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2013-09-06 Friday NewsFriday News Mendota Heights Weekly Report on City Activities Preliminary Budget Levy Passes The city council heard a summary of the 2014 pre- liminary budget and levy at their regular meeting Tuesday, September 3, 2013. The preliminary levy was set at a 2.92% increase over the 2013 levy. Dakota County will use this amount for the Truth in Taxation documents, that are mailed out to all property owners in November. Council may choose to lower the levy before adoption in December, but cannot increase it beyond the established preliminary levy set Tuesday evening. Mendota Heights Fire Department Fall Activities Mendota Heights firefighters will be out in your neighborhood handing out the annual report and selling tickets to the 65th Annual Firefighters Dance. The Mendota Heights Fire Department's 65th annual dance will be held on Friday, November 15, 2013. This year's event will be at the Mall of America Hilton. Come out for an evening of fun, music and dancing. Music will be provided by High and Mighty. Doors open at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $12.00 or 2 for $20.00 in advance or $15.00 at the door. Tickets can also be purchased Monday through Friday at Mendota Heights City Hall from 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Mark your calendars for this year's Fire Prevention Week. During the week of October 6th, firefighters will be visiting with 4th graders at the local schools to discuss fire prevention tips. Wrap up the week with the Annual Fire Prevention Open House on Saturday, October 12th. Stop by anytime between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to meet your Mendota Heights firefighters, tour the department and take a ride on a fire truck. Dates to Remember: September 10, 2013 Parks Commission 6:30 p.m. September 11, 2013 Airport Commission 7:00 p.m. September 17, 2013 City Council 7:00 p.m. Attachments: Pipeline, Just the Facts City Council agenda packets and Planning Commission agenda packets are available online by visiting www.mendota - heights.com and clicking on the agenda /minutes link. Mendota Heights City Hall 1101 Victoria Curve www.mendota- heights.com (651) 452 -1850 91 Facebook.com /MendotaHeightsMN 13 Twitter.com / @mendota_ heights NEWS LETTER Public Works Engineering Code Enforcement Public Works SCHOOL BUS 9 The Pipeline September 6, 2013 The Parks Crew cleaned up the ground master and prepared it for a major repair. All soccer and ball fields were striped. Grass was cut. Weeds were cut at the tennis courts at Ivy Falls and Wentworth Parks. Utility Crew responded to a five -hour power outage on Sunday night at the Mendota Heights Road lift station. Broadleaf weeds were sprayed at Mendakota Park, the Fire Hall, Friendly Hills Park, North and South Kensington Parks and Rogers Lake Park. Streets Crew replaced the crosswalk sign at the Mendota Heights Road roundabout due to it being run over. Blacktop patching was done on Victory Road. A tree stump was pulled out on Stanwich Lane and the area was then filled with black dirt and seed. Brackets were made up for the new generator and were installed into the concrete. Engineering City Projects (construction year) Dodd Road /Highway 110 Intersection Pedestrian Improvements (2013) - Construction is underway. Concrete work on the southwest, southeast, and east median islands is nearly complete. Northeast island is expected to be complete next week. The base of the trail is in place and paving should be completed next week. Traffic impacts are greater than anticipated, but detours are available to the north along Marie Avenue, or to the south along Mendota Heights Road. Police are monitoring detour routes for speed compliance. Substantial completion of the project is expected by September 16t" Hunter Lane /Orchard Place Neighborhood Improvements (2013) - Utility installation is substantially complete. Base course of pavement has been placed on Orchard, Culligan, and Glenhill. Curb and Gutter installation along Hunter is expected in the next week, followed by road base grading. Pavement of Hunter can be expected in approximately two weeks. The contractor has replaced the culvert under Lexington Avenue. The pavement patch will be installed next week. Substantial completion is expected by the end of September with the assessment hearing in October. For more information, please go to the project page on the city web page: www.mendota- heights.com. Project information is updated weekly. Crown Point &Overlook Neighborhood Rehabilitations (2013) -This project is substantially complete. Staff has been preparing the project punch -list, and the contractor will be repairing the punch list items during the remaining construction season. An assessment hearing is scheduled for October 15t" during the regularly scheduled City Council meeting. Lexington Avenue Pedestrian Trail, Hwy 110 to Douglas Road (2013) -New sod was placed on the northern portion of the trail to repair damage done during construction. The trail is open for use. Sanitary Sewer Cleaning and Televising (2013) -This project is underway. The contractor is working in the area of the city west of I -35E and north of Highway 110. Center Pointe Business Park is also included in the project. Minor traffic impacts should be anticipated. Mendota Heights Road Sanitary Sewer Force Main Replacement (2013) - Design of the