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2014-02-14 Friday NewsFriday News Mendota Heights Weekly Report on City Activities Heights Highlights The final edits have M_ been made to the Heights Highlights, 2014 winter edition, and will be delivered to homes within the week. As al- ways, the newsletter will - have a wide variety of T IReT.ane 9 information, including a 0 description of the 2014 road construction projects, the Social Host Ordinance, and Summer recreation and golf programs. A electronic copy of the Heights Highlights can also be found on the city's webpage at www.mendota-heights.com. Open to Business Breakfast Workshop Dakota County Community Development Agency (CDA), Dakota County Cities and the Dakota Scott Workforce Investment Board will host Open To Business Dakota County : New Tools for Lenders, Entrepreneurs & Small Business on Thursday, March 6th at the Valleywood Golf Course in Apple Valley. This is an opportunity to hear about a variety of essential tools available for small business owners, entrepreneurs, lenders and other busi- ness service providers in Dakota County. For more information about this event or to register, visit http://opentobusiness2014.eventbrite.com or call 651-675-4432. Registration closes at noon on Monday, March 3. Dates to Remember: February 17, 2014 President's Day - City Offices Closed February 18, 2014 City Council 7:00 p.m. February 25, 2014 Planning Commission 7:00 p.m. Attachments: Pipeline, Just the Facts `II Mendota Heights City Hall in 1101 Victoria Curve www.mendota-heights.com (651) 452-1850 91 Facebook.com/MendotaHeightsMN Twitter.com/@mendota_heights NEWS L E T T E R Public Works Enaineerina Code Enforcement Public Works The i I Pipeline February 14, 2014 The Parks Crew checked the ice rinks, warming houses and trash barrels daily. They broomed and cleaned snow off all the rinks. They plowed all parking lots and trails throughout the city. They continue to flood the rinks. The rinks will continue to be open until it starts to warm up. They attended the open house at Niebur Tractor and Equipment to demo the new snow blowing equipment. The Utilities Crew checked the lift station daily. Two bad floats were changed out at the Northland lift station. The lift stations were shoveled and plowed. The trailer generator was exercised. Housekeeping in the shop was done. The Streets Crew plowed and salted the main lines on Wednesday. They continue to push back snow banks and open fire hydrants on the cul-de- sacs, Mendota Heights Road and throughout the city. All the trucks were washed and greased. Enaineerina City Projects (construction year) Hunter Lane/Orchard Place Neighborhood Improvements (20131 -The project is considered substantially complete and the final lift of wear course asphalt will be placed in the spring. Crown Point & Overlook Neighborhood Rehabilitations (2013) - The contractor will need to finish the final punch -list items in the spring. Highway 13 Trail Connection (2014) --Construction will not begin until the spring. A utility conflict with Saint Paul Regional Water Service needs to be resolved prior to construction. Victoria Road Reconstruction & Rolling Green Neighborhood Rehabilitation (2014/20151 - The consultant is working on the design plans and specifications, and the City anticipates bidding the project in the April/May timeframe. The project will be constructed in phases. The first phase, scheduled for 2014, will reconstruct Victoria from Highway 13 to Marie Avenue and rehabilitate the Stratford/Walsh/ Rolling Green neighborhood. The remainder of Victoria was put off to a future date, but it is anticipated for construction in 2015. The City of Lilydale has asked that the portion of Victoria from Caren Road to Highway 13 be included at Lilydale's expense. Wentworth Avenue & Pilot Knob Road Trail Rehabilitation Projects (20141 - The trails on Wentworth (Wachtler to Dodd) and Pilot Knob Road (Mendota Heights Road to Highway 13) are scheduled for rehabilitation in the coming year. Projects will reclaim the existing pavement and install ADA compliant ramps along each trail. Construction is anticipated in June/July. County Projects Delaware Avenue Resurfacing (20141 - Dakota County is planning on resurfacing Delaware Avenue from Highway 110 south to I-494. This project will not widen or otherwise alter the lane alignment of Delaware, but will provide a new asphalt driving surface and new striping. Construction is anticipated to begin in late June. Lexington Crosswalk at Victoria (20141 - The median and crosswalk are scheduled for installation this summer. Construction will likely take place in conjunction with the Delaware Avenue Resurfacing project. This project will install a center median in Lexington on the north side of the Victoria intersection and provide for a crosswalk to connect the trails on the east and west of Lexington. The left turn lane form southbound Lexington to eastbound Victoria will be removed as part of this project. State Proiects Highway 110 & Lexington Avenue Signal Replacement (2014) - The existing signal will be replaced this summer with a new LED signal with flashing yellow arrow for the left turn lanes on Lexington. Highway 13 Reconstruction (2015) - The section of Highway 13 that was not rehabilitated in 2012 is scheduled for reconstruction in 2015. This section is from I -35E south and west to 2nd Street in Mendota. This section will receive a widened shoulder, curb, gutter, and storm sewer to help alleviate drainage and erosion problems in Lilydale. Highway 149 (Dodd Road) Resurfacing (20171 - Dodd Road is scheduled to be resurfaced from Highway 55 in Eagan to Annapolis Street in 2015. At this time, there are no plans to widen the State Highway, but some alterations for drainage and public safety are possible. The project may be