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2013-05-10 Friday News May 10, 2013 Dates to Remember: May 14, 2013 Parks & Rec. Comm. 6:30 p.m. May 21, 2013 City Council 7:00 p.m. May 28, 2013 Planning Commission 7:00 p.m. Attachments: Pipeline, Just the Facts Friday News Mendota Heights Weekly Report on City Activities Mendota Heights City Hall 1101 Victoria Curve www.mendota-heights.com (651) 452-1850 Spring Clean Up The 2013 Annual Spring Clean Up was a huge suc- cess this past Saturday, with just over 230 visits by citizens. Thank you goes out to all of the volun- teers who came out to unload cars. We filled two dumpsters of scrap metal, a 30 yard box of elec- tronics, a packer truck and four dumpsters of gen- eral rubbish. On top of that, we collected approxi- mately 50 mattresses and 40 bikes to be recycled. The event is partially funded by the Minnesota Pol- lution Control Agency and the Dakota County Board of Commissioners. The Recycling Zone For the first time since we started collecting elec- tronics at the spring clean up, we ran out of capaci- ty. The Recycling Zone, located just down the road at 3365 Dodd Road, collects electronics year round, at no charge to residents. Don’t wait until next May to get rid of your electronics, recycle them today! The Other Season Now that Old Man Winter has finally packed up and left, we get to jump into Minnesota’s other season— road construction. Mendota Heights will have two projects this summer. Street rehabilitation in the Crown Point and Overlook neighborhoods will start on Monday, May 13. A Bid for street reconstruction in the Hunter Lane/Orchard Place neighborhoods was approved at the Tuesday night City Council meeting. Check out the Pipeline for more details on city, county and state projects. Public Works Parks Crew surveyed and striped the soccer and lacrosse fields. Foul lines on the ball fields were also striped. They mulched leaves and planted trees in the parks. A tree was removed from blocking Rogers Lake Trail and was chipped. Utilities Crew assisted the Parks Crew planting trees in the parks. A sanitary sewer inspection was completed on Beebe Avenue. Manholes and sewer lines were checked in the Overlook Road area. Batteries were changed on the jet truck. The Streets Crew took off the front plows on all city plow trucks. Three new “children at play” signs were installed in the Park Place Neighborhood. They continue to work on mail box repair and sod damage from the winter. Engineering City Projects (construction year) Dodd Road/Highway 110 Intersection Pedestrian Improvements (2013) – The project is currently out for bid. Bid opening is scheduled for 10:00am on June 5 th, and staff is anticipating a Bid Award to be before City Council at their June 18th City Council Meeting. Construction will begin shortly after contract award. Hunter Lane/Orchard Place Neighborhood Improvements (2013) – Council awarded the bid to Northdale Construction at their May 7th meeting. A preconstruction meeting will be held next week, and construction is anticipated to begin in June. Substantial completion is expected by the end of September with the assessment hearing in October. Crown Point & Overlook Neighborhood Rehabilitations (2013) – Construction begins on Monday, May 13th. City staff has marked curb locations where replacement is needed. Substantial completion is expected by July. An assessment hearing is scheduled for October. Lexington Avenue Pedestrian Trail, Hwy 110 to Douglas Road (2013) – Asphalt Surfaces Technologies will be completing this project as part of the Crown Point and Overlook neighborhood contract. Dakota County is assisting with 45% of the project construction costs. The City is covering the remaining 55%. Construction is anticipated for the 22nd through 24th of May. The trail will be closed during construction. The Pipeline N E W S L E T T E R Public Works Engineering Code Enforcement May 10, 2013 Highway 13 Trail Connection (2013) –The City has applied for a grant from the Department of Natural Resources for construction funding. If not funded through a grant, the City intends to construct the connection in 2013 with City funds. Project will connect existing trails between Riverside Lane and Lilydale Road. Mendota Heights Road Sanitary Sewer Force Main Repairs (2013) – Staff will be sending out a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the design of the permanent repair to the force main. The force main has ruptured 5 times in the past 6 years and is becoming more costly to repair each time. Based on the information gathered by the consultant specialist, the City may choose to repair the force main this year. Sanitary Sewer Cleaning and Televising (2013) – Council approved the plans and authorized advertisement for bids for the annual sewer maintenance project. Once bid is awarded the selected contractor will be working in the area of the city west of I-35E and north of Highway 110. The Center Pointe Business Park is also included in this year’s project. Street Preventative Maintenance (2013) – The annual preventative maintenance contract is now underway. In the coming weeks, crack sealing on several area streets will take place. Later this summer sealcoating will occur. For a list