replacement force main is ongoing and the design should be ready for bid by October/ November. This force main has broken 5 times in the past 6 years and is in need of replacement. Construction of the replacement could begin as early as this fall. Highway 13 Trail Connection (2013) -City Council awarded the project to Urban Companies of Vadnais Heights at their September 3rd meeting. City Staff is working with adjacent property owners on acquiring the necessary easements for the project. Notice to proceed with construction is anticipated in mid - September and the project should be completed within a few weeks from the start date. Construction is expected to begin in late September /early October. County Projects (Construction Year) Delaware Avenue Guardrails (2013) - Installation of guardrails on Delaware Avenue in selected location between Highway 110 and I -494 will begin later this month. Plans have been completed and are under inter - agency review. Construction is expected within the coming weeks. North Urban Regional Trail (NURT) Realignment /Greenway Corridor - County staff is progressing on the design of the trail realignment through the Henry Sibley property. The County Project Manager will be giving an update to the Parks and Recreation Commission on October 8t ", and to the t" City Council on October 15 Other Activities Lower Mississippi River Watershed Management District (LMRW -Staff attended a Public Open House on Thursday night for the LMRWMO sponsored Watershed Restoration And Protection (WRAP) plan being developed for Rogers Lake and Lake Augusta in Mendota Heights. These lakes and surrounding watersheds are being studied to provide the City and area residents with practices that can improve the overall water quality in the water bodies. The final report is expected to be published over the winter. For more information contact City Engineering staff. Gun Club Lake Watershed Management Organization (GCLWM -City Council formally requested to dissolve the Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) that governs the GCLWMO at their September 3rd meeting. The request will be forwarded to both the GCLWMO and the LMRWMO Boards as well as to the Engineering staff of the other two GCLWMO member cities, Inver Grove Heights and Eagan. If one other member city agrees with dissolving the ]PA, Mendota Heights will be able to combine watershed areas and place essentially the entire city into the LMRWMO. SEPTEMBER 6, 2013 ULIt IF cl$ rnfi� , The Latest from the Mewdota H-6' lets PoUce Ae artmewt C ��l SUPPORT STAFF Kim Henning 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 UU too: ==!M This is frequently the time of year when we see an increase in School Bus Stop Arm violations. The police department is . notified by bus drivers of violators they encounter who pass �o SCHOOL RESOURCE OFC: I Jennifer Fordham INVESTIGATIONS Mario Reyes Chad Willson SERGEANTS Neil Garlock Brian Convery Eric Petersen RESERVES Randy Pentel Jim Knox Jeff Parker George Castillo CHAPLAINS Frances Cuenca Joel Detlefsen Lynn Liberman Butch Millett Sue Plucker John Snider David Wick CHIEF Mike Aschenbrener 1 i 'o the bus either while their lights are flashing or when the 1 stop arm is out. We could all probably use a reminder to know when we are legally required to stop for the safety of crossing children, so here are some quick points to remember: 1 i 1 i Bus drivers are required to activate the yellow flashing lights on the bus j at least 100 feet before stopping while in a 35 mph zone or less, and at � least 300 feet when they are in a speed zone of 35 mph or more. It is the opinion of many people that those distances may not be adequate and I � know that bus drivers are very good about adjusting to the traffic j conditions as they drive their routes. � Drivers of vehicles who are encountering school buses need to slow � down and be ready to stop if need be. The stop arm may come out while you are attempting to go around. If you are meeting a bus, you have the � opportunity to communicate with the bus driver, but if you are coming � from behind the bus then you really have to be careful. � o Treat the yellow flashing lights on the bus as being red. In other words, plan on stopping if you can. If you are already going around or � meeting the bus and the yellow flashing lights come on, then of course � you would continue. If you are way back and the yellow lights start � flashing, then plan on stopping unless for some reason the situation dictates otherwise. Driving past or meeting a school bus transporting � children can be a hazard, so again, slow down and be prepared to stop if � needed. I I o Remember that when you stop for a school bus stop arm and sign, you � have to stop at least 20 feet away from the bus, and you can't start � moving your vehicle until the sign goes in and the red lights stop flashing. � � If we all work together on this, we can see a great reduction in these � � violations and help give our bus drivers peace of mind. � 2 / Iow O weelE.