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2003-08-01 Friday News The Friday News August 1, 2003 National Night Out th The Police Department will be hosting National Night Out on August 5, from 6:00-9:00 PM. The theme this year is “Give neighborhood crime and drugs a going away party.” This event will be held at Mendakota Park. Officers will be showing a squad car and several other pieces of equipment used to assist officers in fighting crime. Citizens will have an opportunity to visit with a bike patrol officer and view one of the City’s patrol bikes and discuss bike safety. The Department’s child safety seat expert will be available for questions and will be taking reservations for a full child seat installation inspection. Crime prevention materials will be available and officers will be on hand to answer questions. Children will also be able to participate in “Operation Kid Print” which is a free program where children are fingerprinted and photographed. The parents are given the prints and a photo to retain for police investigators in the event that their child ever becomes lost or missing. The Fire Department will also be displaying some of the fire apparatus used to protect the City. Firefighters will be on hand to give tours of their trucks and answer questions about fire prevention. Music and magic will be provided by “Woody” a member of the Rockin’ Hollywoods (Courtesy of Ziggy’s restaurant). Free root beer floats and th hot dogs will be available to all who attend! Please join us this year at National Night Out August 5! See the attached Southwest Review article for more details! Mendota Mdewakanton Pow Wow The Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Community will have its fourth annual Welcome Home Traditional Pow Wow Saturday, Aug. 2, and Sunday, Aug. 3. The Pow Wow will be on the grounds of St. Peter’s Catholic Church, 1405 Highway 13. Activities will begin with a grand entry at 1 p.m. both days and 7 p.m. on Saturday. Vietnam veteran Mark LaPointe will receive the Bronze Star from Rep. John Kline immediately after the grand entry. All veterans are invited to come and honor LaPointe. Dancers and drum groups representing Indian Nations will perform a variety of dances. Host drum will be Kangi Cikala from Hawes, S.D. Thunder Nation, and a local drum group will be co-host. Dewitt Mahto will emcee the Pow Wow. Brochures will be handed out explaining the different dances, regalia and their meaning. The Pow Wow is open to everyone and people are encouraged to come and experience the gathering. Vendors will be selling native crafts, Indian tacos and other items. The Pow Wow concludes at 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3, with a feast of buffalo stew and more. Staff Requests Authorization to Solicit RFPs for Police Prosecution Services The law firm of Winthrop and Weinstine served as both the City’s civil and prosecution legal counsel from 1979 to 1993. In 1993, the City Council directed staff to distribute a Request for Proposals for police prosecutorial legal services. After review of the firm submissions, the City Council retained Hughes, Karney and Levander (Martin Costello). Martin Costello has served as the City’s Prosecuting attorney since 1993. In the past five years, the City has seen a significant increase in the billable hours charged to the City by the firm. In light of the budget constraints we are facing for the year 2004, this seems to be the appropriate time to re-evaluate this relationship. Unlike other purchases made by the city where we are generally compelled to select the “lowest responsible bid,” the City has wide latitude in selecting providers of professional services such as attorney, engineer, etc. The City Council is free to base its decision on whatever criteria it deems reasonable, cost being only one of the important factors. On Tuesday, the City Council will be considering this request. Mendota Golf LLP (Par 3) Files Lawsuit Against City The City was served this week with a writ of Mandamus from the owners of the Par 3 Golf Course. They are requesting that the Court issue a Writ of Mandamus compelling the City to approve the requested Comprehensive Plan Amendment to “Low Density Residential” from its current designation of “Golf Course.” The League of Minnesota Cities has assigned Attorney Pete Regnier, of Jardine, Logan and O’Brien to represent the City in the matter. Engineering Aide Brent Larson Taking New Position We are sad to report that Brent Larson, our Engineering Aide, has accepted a position with a private engineering firm. Brent has been with the City since June of 2002. His computer experience in CAD and other pertinent software programs, experience in surveying, and his “can do” attitude made him an invaluable asset to the City and the Engineering Department. Although we are sad to see him go, this is a great opportunity for Brent. We wish you all the best! Domestic Preparedness Joint Powers Agreement th In the wake of September 11, public safety agencies throughout the nation were forced to reevaluate their emergency preparedness planning efforts to enhance their abilities to handle future large-scale disasters or emergencies. Here in Dakota County, police, fire, ambulance, and public health agencies quickly coalesced and agreed that our collective capabilities were in need of improvement and embarked on a planning process to better prepare us all for handling such emergencies. An ad-hoc Dakota County Domestic Preparedness Committee was established in 2001 to coordinate these efforts, and jurisdictions throughout the County were kept up-to-date on the planning efforts through frequent updates to the Dakota County City/County Administrators, the Dakota County Police Chiefs, the Dakota County Fire Chiefs, and the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Council. Much of the effort to date has centered on securing State and Federal dollars for emergency preparedness activities. To date, nearly $1 million has been earmarked for our collective efforts, and additional Homeland Security grants are on the horizon. Clearly it is in our best interest to cooperatively use these dollars to not only prepare us for the remote possibility of a terrorist attack, but also to enhance our general response capability to all types of large-scale disasters and emergencies. On Tuesday, staff is requesting that the City Council approve a Joint Powers Agreement with the other Dakota County Communities. The Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) being presented for Council consideration calls for the “joint exercise of the parties’ powers to plan for and to respond to the need of first responders for special response operations caused by the occurrence of large-scale disasters or emergencies”. The participation in this JPA will benefit Mendota Heights in a variety of ways: Our first responders will be equipped with protective clothing and respirators to better protect them when first approaching scenes of possible chemical release; Participation by 1 Police Officer and 1-2 Fire Personnel in the County-wide Special Operations Team specifically designed to respond to large-scale disasters and emergencies; Recipient of County-wide Special Operations Team decontamination and rescue/recovery services as circumstances may dictate; and possible future grants funds to assist in upgrading of our public safety communications system. Building on our strong tradition of collaboration and cooperation with our neighboring cities and Dakota County, staff is recommending that the City Council adopt the Joint Powers Agreement. This effort is in keeping with a State-wide emphasis on the cooperative delivery of public services to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of such services. Final Thought “AND THEN SOME... These three little words are the secret to success. They are the difference between average people and top people in most companies. The top people always do what is expected...and then some...They are thoughtful of others; they are considerate and kind...and then some. They meet their obligations and responsibilities fairly and squarely...and then some. They are good friends and helpful neighbors...and then some. They can be counted on in an emergency...and then some...I am thankful for people like this, for they make the world more livable. Their spirit of service is summed up in three little words...AND THEN SOME." – Carl Holmes Respectfully Submitted, Cari Lindberg Administrator Attachments: Just the Facts, Pipeline, Pre Application meeting synopsis, City Council agenda, Southwest Review article “National Night Out”.