2015-12-04 Friday NewsCity of Mendota Heights Weekly Update
Mendota Heights City Hall
1101 Victoria Curve
www.mendota-heights.com
(651) 452.1850
Visit us on:
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MendotaHeightsMN
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@Mendota_heights
DATES TO REMEMBER:
December 8
Parks Commission
6:30 p.m.
December 15
City Council
7:00 p.m.
December 22
Planning Commission
7:00 p.m.
December 24-25
City offices will be closed
for the holiday.
City offices will re-open
on Monday, December
28th at 8:00 a.m.
Attachments:
Pipeline, Just the Facts
December 4, 2015
Holiday Tree Lighting Event
Everyone is invited to the 10th annual tree lighting event at the
Village of Mendota Heights. This annual event will be held on
Saturday, December 5, 2015 between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Visit
with Santa, stop by the petting zoo, take a hay ride and listen to
the strolling Dickens Carolers. The tree lighting ceremony is set for
5:00 p.m. Stop by and visit with your neighbors and support Men-
dota Heights businesses.
City Hall Recycling Collection Site For Holiday Lights
The City is partnering for a third year with ProAct, Inc. in an effort to
collect holiday lights, electric and phone cords this holiday season. This
year’s goal is to collect 500 pounds of holiday lights.
Mendota Heights City Hall will be a collection site through Friday, Feb-
ruary 5, 2016. Residents can drop off lights, electric and phone cords
Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Cord adapters, battery packs, plastic rope lights or CFL lights will not be accepted.
City Seeks to Fill Commission Vacancies
The City is accepting applications to fill a vacancy on the Planning Commission starting in
February 2016. The Planning Commission meets once a month to review requests such as
wetland permits, conditional use permits and development plans for residential and com-
mercial properties. Meetings are held on the fourth Tuesday of every month beginning at
7:00 pm.
Applications are also being sought to fill an unexpired term on the Parks and Recreation
Commission starting in February 2016. The Parks and Recreation Commission advises the
City Council on matters pertaining to parks and recreation programs. Meetings are held on
the second Tuesday of every month beginning at 6:30 pm.
There is also an opening for a student representative to serve on the Parks and Recreation
Commission in an advisory capacity. A student representative must be a Mendota Heights
resident attending one of the three high schools located in the city, preferable a sophomore
or junior. The student representative will serve as a communication link for ideas, observa-
tion, concerns, satisfactions and questions to the commission. This one year term begins
February 2016.
If you, or someone you know, is interested in serving, feel free to contact the City Adminis-
trator Mark McNeill or Assistant to the City Administrator Tamara Schutta by calling
651.452.1850. Interested parties should submit a letter of interest and a current resume to
Mark McNeill no later than Monday, December 28, 2015.
Public Works
The Parks Crew plowed snow on Thanksgiving, Monday and Tuesday. Trash
was picked up daily in the parks. Equipment was cleaned. A plow repair
was completed. The snow blower was worked on. The flooding equipment
was brought to the warming houses.
The Utilities Crew checked all seven lift stations daily and plowed/salted the
north end plow route Thanksgiving morning, Monday and Tuesday. The
manholes were inspected on the Victoria project and they all looked good.
The Streets Crew plowed snow on Thanksgiving, Monday and Tuesday.
Curb rubbers were installed on the wings for trucks 303, 308, and 312.
Tree stumps were ground up and then cleaned up on Evergreen Knoll and
Decorah Lane. Dirt and grass seed was then put down. A new sign and
post was installed at Mears and Somerset.
Engineering
City Projects (construction year) New Information in Italics
Victoria Road Reconstruction & Rolling Green Neighborhood Rehabilitation
(2014/2015) – Project is essentially complete. Minor punch list items will be
completed in the spring including, landscape work and fence installation.
Annual Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation (2015) – Contract work is underway.
Areas to be lined include Huber Drive from Bent Tree to Cheyenne, Mendota
Heights Road from Pilot Knob Road to the lift station, and Rogers Lake Park
area. The first 2000 feet of the interceptor line, from Highway 55 to
Lexington, will also be lined. Project Completion is expected by the end of
December.
Mendota Road Neighborhood Improvements (2016) – City staff has begun
designing the project. A formal Public Hearing was held on November 17th
during the regular City Council Meeting. Design is being based on
comments received from area residents. The project is expected to begin in
March 2016. Residents were asked to complete a survey to inform the City
of specific items to address with the project (including on-street parking,
drainage issues, etc.). Project will consist of reconstructing Mendota Road
The Pipeline N E W S
L E T T E R
Public Works
Engineering
Code Enforcement December 4, 2015
(Hwy 110 Frontage Road) from Delaware Avenue to Oak Street, and
rehabilitating Warrior Drive, High Ridge Circle, and Sibley Court.