�O_ Re7lRewo 0 0 Missin g Wednesday 2230 hours v A mother called in concerned that her daughter did not return home from work. This was very unusual for her daughter. A short time later, the mother called back in, Ser eant re- assured; her daughter was just working late and all was well. g Neil Garlock received a AOA Thursday 1407 hours Thank You Officers Bobby Lambert and John Larrive responded t0 a request t0 check an address in our city where a potential suspect who was threatening suicide by cop was hiding out. from a resident However, upon arrival, the suspect was GOA (crone on arrival). Officers cleared. for the assistance and Truck in Ditch Thursday 2342 hours guidance he Sergeant Petersen responded to assist a truck who had missed the exit and was stuck in r i for the ditch, blocking traffic on Hwy 13. Traffic was stalled for awhile and re- routed while p ov ded the tow company helped pull him back out. Officer cleared, nothing further. the Henry Sibley Extra Patrols On -Going Warrior Sk. During this time of road work at Hwy 110 and Dodd, officers have been watching over nearby intersections and alternate paths t0 help remind everyone t0 slow down. Over- all, it seems drivers have still been respectful and well - behaved, as we haven't issued too many speeding or related traffic tickets in this area. Good job! Theft Friday 1103 hours A local business owner called to report that he suspected one of his staff of stealing from the till, as it has been progressively short over the course of the past two weeks. He was given advice on how to catch the thief and advised to call once the suspect is verified for further investigation and possible charges. AOA /Drugs Friday 1525 hours Officers Larrive and Lambert responded to assist the DC Sheriff with a possible drug bust in a local park. Upon arrival, they stood by to keep the area secure while the car, occupied by some young adults, was stopped and searched for drugs. Meanwhile, a Please send us your positive feedback passerby decided to also stop and "supervise" the situation, providing the peace - keeping on our staff to: officers with some not -so peaceful advice on lawful processes. He was advised to contact pdrecords@ a supervisor to discuss it further. mendota- heights.com tour feedback is greatly AOA /Crashes Friday 1805 hours appreciated and hers boost the morale Officer our staff: Officer Todd Rosse assisted State Patrol with managing a 5 car accident; rescue also responded and traffic was backed up on 35E while the situation was handled. Meanwhile, officers were also called to help out at a motorcycle crash where the driver 0 ® o 000 ML was up and walking around but reportedly, "no looking so good." Sergeant Petersen left •:'- .. �^ the other accident but when he got to the area, no victim or cycle was located by him or HealthEast ambulance. AOA /Domestic Saturday 0312 hours Officers Spicer and VonFeldt responded to assist WSPPD near our border where a man who had fled from a domestic had showed up and was pounding on the door. The man eventually gained entry into the residence and "was freaking out." Officer arrived at the We lost our residence, but the man took off and a foot pursuit took place. About , another caller from WSP reported another (unrelated) unwanted person showed up at their home, on funn y bone meth. Officers also assisted there. Whew, busy morning. this week! OFP Violation Saturday 1233 hours Officer Bobby Lambert took a call from a party whose husband was violating a restrain - We hope t0 ing order by repeatedly texting and calling her, even though he knew he shouldn't. Officer Larrive later took an additional report of more communication and harassment have found It that was occurring. A KOPS alert was sent for his pick -up at his residence, but it was learned that he was out of town and would come in to speak with investigators when he by next week. returned. Formal charc, �, ges pending. Stay tuned! Drunk, In a Pool Saturday 1951 hours Caller's boyfriend was evidently hanging off the edge of the pool, is drunk and thinks he's in trouble; she was refusing to help him, but she was still concerned enough to call 911 for help. Evidently they argued earlier in the evening about how to correctly cook a steak and the night went downhill from there. When Officer Peyton Fleming arrived, he was safe, and still drunk, perched on the picnic table. Both agreed to be nice and call it a night. Angry Customer Sunday 0033 hours A cabbie called for assistance with a belligerent customer in his back seat. Evidently the customer refused to pay for a cab, calling the driver unkind names. The driver in turn wouldn't let him out, which was also largely due to a language barrier. Officer Tanner Spicer arrived and found the customer walking away from the cab. When he approached him, he convinced the gent to pay for his fare and then gave him a lift to his mom's. Stop Calling! Sunday 0929 hours Officer Lambert took a report from concerned parties about a meth addict trying to get in touch with family members who are recovered addicts and have been staying clean. Attempted contact included calls, emails and texted pictures of meth. Caller agreed to change phone numbers and block calls and encouraged to report any further unwanted 3 contact or activity. MHPD has a Missing Child Tuesday 1759 hours Medication Disposal Box in the lobby of Officer Peyton Fleming and Sergeant Garlock responded to missing child call where the Y residence had been checked and a four year old little crirl was nowhere in sight. A good the PD where Dakota y b b b County residents can description was provided and the search was on. Mom called about 6 minutes later — safely and she had found her, covered up under blankets on the couch, sleeping soundly. Whew. anonymously dispose of their prescription Domestic Wednesday 0018 hours drugs and over-the- counter medication. Officer Urmann checked on a couple who were fighting— neighbors had called and thought it was getting physical. The two were definitely arguing but nothing physical occurred. They agreed to separate for the night in order to keep the peace. Cleared. 