of the plate would be receiving the ticket. Police Chief Kelly McCarthy confirmed that to be accurate. She noted that the owner will receive the warning/citation regardless of the driver, and it would not be classified as a moving violation. Mayor Levine asked that the school be made aware of this to ensure that information can be communicated with student drivers as well. Police Chief Kelly McCarthy noted that in addition to the posted signage and communication she has had with the School District, she has also put in requests to Google, Apple, and Waze to see if the speed camera can be placed on their GPS applications. B) HIGHWAY 62 SPEED LIMIT PRESENTATION Robert Jones, MnDOT, introduced the members of his staff present with him tonight to help address the questions they have received from Public Works Director Ryan Ruzek and the City related to the speed limit on Highway 62. Cherzon Riley, MnDOT, commented that the speed limit had been raised from 55 miles per hour (mph) to 60 mph on Highway 62. She explained that MnDOT checks the speed limits on highways every ten years to ensure that the highway is operating at the correct speed. She provided details on the study process completed, noting that the 85' percentile of drivers were driving at 60 mph. She provided additional details on driver safety related to posted speeds and communication that were provided to the City prior to the change in the speed limit. Councilor Paper stated that the speed limit was raised, which increases noise levels, and asked if that would improve the opportunity to receive a soundwall. Ms. Riley replied that raising the speed limit by five mph does not have an impact on noise levels. She commented that soundwalls are outside of her department, but she could provide that contact information. She noted that people were already traveling at this speed, and therefore, the speed limit was simply changed to match the speeds at which vehicles were already traveling. Mayor Levine asked if the traffic lights on a highway slow the speed between lights. Ms. Riley stated that a five -mile per hour increase will not be noticeable. She stated that the yellow time was changed by half a second, and there will be no impact on queuing. Mayor Levine stated that if there is a higher limit, perhaps that would encourage drivers to travel even faster than the posted speed. Ms. Riley stated that they have done decades of studies on that topic, and it has been proven untrue that drivers will travel over the posted speed limit. She noted that several studies of the speeds were taken before the change and after the posted speed limit change, and there has not been a change in the speed at which drivers are traveling. July I5, 2025 Mendota I�eights City Council Page 4 of70 Mayor Levine asked if the speed limit would be lowered if another speed study were completed in ten years, and the majority of travelers are traveling under the posted speed limit. Ms. Riley confirmed that is correct. She explained that they want speed limits that the majority of drivers will obey and to provide continuity. She stated that since they raised the speed limit, in this first year, the crash data has actually been reduced from the previous year/speed limit. Councilor Maczko stated that the sign on 62 was not posted until May 1st; therefore, it has only been about a month or 1.5 months. Ms. Riley stated that they made the decision in November and posted signs in May. She recognized that May 1, 2026, would provide one full year of data. Councilor Maczko commented that he is a traffic engineer by trade, and he raised the question about the change in speed. He stated that Highway 110/62 has historically caused issues with speed and pedestrian safety. He stated that when 494 was built, it was supposed to take a lot of the truck traffic off Highway 110/62. He stated that in 2024, the legislature requested to change or update the speed setting to the new Federal highway manual, noting that more than the 85'h percentile should be reviewed before raising speed, and noted the other factors that should be considered. He wondered where the report was that included details on volume, crashes, and the other areas of the new study. He noted that the freeway that runs through the community has a posted speed of 55 mph, while this road, with more pedestrian crossings and interaction, now has a speed limit of 60 mph, which seems to be a disconnect. He asked if there was a report produced with the additional information or whether the decision was made solely based on the 85th percentile. Ms. Riley stated that the context categories were addressed and included in the report. She stated that Highway 35 will also be studied in the coming year and believed that the speed limit will also be increased. She stated that, essentially, they did not raise the speed limit as most people were already traveling at that speed. Almin Ramic, MnDOT, stated that he did look at traffic volumes from the entrance into Mendota Heights on the west, through to the east side. He noted that the increases were minimal, just above the 2019 numbers. He provided comparisons for the Dodd Road intersection from 2016 through 2025 and similar information for other intersections. He stated that the traffic volume has not increased to the perceptions that existed. He stated that the Dodd Road intersection crash data is under the State average, providing information from the last few years. Councilor Maczko asked if truck volumes were reviewed. Mr. Ramic replied that data is available, but he did not review that information. He stated that he could share that information through email. Councilor Maczko stated that some residents have requested no engine braking signs in certain areas for trucks. July 15, 2025 Mendota Heights City Commit Page 5 of 10 Mr. Ramic stated that he could follow up on that, but believed that it is something that could also be done through City Ordinance, Councilor