delayed until 2017 to be constructed in conjunction with the Highway 110 resurfacing project. Due to the project delay, Dodd Road will receive another sealcoat (chip seal) in 2014. Highway 110 Resurfacing (2017) - Preliminary project scoping has begun. This project will not reconstruct or alter the alignment of the state highway, but modifications to access points, traffic signals, shoulders, drainage, and pedestrian facilities are likely. SUPPORT STAFF Kim Henning Trista Miller Becky Pentel POLICE OFFICERS Jerry Murphy Scott Patrick John Larrive Bobby Lambert Tanner Spicer Todd Rosse 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 Jim Knox Jeff Parker George Castillo CHAPLAINS Frances Cuenca Joel Detlefsen Lynn Liberman Butch Millett Sue Plucker John Snider David Wick Lenny Andrie CHIEF Mike Aschenbrener 1 [D� 8TJao� 1) h () I] e FEBRUARY 14, 2014 Md"t'l ills Calls from "Police" asking for a donation: This is not a legitimate fundraising method for police departments. Donations are best made either I directly with the department or with documentation in hand of the actual fundraiser in progress. "Jail," "Police," or "Sheriff' calls demanding warrant fees: This is not how the process works—don't fall for it. If you truly have a warrant, you would be served, ' by law enforcement, in person. Still not sure? Hang up and call your county Sherriff s Office to confirm. Cell phone rings once from an unknown number and then hangs up: If you get a missed call from an unknown number, often on your cell phone, do not call them back! You I will only be rewarded with a short voicemail (like a song or brief message) and a $19.95 international charge as well as other possible charges. IRS calls demanding taxes are owed and need to be paid immediately: I This is not how the IRS does business, either. Do not give out any personal information and hang the I phone up. But if you think you might have a problem, call your accountant or the IRS directly for the I ' real story. Do / report receipt of such phone calls to the police? No, only if they are on-going &/or harassing in I nature—we can try to help. I I When should / notify police? Notifyyour police department right away if you have fallen a victim to a I I scam by giving out your personal info or have paid them money. Submirte ` d By: Did , Ves XseWPolice S UPPort Specialist Trista Mi]]er I ra VV.LUa r�twLth tit �-t CLtU ®rd" woes 1 Are you a current or new Mendota Heights resident? Wouldn't it be nice to know the I Ordinances that exist within your city? I As police support here at MHPD, we receive complaints and questions on a wide variety of topics and we welcome anything questions or concerns our residents may have. To help you ' out, we would like to take a minute to give you, our residents, the resources available to you to become familiar with our ordinances. We highly encourage all residents to visit the city website, ma— 1^tc rnm and click on the City Code tab on the left of the home screen to view our Ordinances and become familiar with current and updated ordinances. I If you're wondering where to start, check out 6-2-2(H), Night Time Parking Prohibited. The I I ordinance pertaining to this has been in effect for 7 years and signs are posted within the city, yet every winter, between November 1 and March 31, we receive complaints from residents/ recipients who received Night Time Parking citations and were unaware of this ordinance. I @Qq @U000 Theft Saturday 1441 hours I Sergeant Neil Garlock reported to the MHPD lobby to meet with a victim of theft. The victim stated that on I the previous day, he was at a local gas station to get his coffee and paid for it. He then left and upon arriving at his next destination, he realized his wallet was missing. He went back to the gas station to find that his I I wallet had been recovered from the restroom, but $480 was missing from it. Under investigation. I Accident Saturday 1433 hours I Officer John Larrive responded to Lexington Ave on a report of a property damage accident. He then met I with the drivers and it turns out driver #1 was traveling on N/B Lexington and driver #2 was exiting a parking lot onto Lexington and at that time, driver #2 struck driver #I as they were driving past. Cleared. I Theft Sunday 1118 hours Officer John Larrive was dispatched to a local gas station on a report of a gas drive -off. In meeting with the I I employee, he stated that he did not get a plate number but did in fact get a vehicle description. The case is pending until the video surveillance is reviewed to see if more information can be obtained. I I Medical Sunday 1418 hours Officer John Larrive and Sergeant Neil Garlock responded to an address on a medical. Upon arrival, it appeared as though the woman had fallen, was unable to get back up and she had low blood pressure. I I Officers and paramedics were able to get the woman onto the stretcher and she was transported to the hospital. I I DWI Sunday 1749 hours Officer Peyton Fleming was dispatched to a local restaurant on a report of an intoxicated female. He located the vehicle driving away from the restaurant at which time he followed it to observe the vehicle swerving and I I failed to signal a lane change. He pulled the vehicle over and made contact with the woman driver who was clearly intoxicated, smelling of alcoholic beverage, blood shot eyes and slurred speech. However, she stated she only had "a glass of wine." She was asked to perform field sobriety tests in which she was unable. She I I provided insufficient breath samples so was considered a test refusal. The woman was then transported to I Dakota County Jail. I I Theft Sunday 1757 hours Officer Tanner Spicer was dispatched to a local gas station on a theft of gas report. Upon meeting with the employee, she was able to give a partial vehicle