of streets impacted, please go to the City’s Street Improvement Plan on the City web page, City Services tab, Engineering Projects link Highway 149 (Dodd Road) Trail Connections (2014) – Staff submitted grant applications through the MnDOT Corridor Investment Management Strategy (CIMS) program. These grants would be for construction of trail connections along Dodd Road from Market Street to Marie Avenue and from Mendota Heights Road to the I-494 Bridge. Both of these grants would be for the 2014 construction year. County Projects (construction year) Dakota County Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) – Dakota County is reviewing their 2014-2018 Capital Improvement Program. The current 2013-2017 CIP is available through the County web page for review at http://www.co.dakota.mn.us/Government/BudgetFinance/2013Budget/Documents /2013-2017CIP.pdf. Any requests for County infrastructure projects to be included in the updated CIP can be made through City Staff by June 12th so Council can review and submit requests to the County by the June 28th deadline. North Urban Regional Trail (NURT) Realignment/Greenway Study (2014) – The Dakota County Board of Commissioners approved a realignment of the NURT that includes a “partial” alignment on the Henry Sibley property with a concurrence from the ISD197 Board. The School Districts concurrence listed 6 conditions: 1. Minimize impacts to future school facility expansion 2. Minimize impact to school user groups 3. Minimize impact to mature trees 4. Provide safe driveway crossing east of Warrior Drive 5. Ensure continued operation of school’s compost site 6. Develop a process to involve the School Board, School District, and public in the final design of the trail. Dakota County is selecting a consultant engineer to complete the final design in accordance with these conditions. The east/west alignment previously selected will go through the Dodge Nature Center north of Marie Avenue in West Saint Paul. For More information, please contact the Dakota County Project Manager, Chris Hartzel, at 952-891-7106. Lexington Avenue Crosswalk (2013) – Construction of the center median and crosswalk on Lexington Avenue at Victoria will take place this summer. Construction is anticipated in July/August. Delaware Avenue Guardrails (2013) – Dakota County will be installing guardrails along Delaware Avenue in select locations between Highway 110 and I-494. Crews will be surveying the locations in the coming weeks, and installation should take place by August. Other Activities Robert Street Corridor Alignment Alternatives Study – Staff attended the technical working group meeting on Thursday. The group, as well as the Steering Committee, remains focused on the impacts of the proposed corridor modifications. No direct impacts to Mendota Heights have surfaced, however when the project is constructed, the City may experience traffic impacts. Construction is currently planned for 2014-2015. 05/10/2013 The Mendota Heights Police Department Support Staff Kim Henning Susan Donovan Trista Miller Becky Pentel Police Officers Jerry Murphy Scott Patrick John Larrive Bobby Lambert Tanner Spicer Todd Rosse Chad Willson Jeff VonFeldt Steven Meyer Denise Urmann Michael Shepard Peyton Fleming School Resource Officer Jennifer Fordham Investigations Mario Reyes Chad Willson Sergeants Neil Garlock Brian Convery Eric Petersen Reserves Randy Pentel Jarrod Spicer Jim Knox Jeff Parker George Castillo Chaplains Frances Cuenca Joel Detlefsen Lynn Liberman Butch Millett Sue Plucker John Snider David Wick Chief Mike Aschenbrener  National Police Week: May 13 – May 18,2013  Peace Officer’s Memorial Day: May 15, 2013 In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation designating May 15th as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as Police Week. The City of Mendota Heights adopted a resolution on Tuesday night making May 13 – 18, 2013 National Police Week. It’s a week intended to pay special homage to honor and support those who walk and survivors of those who have walked “the thin blue line.” If you have a moment; thank an officer for what they do. Each year about 140 Police Officers die feloniously in the line of duty; in 2013, 40 Officers died in the line of duty. This year, MHPD is holding a daytime and a nighttime BBQ fundraiser, accepting donations toward the MN Law Enforcement Association, www.mnlema.org and the National Law Enforcement Memorial Association, www.nleomf.com. Both associations work to honor the Police Officers who have died in the line of duty and to support the families of the officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice. If you wish to donate you may send a check made out to the state or national association and we’ll forward them along, with a note of appreciation from the MHPD. You can also check out the MN chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) site for more local information and links to other resources at http://mncops.org/ What is…The Thin Blue Line? Essentially there are three meanings. 1. The thin blue line represents the thin line Police Officers walk daily between life and death. 2. The thin blue line represents the police officer’s role of separating the good from the bad while creating order from chaos. 