Maczko stated that prior to the 2017 upgrade, when many access points were eliminated, there were advanced warning flashers up and that they had been removed. He noted that there are a fair amount of red-light runners at Dodd Road and near the high school. He asked why those warning flashers were removed. Mr. Ramic replied that it has been the policy to introduce those types of signs if it is the first signal after a freeway segment. He noted that studies have been done that those signs encourage speeding, as some drivers speed up when the lights begin to flash in an attempt to get through before the red light. He stated that in some areas, they have chosen continuously flashing yellow lights to alert drivers to the upcoming signal rather than flashing lights that alert to a signal change ahead. Mr. Jones stated that Mankato and Rochester have eliminated the use of those flashing alerts as well. Mayor Levine asked if the crash data would be studied next May to review the newly posted speed limit. She recognized that there are people in the community who are concerned about the increased speed limit. She asked if a change would be made in one year if the crashes or travel speed were to increase in the next year. Ms. Riley stated that she has been doing this for over 15 years and has never seen that happen. She commented that the signs themselves do not slow the speed of drivers. She noted that people drive at the speed they feel comfortable and reasonable. She provided information on the speed samples that were completed after the posted change to the speed, noting that the speed traveled has not changed, as drivers were already traveling at this speed. Councilor Maczko asked how they would make drivers drive slower. Ms. Riley commented that driving slower does not always mean safer. She provided examples where changes were made to roads to decrease speeds, recognizing that does take an investment. She commented that extreme enforcement also decreases driver speeds. Mr. Ramic stated that it is the outliers, those traveling too slowly or too fast, that cause issues. Councilor Maczko stated that the concern he has heard from residents is that raising the speed limit seems counteractive to the cooperative efforts of the City and MnDOT to make this roadway safer. He stated that Dodd Road has pedestrian crossings. He asked what the City can do with MnDOT to communicate that they do not want the speed increased on this type of street. He stated that there is no pedestrian activity or vehicles trying to turn out of their neighborhoods onto the freeway, like there is on Highway 62. He stated that it seems that the traffic signal timing has changed, giving priority to Highway 62, which causes backups on other roads. He thought the goal was to tame the road so that people would not want to drive 60 mph on the roadway, and he believed that this was going the wrong way. July 15, 2025 A�endota Heights City Council Page 6 oj10 Mr. Ramic commented that this needs to be done through teamwork with the City expressing its desires. He noted that MnDOT has its projects planned five to ten years ahead. He commented that the City would need to invest energy and funding to improve the roadway, if that is desired. Councilor Maczko commented on the longer -term vision for the roadway that he and the citizens have a concern over ensuring that this could be a walkable, bikeable area for residents. Mr. Ramic commented that MnDOT will work with the City to find a solution for Dodd Road. He noted challenges that have existed with right-of-way and the need for an innovative solution. He stated that when MnDOT plans for that roadway, they will listen to the input of the City. Mayor Levine asked when the next visioning is for Highway 62. Mr. Jones commented that as a Project Manager, they want to work with the City to determine what is best. He stated that what was done in 2017, and to get another project at this time would take a lot of City input and City funding. He stated that if MnDOT completed a project in ten years or so, when it is due for another upgrade/project, they would work with the City. Mr. Ramic commented that while he also does not prefer J-turns, they are safer movements. Councilor Lorberbaum thanked the representatives from MnDOT for attending and providing this useful information tonight. She asked the percentage of roads that are studied that receive an increase or decrease in speed. Ms. Riley commented that there are times the speed limit is reduced after a project, such as a road diet. She was unsure of the percentages. She stated that outside of a project, she has not seen a speed limit decrease. Mr. Jones commented that some roads in Rochester may have speed limits lowered. Ms. Riley commented that the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have chosen to lower their speed limits. Mayor Levine asked if that change has made their roads less safe. Ms. Riley replied that those cities will not complete a before -and -after study. She noted that people are still traveling at the same speeds. Councilor Maczko commented that he has encouraged St. Paul to complete after studies. He agreed that it is important to have both the before and after studies. Gina Mitteco, MnDOT, provided information on long-range planning and visioning. Mr. Jones commented that they have been working with Public Works Director Ryan Ruzek in anticipation of the 2028 project and noted that he will continue to comment with staff on that project. He explained that MnDOT is in more of a preservation mode because of the needs of their large system, whereas the July I5, 1025 Me�+dota Heights Ciry Comacil Page 7 of 10 City wants to be more proactive. He stated that if the City takes the lead and secures funding, MnDOT can support the project as well. Councilor Maczko acknowledged that MnIDOT wants cities to be active and proactive in communicating their needs and wants input from