Loading...
2003-03-28 Friday News The Friday News March 28, 2003 City Council to Appoint a New Police Chief thth On Saturday March 15 and Tuesday, March 25, the City Council interviewed the top finalists for the position of Police Chief. The Mayor and Council, as well as the panel from the Police Department selected Forest Lake Sergeant Michael Aschenbrener as the top candidate for the position. Sergeant Aschenbrener has worked for the City of Forest Lake for the past 19 years. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and is in the final stages of his Masters Degree in Education and Police Administration at the University of St. Thomas. Although all of the candidates were very qualified, the City Council felt that Sergeant Aschenbrener would be the best fit for the Police Department and the City of Mendota Heights. Sergeant Aschenbrener has conditionally accepted the position of Police Chief and will begin serving the th City of Mendota Heights as of May 12. In order to make this official, the City Council needs to formalize the appointment by appointing him at a City Council meeting. This appointment is also subject to the completion of a successful background investigation by the Dakota County Sheriff’s Department. The City Council will make the formal appointment on Tuesday night. Annual Board of Review st The City called a Board of Review meeting to be held on April 1 at 7:00 pm. This meeting is the annual opportunity for our residents to meet with the Assessors and review the property assessment for next year. Bill Peterson, County Assessor will be on hand to answer and review any assessment questions that any of the residents may have. There were 18 residents of Mendota Heights at the Open Book meetings that were held this year. One letter was submitted to the Assessors Office. In 2002, there were 29 residents that attended the Open Book meetings. On Tuesday night, the Council will call the board of review to order at 7:00 pm and turn the meeting over to the County Assessor for comments and explanation of the meeting. On th April 15 the Council will reconvene to accept the reports of actions taken and for acceptance of the meeting transcript. Freeway Road Water Main At the last meeting, the City Council continued the discussion about an agreement with St. Paul Regional Water Services to transfer ownership of the Mendota Heights’ water supply infrastructure to St. Paul. The st Council discussed the issue and voted to hold a public hearing on the matter at the April 1 City Council meeting next Tuesday. Please see the attached Pioneer Press article “City to weigh changes in water system ownership” for more details. Mendota Heights Road Lift Station Reconstruction In December 2002, the City Council decided to replace, rather than rehabilitate the City’s sanitary sewer lift station located on Mendota Heights Road. Brian Le Mon, Barr Engineering, was authorized to prepare plans and specifications for the work for a cost “not to exceed” $45,000. Brian has now completed the design and plans and is ready to accept bids. On Tuesday night, City staff will be recommending that the City Council approve the plans and pass a motion authorizing bids for the project. Concept Plans for a PUD at Mendota Plaza Mr. Ken Henk, Mr. Ed Paster and Mr. Howard Paster of Paster Enterprises appeared before the Planning Commission with their architect at their meeting on March 25, 2003 to discuss their concept plans for a Planned Unit Development for retail expansion east of the existing mall. The expansion would be in the form of five separate additional buildings occupied by new retail/and or restaurant businesses. The current shopping center consists of 60,000 square feet of retail space, plus the existing Amoco and McDonalds. The new buildings would add approximately 52,000 square feet to that total and would add approximately 10 acres in area. A component of the plan is the extension of South Plaza Drive past the Dakota County Senior Housing facility, then through to the north, terminating in a half intersection with Highway 110. A storm water pond would be created along the drainage area, together with a bridge that serves an internal street access. All of the new businesses would be served by the internal street system, rather than relying on direct access to South Plaza Drive. The City Council will be reviewing the concept plan for the proposed Planned Unit Development on Tuesday night. Officer Jerry Murphy Retires from Somerset Country Club Please see the attached article about Officer Jerry Murphy’s forty-year career at the Somerset Country Club. On April 1, Jerry will retire as the one and only general manager in the club’s 83-year history. Congratulations Jerry and best wishes! April 9- City Day at the Capitol th The League of Minnesota Cities is encouraging City employees and elected officials to join them on April 9 for City Day at the Capitol to send a resounding message that public policy proposals by the Governor and Senate won’t work for Minnesota communities. Proposals by the Governor and Senate will impact every Minnesota Community—regardless of their reliance on state aids. While state aid cuts are severe and have been the focus of media coverage, the proposals from the Governor and Senate related to levy limits and levy freezes, and the Governor’s proposal to place restrictions on debt, and to implement reverse referenda are of grave concern to all Minnesota cities. The day will start with a legislative briefing, followed by a press conference on the City steps and then individual meetings with legislators. If you are interested in attending, RSVP today by sending an email or fax with your name and city to Stephanie Lake, LMC public relations coordinator, slake@lmnc.org, Fax (651) 215-4141. There is no cost to attend. Sad News I am sorry to report that Lori Tilsen, the wife of former Planning Commissioner Dan Tilsen passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday morning. The funeral was held on Friday morning at Shir Tikvah Synagogue in Minneapolis. Dan Tilsen served on the Planning Commission from April of 1989 until January of 2001. On a happier note, Planning Commissioner Joe Betlej’s wife Kit is doing very well following her recent kidney transplant. While I’m Gone th My due date is looming closer and closer by the day (April 7). In my absence, Jim Danielson will be the Acting Administrator. Also, Emmy Foster will be producing the Friday News. If you have ideas, information or stories that you would like included in the Friday News, please call Emmy or email her at EmmyF@mendota-heights.com. Final Thought “Opportunities are often things you haven’t noticed the first time around.” – Catherine Deneuve Respectfully Submitted, Cari Lindberg Administrator Attachments: Just the facts, Pipeline, City Council Agenda, Planning Synopsis, Southwest Review article “Mendota Heights Council revisits Pilot Knob Debate,” Sun Current article “EAW Process continues,” St. Paul Pioneer Press article “City to weigh changes in water system ownership,” Highland Villager article “Somerset’s Driving Force,” CDA Today article “Groundbreaking held for Mendota Heights Senior Housing,” Amm News, LMC Friday Fax.