3. The thin blue line on black is a memorial, a connection or a memory between Officers killed in the line of Duty and those who continue with their duties in the present “Just the Facts” The latest news from the Mendota Heights Police Department 05/10/2013 911 for All The Mendota Heights Police & Fire Department along with all other Police/Fire/Ambulance providers ask that you join us in utilizing 911 for All, which encourages residents who want to provide information or need to request service, even non‐emergency service, from their police department, fire department or ambulance service, to always call 9‐1‐1. It is much easier to remember 911 than multiple phone numbers for police, fire and ambulance, and thanks to technology, most call types can be most easily handled via 9‐1‐1. Dial 911 when you:  Observe suspicious activity  Witness an accident, fire or a crime  Need an ambulance  Have items stolen from your car or home  Smell a possible natural gas leak  Have a Parking complaint  Encounter any incident that may require police, fire &/or ambulance response. The Dakota Communications Center (DCC) was created in 2005 by a Joint Powers Agreement formed of the eleven cities in Dakota County and the County itself. Dakota Communications Center is a state of the art 9‐1‐1 dispatch center that provides responsive and exceptional service to those who live, work, and visit the communities that make up Dakota County. Visit http://www.mn‐dcc.org/ for much more helpful info.       Domestic       Thursday  1414 hours  Officers John Larrive and Bobby Lambert responded to a 911 call for help where the caller stated her  husband was out of control.  A friend had come with the wife to be present while visiting her son, since  things were already rocky between her and her husband. The husband got verbally and physically  assaultive with the friend, and when the wife tried to call 911 multiple times, he hung up the phone and  interrupted the call for help.  Officers arrived on scene and learned the family was going a divorce and  emotions were escalating. Male party was arrested on GM interference with 911 call and 5th Degree  assault and transported to the Dakota County Jail.      Bicyclist v Delivery Truck     Thursday  1649 hours  911 cell phone caller reported seeing a bicyclist being struck by a delivery truck, but couldn’t tell the  dispatcher the location of the crash.  When calling 911, please know where you are.  Officer Shepard and  Sgt Petersen had to search for the crash. The State Patrol wrote the accident and HealthEast Paramedics  provided first aid for a serious leg injury.    Driving complaint      Thursday  2026 hours  Residents called to report juveniles riding around town on the hood of a Toyota Corolla, no color given.   Officer Todd Rosse responded to the area and located several Corollas, only one was occupied by two  young ladies.  They denied racing around the area and allowing anyone to ride on the hood of the car.   Both were warned anyway.     Frequent Flyer check‐in      Friday    1528 hours  Officer John Larrive responded to a residential alarm. The homeowner was present at the call and told  Officer Larrive that the wrong code was entered.  The caller helpfully added, ‘as long as you are here,  the people living in the attic have been quiet the past two days and the dog is happy because he just got  back from the spa….’               05/10/2013 Suspicious Activity    Friday  2244 hours  Officer Todd Rosse was waved down by a business employee who reported something suspicious that  happened 7 hours earlier. “If you see something…say something!”  The caller reported two men in   hooded sweatshirts that carried something into the woods and then left in a sedan.  Officer Rosse  tracked footprints into a swampy area but was not able to locate anything suspicious.    AOA/Crash/DUI      Saturday  0112 hours  The DCC relayed a report of man who had crashed but had no idea of his location, but he did say he hit a  pole and his car didn't work.  With dispatch assistance, Officer Fleming soon located the crashed car on  Hwy 13 just west of Lexington Avenue.  As he approached he could see that the car had heavy front‐end  damage and the airbags were deployed inside of the car.  The man was not hurt but it was obvious he  was intoxicated.  The man had been drinking in Eagan, struck a power pole in Mendota Heights and was  headed home in Apple Valley.  The driver failed all SFST’s, was arrested, read the implied consent and  agreed to a blood test which HealthEast paramedic  drew for the officers.  The car was towed by  Southeast Towing and the man would wake up at Ramsey County detox in the morning.  Case pending  results of blood test.   So then, on his way back into town….    Crash/DUI/Deja Vu      Saturday  0301 hours  … just a short drive up the road from the last power pole crash, Officer Peyton Fleming responded to a  car v power pole (and a mailbox) with yet another intoxicated driver and  heavy front end damage once  again.  This gentleman had been drinking in Burnsville, was headed home to Shakopee, bought a power  pole in Mendota Heights and would wake up at Ramsey detox in St. Paul.  