County Projects New Information in Italics
Highway 110 Greenway Trail Crossing (2017) – County Staff presented the
recommended alignment alternative to the City Council at the November
17th meeting. The Dakota County Physical Development Committee then
voted to recommend the eastern alignment (crossing at Market Square Park
in The Village) to the full County Board, which will meet on December 15th.
The structure type of grade-separated crossing has not been selected yet.
Structure type selection is expected in January. Staff also attended a
meeting with the State Senate Bonding Committee to present the project for
potential inclusion in the 2016 State Bonding Bill. The presentation was well
received, and we will be hearing from the legislature later in 2016. If
approved, the pedestrian crossing project would be constructed with
MnDOT’s rehabilitation project for Highway 110 in 2017.
State Projects New Information in Italics
Highway 13 Slope Repair (2015) – Although not a MnDOT driven project,
Highway 13 between the Ivy Falls Bridge and Sylvandale Road is
temporarily closed so slopes can be repaired and reinforced. In June of
2014, bluff slopes in this area failed during a large rain storm. This repair
project is intended to restore and stabilize the slope. The posted detour
route takes traffic along Dodd Road, Wentworth Avenue and Wachtler
Avenue. See the City Web Page for a detour route map. MnDOT anticipates
the highway will re-open by the end of next week.
Highway 110 Rehabilitation (2017) – MnDOT will be requesting Local
Government Concurrence from Mendota Heights for this project at a City
Council meeting sometime in January or February. This project will
resurface Highway 110 between I-35E and I-494, including drainage
improvements. Several access changes are proposed with the project,
including changes to accesses across the median as well as closing the
right-in/right-out east of Lexington Avenue. For more information about
this project, contact Molly Cline, MnDOT Project Manager, at 651-234-7723
or molly.cline@state.mn.us.
Highway 149 (Dodd Road) Rehabilitation (2018) – This project will replace
the pavement surface of Highway 149 from I-494 north to West 7th Street in
Saint Paul. The project also includes a complete re-decking of the High
Bridge. Also included in the project will be drainage improvements, curb
replacement in specified areas, trail rehabilitation from Highway 110 south
to Mendakota Park, and new trail construction from Maple Street north to
Marie Avenue. Staff will be meeting with representatives from MnDOT and
Dakota County in the coming weeks to discuss potential grant opportunities
to extend pedestrian facilities north of Marie Avenue. For more information,
please contact Tara McBride, Project Manager at 651-234-7506, or
tara.mcbride@state.mn.us. The project web page is:
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/projects/hwy149highbridge/index.html
Highway 13 (Annapolis Street) Rehabilitation (2018) – MnDOT will be
resurfacing Annapolis Street as part of this project in conjunction with the
Highway 149 project in 2018. City staff has contacted some adjoining
property owners about the possibility of sidewalk being installed on the
south side of Annapolis. All responses were against the sidewalk proposal
and have been forwarded to MnDOT. For more information, contact Molly
Cline, MnDOT Project Manager, at 651-234-7723 or
molly.cline@state.mn.us.
Other Activities New Information in Italics
Future Cities Competition – Staff met with the 2015 Future Cities
Competition teams from Friendly Hills Middle School (FHMS) on Thursday.
So far, students have completed their project plans, schedules, and their
SimCity development and presentation. They have started their outlines
and research for their 1500 word essays, and are beginning to lay out their
cities for the construction of their scale models. The competition is open to
6th-8th grade students and involves developing a virtual city using Sim City
software, completing a project schedule, a 1500 word essay, scale model,
and oral presentation. The State competition will be held at Dunwoody
Institute on January 23rd. This year’s theme is, “Waste Not – Want Not,”
and will focus on how the cities of the future handle municipal and solid
waste. This is the seventh year Mendota Heights’ Engineering staff has
assisted FHMS with the program. FHMS will be sending three teams to the
State Competition in January.
Saint Paul Regional Water Service (SPRWS) Water Service Agreement –
Staff is scheduling several approvals that will need to take place in
conjunction with the approval of the new agreement with SPRWS. It is
anticipated that all approvals will be complete by June 2016. These include:
1) A Lease Agreement for cell tower use and City storage at the water tower
site – anticipated at the November 17th City Council meeting; approved
2) An easement agreement(s) for SPRWS access to the water tower and
water mains not located within City Right-of-Way;
3) Conveyance of deed, title, and ownership of the system;
4) An amended City Ordinance to reflect the new agreement;
5) An amended Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) with the other municipal
partner agencies (West Saint Paul, Maplewood, Falcon Heights,
Lauderdale) to gain a second seat on the Board of Commissioners.
American Public Works Association (APWA) Fall Conference – Staff attended
the annual fall conference in Brooklyn Center on November 19th & 20th.
