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2003-01-10 Friday News The Friday News January 10, 2003 Farewell Reception for Chief Jeff Piotraschke th On Wednesday, January 15 from 2:00-4:00 PM, please join us to say good-bye as Pio gets ready to start his new adventure in the private sector. Everyone is welcome—Please join us for coffee, cake and well wishes for Jeff. See the attached flyer for more details Metropolitan Council and Metropolitan Airports Commission Chairs Appointed Governor Pawlenty named Peter Bell to chair the Metropolitan Council. According to the Pioneer Press, Bell is currently the executive vice president of Publishing and Educational Services for Hazelden and was formerly the executive vice president of corporate community relations at TCF Bank. Governor Pawlenty also named Vicki Grunseth as the new Metropolitan Airports Commission Chairwoman. Grunseth is a veteran GOP fundraiser who ran for a legislative seat in 1992. She founded QAI Inc., a long distance re- seller operation that generated $48 million in revenue. Please see the attached Pioneer Press article “State Capitol: 2 top agency posts filled.” NLC Committee Appointments The League of Minnesota Cities (LMC) is responsible for appointing city officials (elected or appointed) to the National League of Cities (NLC) policy committees. NLC has seven policy committees and LMC is allowed five appointments to each committee. These committees have approximately 200 members each and meet twice a year - once at the Congressional City Conference (March 7-11, 2003 in Washington, DC) and at the Congress of Cities (December). Members of the policy committees are selected by their state leagues and appointed to one-year terms by the NLC president. The League is currently soliciting to fill openings on the following committees: Community and Economic Development (CED) (4 openings), Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources (EENR) (1 opening), Finance, Administration, & Intergovernmental Relations (FAIR) (3 openings), Human Development (HD) (5 openings), Information Technology and Communications (ITC) (4 openings), Public Safety and Crime Prevention (PSCP) (4 openings),Transportation Infrastructure and Services (TIS) (4 openings) If you are interested in serving on one of the above-mentioned committees, please contact Donyelle Mikacevich at 651-281-1202 or dmikacev@lmnc.org by January 16, 2003. Swearing In On Tuesday night, Mayor Huber, Council member Duggan and Council member Schneeman were sworn in to their new Council positions. It was a very fun event as family members were present to show their support and take advantage of the great photo opportunity. Employee Service Awards We had a great turnout for the Employee Service Awards on Tuesday night. Ten of the fourteen employees that were receiving awards were present for the ceremony. Thanks to all of those employees receiving awards for their longstanding service and dedication to the City of Mendota Heights. Garron/Acacia EAW Determination On Tuesday night, the City Council voted 5:0 to order an Environmental Assessment Worksheet to be conducted on the “Bluffs” project. The Council passed a resolution ordering the process to begin based on the potential for significant environmental effects, which is the standard laid out by the st Minnesota Rules. The Council directed staff to report back to the City Council on January 21 with a plan to proceed with the EAW. Once the City determines that the EAW is complete, the document must be published for 30 days for public comment. After this 30 day publication period, the City has an additional 30 days to respond to any public comments and make a decision on whether the project also needs an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Following the EAW discussion, the Council discussed the application for the rezoning, subdivision, street vacation, conditional use permit for the planned unit development and a variance for the Bluffs project. The Developer was seeking a conditional approval that would give them approval upon a successful outcome in the EAW. Upon the advice of the City Attorney, the City Council took no action on the application. (When an EAW is ordered, the 60-day rule time restrictions are suspended until the EAW is complete.) Please see the attached article from the Pioneer Press “Mendota Heights: Vote backs study of Pilot Knob Project.” Official Newspaper The City Council voted 5:0 to change the official newspaper to the Lillie Suburban paper “The Southwest Review.” All official publications and legal notices will now appear in the Review, instead of the Sun Current. ARC Commission On Tuesday night, the City Council considered a request by the Airport Relations Commission to have a joint workshop with the Council. The City Council decided to attend the regular Airport Relations th Commission meeting on February 12. Senator Metzen and Representative Pugh will also be in attendance at that meeting. Do you want a Skateboard Park in Rogers Lake Park? th The Parks and Recreation Commission will hold a public information meeting on January 14 at City hall to hear input from the Rogers Lake neighborhood and all other interested residents regarding the proposal to install a “Tier One” skateboard park at Rogers Lake Park. The informational meeting begins at 6:30 pm. The skateboard park would consist of a course of temporary ramps and jumps under three feet in height. The Parks Commission has established a working budget of $24,000 for 2003 in the Parks Capital Improvement Plan for construction of this park. Whether you are a skateboarder, in line skater, neighbor to Rogers Lake Park or interested resident (for or against the park), the Parks Commission would like your input on January th 14. If you have any questions, or are unable to attend the meeting but would like to comment, please call Guy Kullander, Parks Project Manager at 651-452-1850. Recognition Party for Mayor Mertensotto th There will be a recognition event for former Mayor Mertensotto hosted by a citizen committee on Jan 19 at Mendakota Country Club from 5pm – 7pm. This event is open to the public and people are encouraged to attend to recognize Mayor Mertensotto’s 30-year contribution to the City. Final Thought “The worth of the state, in the long run, is the worth of the individuals composing it.” -- John Stuart Mill Respectfully Submitted, Cari Lindberg Administrator Attachments: Pipeline, Parks and Recreation Commission agenda, Planning Application Synopsis, Farewell Reception flyer for Police Chief Piotraschke, Sun Current article “Search underway for new Police Chief in Mendota Heights,” Pioneer Press article “Mendota Heights: Vote backs study of Pilot Knob Project,” and “State Capitol: 2 top agency posts filled,” Star Tribune article “MAC member Bert Mckasy named interim chairman,” and AMM News.