He also failed all SFST's, was  read the implied consent advisory, and after being checked by paramedics, he too consented to a blood  draw.  Vehicle was towed to Southeast, Excel energy was notified about their power pole and the man  was transported along with his tickets to detox.  Maybe he can swap stories with the other suspect!    Dangerous Dog       Saturday  2115 hours  Caller reported her mother had just come back from walking the dog and was knocked down when  another dog attacked her dog.   The mom really wasn’t aware of where the dog had come from.  Officer  Peyton Fleming checked possible locations for the dog and eventually, through talking with other  residents, was able to figure out the dog’s residence.  Parties made civil arrangements and Potentially  Dangerous Dog paperwork will be filed.    Juvenile Compliant     Saturday  2156 hours  Caller reported his neighbors were hosting a juvenile party, there was a car parked in front of the house  but the kids weren’t getting out to go into the party.  When the caller checked the kids, they were  smoking a bong most commonly used for marijuana.  The car immediately fled the area when they were  spotted.  Sgt Convery checked the area without success; the information was relayed to the overnight  officers.   Juvenile Party Aftermath    Sunday  1020 hours  Sgt Brian Convery spotted two young men as they crouched behind a car in the street.  They weren’t  stealing anything, they were simply just hiding their booze.  The two underage parties had left a house  party and blew over on the PBT and two other young people were spotted walking away from the area.   The minors were turned over to their parents and the “adults” who were under 21 were cited and left  with a friend in the area.    Juvenile Party Aftermath     Monday  1413 hours  Officer Scott Patrick handled a phone call from a young lady who had attended a party on Saturday night  and had used her phone to play music.  Sometime before midnight the phone went missing as did two  other young ladies’ phones and another friend lost her boots.  (Really? You need to steal someone’s  shoes?)  The victim reported there were about 50 kids at the party from a bunch of different schools.   Forwarded to investigations for follow‐up.        05/10/2013 AOA        Monday  1038 hours  Sergeant Neil Garlock, Officers Jen Fordham, John Larrive and Scott Patrick responded to assist with  evacuating the middle school while the HVAC air handlers were restarted.  The system allowed some gas  to enter the building.  The kids were given some time in the sunshine.  The staff quickly corrected the  problem; HealthEast medics assisted with any kids who didn’t feel well and MHFD used their monitoring  equipment to verify there was no longer any gas in the air.  We assisted with traffic control and access  for parents.  Clear a short time later.    Motorboats       Monday   1320 hours  A resident called to report a motorized boat on Rogers Lake.  Officers Peyton Fleming and Steve Meyer  responded to the call.  It was learned a short time later that the DNR would be netting fish on the lake  over the next few weeks.    Raccoon on the roof      Monday  1618 hours  Caller reported for the second day in a row that there was a raccoon on the roof of the garage.  Officer  Peyton Fleming arrived to learn the sick raccoon had run off.  Several options were provided to the  homeowner as it is likely the varmint lives in the garage.    Window Peeper      Tuesday  0209 hours  Alarm went off at the home of a frequent flyer.  Officer Denise Urmann arrived and was met by the  resident.  The woman patiently explained that the alarm went off because the man who lives in her attic  did it.  (Attic Man is at it again!) As Officer Denise Urmann was leaving the home she was flagged down  by the neighbors who stated they saw the shadow of someone peeping in their windows. They believe it  was the person whose alarm went off but they didn't see any other activity.    Suspicious Activity      Tuesday  1549 hours  Officer Scott Patrick along with Sergeant Neil Garlock responded to a report of what appeared to be a  grave alongside a walking trail.  The officers arrived and found a pile of dirt alongside the road that  would be consistent in size with a grave.  Officer Patrick went and got a shovel and they dug up the pile  of dirt and found nothing but grass and roots.   It appears someone with a pickup truck had backed up  along the trail unloaded dirt out roughly enough to cover the bed of a pickup truck alongside of the trail  creating the appearance of a fresh grave.  Nothing found.    DAR        Tuesday  2210 hours   Officer Mike Shepard spotted a vehicle stop by the side of the road in a strange place.  In checking that  vehicle he found the driver pulled over to scratch off some lottery tickets.  Unfortunately a quick check  of his driver's license showed the man was revoked and had not appeared for court six times since  January of 2011.  Even if he was going to win with the lottery tickets it was not likely that a trip to the  Dakota County would constitute luck.   Hopefully he won enough to cover some of those fines!  Suspect  cited and booked into jail.    Gas Theft       Wednesday  1320 hours  Sergeant Neil Garlock responded to a complaint of a thief parked at the gas pumps at a local station.   