4 0 (Blmt�ORIMU(eBdo 0 0 Don't FORGET! Disturbing the Peace Sunday 2044 hours (31 Neighbors called to report barking dogs in the neighborhood that had been barking for quite awhile —and there were two of them. Officer Peyton Fleming checked out the situation, verified their location and left messages with the homeowner since no on was home. The homeowner arrived just as he was clearing; she was advised of the com- If you are a Mendota plaint, given a warning, and she brought the pups in. Heights resident and you are going out of Suicide Attempt Sunday 2245 hours town /vacation, you Officers Denise Urmann and Officer Tanner responded Spicer to a crisis call with a P P can notify MHPD of Y our g an we outing d caller who wanted to commit suicide. She had been drinking with relatives and had will be more than crotten into an altercation, crettin� was b b b blamed "for everything." She was agitated, rambling, ha to keep a happy p and unable to retain her thought processes. She willingly went to the hospital on a watchful eye on our Y Y Psych hold. home while you are away. The House Vandalism Monday 0748 hours Check Request online form is available on The Par 3 Golf suffered some damage by an unknown suspect, who used a concrete our website; we block to severely damage the green on one of the holes, defecated in one of the holes have similar forms in and stole a tee marker. The city was notified of the damage and the case was forwarded the MHPD lobby and to investigations. we will take your info over the phone. AOA /Fugitive Tuesday 105 7 hours Officer Larrive responded to a local hotel to assist the Fugitive Task Force in apprehending a suspect involved in a shooting last week in SSP. Suspect was arrested MHPD offers monthly without incident. car seat safety checks. To schedule an appointment, call Stolen Vehicle Tuesday 1151 hours 651.452.1366 to Officer Larrive took a report from a local business who found one of the vehicles P contact Officer missing. The loss was found coincidentally around the same time an employee had been Jennifer Fordham. fired. Forwarded to investigations. MHPD has a Missing Child Tuesday 1759 hours Medication Disposal Box in the lobby of Officer Peyton Fleming and Sergeant Garlock responded to missing child call where the Y residence had been checked and a four year old little crirl was nowhere in sight. A good the PD where Dakota y b b b County residents can description was provided and the search was on. Mom called about 6 minutes later — safely and she had found her, covered up under blankets on the couch, sleeping soundly. Whew. anonymously dispose of their prescription Domestic Wednesday 0018 hours drugs and over-the- counter medication. Officer Urmann checked on a couple who were fighting— neighbors had called and thought it was getting physical. The two were definitely arguing but nothing physical occurred. They agreed to separate for the night in order to keep the peace. Cleared. 4 �U pid You KoowZ Polio 4b��eredBN d �/ °�` `Lf�,J�.J(/ W �.R.Jl1l.Ili-� er'ah Cod Pry' t 0 n The Police Department occasionally receives calls from citizens concerned about children whom are left home alone or unsupervised. Officers respond to these types of calls to check the welfare of the child and see if they are in need of county protective services. Officers use the following Dakota County age guidelines, along with a plethora of other situational factors, to make decisions: • Children under the age of 8 may not be left alone. They must be supervised by an adult or child age 11 or older • Age 8 or 9 may be left alone for normal latchkey hours (up to 2 hours) • Age 10 -13 may be left unattended up to 12 hours • Age 14 -17 may be left unattended up to 24 hours • No child under 11 should babysit younger children The County offers many situations in which a report of a child left alone, both within and outside of the guidelines, may be either investigated or cleared, most of which center around the safety and well -being of the child and the home. If you're ever in doubt, we would rather check out the situation and have it cleared than have children in unsafe situations. www.co. dakota. mn. us/ HealthFamily /Parenting/Supervision /Pages /default.aspx Our officers often encounter juveniles out at night and in violation of the County Curfew. The City of Mendota Heights has adopted the County curfew and the restrictions are the same in every city throughout the county. • Under age 12 Sunday - Thursday 9pm -5am, Friday - Saturday 10pm -5am • Ages 12 -14 Sunday - Thursday 10pm -5am, Friday - Saturday 11pm -5am • Ages 15 -17 Sunday - Thursday 11pm -5am, Friday - Saturday 12am -5am There are some exceptions to curfew, including: traveling to or from the juvenile's place of employment, and when a juvenile is accompanied by their parent or authorized adult. For complete curfew info: go to www.mendota- heights.com and view City Ordinance 5 -2 -1. These guidelines and laws are in place to keep children safe. Our department is committed to following the county guidelines and enforcing the city ordinances to ensure the safety of the children in our community. 5 stave 2 s2fe We6z'