description, a plate that did not match registration and a male I I suspect description. There was no video surveillance available; case is inactive. I Accident Monday 0754 hours I Officer John Larrive responded to a location on a property damage accident report. Upon arrival, he met I with driver #I who said he was trying to make a left hand turn from Clement onto 1st Ave but the sun was in his eyes so he turned too sharp and ended up striking driver #2. Drivers exchanged information. I I Cleared. Fraud Monday 1415 hours I I Officer John Larrive was dispatched to call an employee of a local company on a theft report. In speaking with the business manager, she wanted to report that an employee had set up a fraudulent purchase for two Samsung phones valued at $799.99 each. The employee had used her work ID number to override the price I of the phones. The manager was made aware of this transaction by Best Buys Loss Prevention/Fraud' @Q9 @U000 I Lost Property Monday 1531 hours Officer John Larrive took a phone report from a victim of lost property. The victim wanted to report his credit card holder was lost. He believed he last had the credit card holder in the SA parking lot. He went to I I look for it and but it was not found or turned in. There were several items of importance in this holder to include, drivers license, social security card, credit cards amongst a few other items. He described it as gray with plastic windows on both sides. I Identity Theft Tuesday 0845 hours Officer Scott Patrick was dispatched to a home on an identity theft report. In meeting with the complainant, he stated his checking account had been compromised. He had wrote a check to pay a bill and placed it in Ihis mailbox. He soon learned the check was not received by the recipient and an unauthorized charge had been made at a Sam's Club. The account has since been closed; no suspects at this time. I Theft of Gas/Suspicious Vehicle Tuesday 1315 hours An employee reported a theft of gasoline that had occurred a few minutes ago and provided a description of the vehicle that matched a vehicle recently seen in another area while officers responded to an alarm. Officer I I Scott Patrick confirmed the vehicle, a white Mercury Grand Marquee with front end damage bore a WI plate and was driven by a white, blonde female in her 50's accompanied by a young male in his 20's.. However, the plate did not match the registration info. No video or further leads available. Case is inactive. I I Accident Wednesday 1057 hours Officer Scott Patrick responded to an accident between a USPS delivery truck and car that occurred due to I icy road conditions. No one was injured, but damage was sustained by both vehicles. Information was I I gathered and exchanged; officer cleared. Eerie Aloises !u429 0+00-0600 bouts I The DCC began fielding phone calls throughout the city regarding "weird music," "mechanical yet melodic," I and "metal on metal" noises. Officer Jeff VonFeldt could hear it, and checked for places like the airport, the railroad tracks, and the river, but he could not find the source. Well, this morning, an inquiring party was able to find through friends that MPR had already posted an audio of the strange sounds and some I I information. Evidently this sound was heard not only in the heights but also in South Minneapolis and the Highland Park neighborhoods as well. hUp://blogs.mprnews.orgZcities/2014/02/strange-howling-sound- awakens-st-paul-listen-to-it-here/. In the meantime, we decided to start our poll of ideas on what the sounds I I could be (and yes, our imaginations ran wild). The ideas included: wind, river ice, lovey-dovey moose, whales, rabbit street gangs fighting for turf, alien invasion, zombies, a "frugal" person's unused wallet opening (creak), werewolves and Bigfoot. Yep, we've had a bit of fun with it. In case you can't access the link, the I I Army Corp of Engineers and the National Park Service are saying it's due to a large gorge in the Mississippi I I River that, due to the sudden "warm-up," is thawing and shifting. Interesting, �Ut can tbey prove it ... ? ngegI stave a great we kKd! LIM-10 B I 2/06-2/13 2014 YTD I � Calls for Service 168 990 Sergeant I Brian Convery I Citations 58 288 I was commended from a local resident I Warnings 16 102 I stating he found him to be friendly, Police Reports 25 101 efficient, responsive, I I Response Time Average 6.00 5.92 professional and I non judgmental. Check out the MH Crime Map! Click below to search your neighborhood: Officer http://mendota.prophoenix.com/CS/CrimeMWXing�aspx , Jennifer Fordham — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — received a generous - FO 4°G t letter from SPPD Commander an McNamara, Sergeant Byrne & Sergeant Hazelette thanking her for the great job If you are a Mendota Heights resident and you are going out of town or on she does as the SRO vacation, you can notify MHPD of your outing and we will be more than happy to at Henry Sibley High keep a watchful eye on your home while you are away. Make your House Check School. The SRO is Request online at www.mendota-heights.com, visit us in the MHPD lobby to the first line of de- fense in school vio- complete a form or call us and we will take your info over the phone. lence and works hard to keep the students and teachers safe. /#� MHPD offers monthly Car Seat Safety Checks. To schedule an appointment, call 651.452.1366 to contact Officer Jennifer Fordham. ■ Please send us your positive feedback on our staff to: pdrecords@ Take it to THE BOX mendota-heights.com Tour feedback is greatly MHPD has a Medication Disposal Box in the lobby of the PD where Dakota appreciated and helps boost County residents can safely and anonymously dispose of their prescription drugs the morale of our staff. and over-the-counter medication. 4 ave a �a fe weed!