cities. He asked that the earlier -mentioned report also be provided through email. He asked if something could be done about engine braking from trucks going down hills. Ms. Mitteco stated that Dakota County has received some complaints on certain roadways, but believed that the County did not have jurisdiction. She stated that she is unsure who would have the legal authority to do that and could follow up on that. PUBLIC HEARING No items scheduled. NEW AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS A) REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS — IVY HILLS PARK PLAYGROUND Parks and Recreation/Assistant Public Works Director Meredith Lawrence explained that the Counci] was being asked to authorize the issuance of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the playground replacement at Ivy Hills Park, Councilor Maczko stated that this is predominantly the same as before, recognizing that in previous proposals, they received the merry-go-round as the compliant equipment. He asked if a base bid would be provided without the swing, using the full budget, and an extra cost for the swing rather than incorporating that swing into the original budget. Parks and Recreatioi�/Assistant Public Works Director Meredith Lawrence stated that she is unsure how this will be perceived by vendors. She stated that staff understood that the Council wanted swings brought into the project, along with the requirement to have an accessible feature that could be used by an individual in a wheelchair without transferring out of the chair. She explained that the bid alternate would replace the accessible feature with the swing. She was not confident that all vendors have that type of swing. Mayor Levine mentioned the Marie Park playground as an example of a project that used a bid alternative. She explained that the shade features were included in the bid as an alternate and could be added to the project, in addition to the base bid costs. Parks and Recreation/Assistant Public Works Director Meredith Lawrence commented that she does not believe that the base bids will include the swing, but confirmed that would be added to the bids as an alternate and could likely have a cost of over $200,000. Councilor Maczko commented that he would like to see the most value and features for the cost, while also addressing ADA compliance with poured -in -place surfacing to access the accessible features. He stated that perhaps a pre -bid meeting with vendors would be helpful to better explain the intentions of the project. July I5, 2025 D4endota Heights Ciry Cou�acil Page 8 of IO Parks and Recreation/Assistant Public Works Director Meredith Lawrence commented that if the Council desires, she could do that, but noted that she has not had to do that in the past. She explained that she has good relationships with the vendors and was surprised that she did not receive any comments after the bids were rejected. She stated that staff do track any questions received and provide those questions and answers to all vendors involved to ensure everyone has the same information. Councilor Paper commented that he would support continuing to follow the typical process. Councilor Maczko stated that he does not have a problem with having the parks subcommittee reviewing these with staff again, as he welcomes that input, but did not see the need for a full public input process. Mayor Levine commented that the subcommittee has a few members of the Commission, whereas a review by the full Commission includes more people and therefore supports the recommendation of staff to keep the process moving. She stated that although it has taken a while to get to this point, they know what they want, and she wants to keep moving forward. Councilor Lorberbaum stated that she looks forward to continuing this process. Councilor Paper moved to authorize THE ISSUANCE OF A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR THE PLAYGROUND REPLACEMENT AT IVY HILLS PARK, Councilor Lorberbaum seconded the motion. Further discussion: Mayor Levine thanked staff and the vendors for their patience. Ayes: 4 Nays: 0 COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS City Administrator Cheryl Jacobson announced upcoming community events and activities. COUNCIL COMMENTS Councilor Lorberbaum stated that in 2023 and 2024, MnDOT replaced the Mendota bridge railing, which included lowering the railing to 42 inches. She noted that a number of people have commented that they feel unsafe with the railing at that level. She commented that in 2027, MnDOT is going to raise the level of the railing back to 54 inches. She noted a recent resignation of the representative on the Metropolitan Council and recognized the newly appointed representative for the community. She thanked the residents who attended the last session of Coffee with the Council and noted the next event on Saturday, August 9. Councilor Maczko thanked the representatives from MnDOT who attended tonight and provided valuable information. He recognized that the City does have a responsibility and ability to provide feedback and appreciated that MnDOT is willing to listen. He recognized that the City did not provide feedback when MnDOT reached out multiple times on the topic before making the change. He recognized recent weather events around the country and encouraged residents to be prepared for emergencies. July I5, 2025 Mendota Heights Ciry Council Page 9 of 10 Councilor Paper thanked Lisa for her work at NDC4 and wished her well in her next position. Mayor Levine reminded residents that Public Safety Officers are held in high regard, noting that the community still mourns the loss of Officer Scott Patrick, ADJOURN Councilor Paper moved to adjourn. Councilor Maczko seconded the motion. Ayes: 4 Nays: 0 Mayor Levine adjourned the meeting at 7:49 p.m. 4zZL1je SteplfziniA. Levine Mayor ATTEST: cy Ba Ci Clerk July I5, 2025 Mendota Heights City Council Page 10 of 10