The employee recognized this thief from a previous gas drive off and called 911.  While the employee  was on the phone with the dispatchers the thieves, young ladies, were busy screaming obscenities at  them from the gas pump.  The young ladies did manage to get $12.73 for the pumped gas before they  fled, but the employee obtained the license plate number and a good description of the suspect’s  vehicle.  They headed out of the station the wrong way, turning around and driving past the station  again to head south on I35E.  Sergeant Garlock caught the vehicle in the city of Eagan and learned the  driver was revoked, there was no insurance and the truck was full of stolen gas (stolen by the juvenile  passenger).  Citations were issued to both parties and the vehicle was towed.        Have a great weekend!   D AKOTA C OUNTY S HERIFF The Front Row “A front row seat to the greatest show on Earth...” Dave Bellows, Sheriff Tim Leslie, Chief Deputy Volume 8, Week 49 April 29, through May 5, 2013 Graduation Night… The DCSO held a graduation ceremony for 30 members of our Citizens Academy. Our first academy was held last year and, due to its great success, we held another one this year. Members came from across Dakota County for eight weeks and learned the variety of responsibilities performed by the DCSO. The group learned about how we train to use force, the jail operation, the Multi- Agency Assistance Group (MAAG Team), viewed a mock trial, and learned about many of the other functions we perform every day. Captain Jim Rogers is the coordinator for the program and the class was appreciative of his work. Making a Difference… This past week members of the DCSO gathered in Eagan to prepare food packages for a very worthy cause, “Feed My Starving Children.” Correctional Sergeant Scott Fuchs coordinated the event, as he has in past years. The group packaged over 12,000 meals that will feed 35 children in El Salvador for an entire year, in addition to donating over $130 during the event. Thanks to all the members that took time from their schedules to help others. What a Bust… Normally that phrase is defined as lamenting over an unfortunate situation. However, in this instance, it describes the successful conclusion of an investigation by the Featuring Sheriff’s Jail Staff: Commander John Grant Captain Brad Jeska Correctional Lieutenants Lawrence Hart Jodi Rolloff Correctional Sergeants Scott Fuchs Deb Fyten John Heger Chuck Stemig Ben Verby Correctional Corporals Farrel Byrd Damion Giles Virginia Jones Gary Millbach Julienne Oppong Lisa Peterson Christine Winfrey Correctional Deputies Craig Altendorfer Brett Biffle Tim Bowman Courtney Brown George Castillo Mia Cha Stacy Cress Russell Crissman Mike Curry Joe Engesser Ryan Fitzhenry Mandy Fredrickson Tchad Guckin Kelvin Hannah Jerry Hanson Adam Henry Arturo Herrera D AKOTA C OUNTY S HERIFF The Front Row “A front row seat to the greatest show on Earth...” Dave Bellows, Sheriff Tim Leslie, Chief Deputy Volume 8, Week 49 April 29, through May 5, 2013 Click here to subscribe to this newsletter electronically.Page 2 Dakota County Drug Task Force resulting in the seizure of more than 12 pounds of methamphetamine. The seizure was the largest in Dakota County and also yielded several guns and cash. Congratulations to all the members of the DCDTF for their work on this case and throughout the year. (photo, caption- Marley a drug detection canine sitting next to the largest seizure of meth in Dakota County” Burn Baby Burn… The medication take-back program is now available throughout Dakota County. Last week a shipment of unused, unwanted and expired medication was taken to the Red Wing facility for disposal. Over 1,100 pounds of this material was incinerated. Just a reminder that these types of medications are getting into the hands of adolescents and have become the second most abused drug by this group. You Need a Place to Stay? Deputy Josh Sannes responded to a call involving a civil dispute with a man not paying his rent. After arriving, Josh was talking with the man when he learned there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest. With that information, the man’s housing concerns were no longer an issue. Best Wishes… Special Deputy Louis Henderson submitted his resignation from the Special Deputy Unit. Louis has been with the group since January, 2008. We thank Louis for all his work on behalf of the citizens of Dakota County and wish him the best of luck. Dan Hoover Katie Hoover Muhammed Jackson Cheri Johnson Blair Jones Theresa Lambert Joshua Loahr Lucio Marquez-Zazueta Darin McGowan Frantz Moise Lana Opp Tim Parker Lawrence Peltier Brandon Pitts Cartier Russell Jacob Schak Tom Schneider Phil Simpson Adam Smith Christopher Steel Sara Steinhoff Kent Themmes Tina Tyler Anthony Welin Greg Wisher Xue Yang Programs Staff Emily Clary Loren Hanson Hal Palmer Questions? Comments? Please contact the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office at 651.438.4700 or any of the following by email: dave.bellows@ co.dakota.mn.us julie.ecker@ co.dakota.mn.us Marley, a drug detection canine, sitting next to the largest seizure of meth in Dakota County history.