Topics covered at the conference included 21st century leadership,
emergency response for Public Works, and understanding finance – both
personal and professional. City staff has served on the conference planning
committee for APWA for the past 6 years.
Engineering 101 Seminar – Staff has been working with other Public
Works/Engineering staff from other municipalities in Dakota County to build
a curriculum for a seminar covering the essential functions of City
Engineering staff. The curriculum is complete and the seminar will be
scheduled for an evening in the late February or early March time frame.
The seminar is intended to offer a background in infrastructure systems to
city officials that do not necessarily have an engineering background. These
include, but are not necessarily limited to City Council members, appointed
commission members, Director/management level City staff. Once a day is
set, invitations will be sent out through the City Administrators.
1
The latest from the Mendota Heights Police Department
CHIEF
Mike Aschenbrener
SERGEANTS
Eric Petersen
Tanner Spicer
Peyton Fleming
Bobby Lambert
POLICE OFFICERS
John Larrive
Todd Rosse
Jeff VonFeldt
Steven Meyer
Denise Urmann
Michael Shepard
Nick Gorgos
Robin Nelson
Steve Hilyar
Phillip McCarty
INVESTIGATIONS
Chad Willson
SCHOOL RESOURCE
OFFICER
Jennifer Fordham
SUPPORT STAFF
Kim Henning
Trista Miller
Lisa Brandt
Becky Pentel
RESERVES
Randy Pentel
Jim Knox
Jeff Parker
CHAPLAINS
Butch Millett
John Snider
Alberto Vargas
Lynn Liberman
Sue Plucker
Joel Detlefsen
Lenny Andrie
DECEMBER 04, 2015
6‐2‐2: NIGHT TIME PARKING PROHIBITED
H. No vehicle shall be parked on any public street between the hours of 2:00 AM and 6:00 AM
between the months of November 1st and March 31st.
6‐2‐4: PARKING DURING SNOWFALL
A. Parking Time Restricted: No person shall allow any vehicle to park or stand upon any street or
road in the city for more than 30 minutes during the Ɵme intervening between a snowfall of 2
inches or more and the plowing or removal thereof.
B. Nuisance Declared: Any vehicle stopped, parked, abandoned or otherwise unaƩended in
violaƟon of this secƟon is hereby declared to be an obstrucƟon of city streets and shall be
declared to be a nuisance.
C. Towing Of Vehicle: In the event any vehicle is stopped, parked, abandoned or otherwise leŌ
unaƩended in violaƟon of the provisions of this secƟon, any police officer of the city or the city
public works superintendent is hereby authorized to remove or cause to be removed any such
vehicle and to have such vehicle towed or otherwise removed to any public or private garage or
parking area and stored in such garage or parking area unƟl claimed by the owner as provided in
subsecƟon 6‐2‐11C of this Ɵtle. (Ord. 219, 11‐5‐1985)
D. Authority To Issue CitaƟon: The city public works superintendent is authorized to issue
citaƟons for violaƟons of this secƟon. (Ord. 248, 12‐15‐1987)
ICE SAFETY
2” OR LESS
STAY OFF!!
4”
ICE FISHING
8” ‐ 12”
CAR OR
SMALL PICKUP
12” ‐ 15”
MEDIUM TRUCK
5”
SNOWMOBILE
OR ATV
Every year the MH Fire Department spends many hours
training on the ice preparing to save you should you end
up in the water in the winter. Ice / water rescue is
dangerous business. Ice that was safe today very well
might not be tomorrow. BE SAFE!
2
IDENTITY THEFT FRIDAY 1631 HOURS
Sergeant Bobby Lambert spoke with complainant regarding an identity theft report. Complainant stated that a
fraudulent online charge of $624.33 had been made on his Visa card to Dell. A call was made to Dell to remove
the fraudulent charge and they notified complainant that the items purchased were scheduled to ship to
Minneapolis. Lambert advised to notify Visa and also will be following up with Dell for potential suspect
information. Case pending.
THEFT MONDAY 1120 HOURS
Officer Phil McCarty was dispatched to a local senior living facility on a theft report. Upon arrival, he was met by
a facility employee who stated that sometime between the dates of 11/18 and 11/25, approximately 100 Oxyco-
done pills went missing. The pills were overflow and were kept in the nurse’s office in a lock box. The keys to the
lock box were nearby. It is unknown at this time which employee is responsible for the theft.
MENTAL HEALTH MONDAY 2243 HOURS
Officers Robin Nelson, Denise Urmann and Steve Hilyar responded to a residence on a suicidal female. The
female was found walking through a neighbors yard with her mother close behind her. It appeared as though
there was a verbal argument. The female was extremely distraught so Nelson attempted to grab her hand and in
turn she pulled away several times. The female admitted to having needles on her however, none were found. She
smelled of a strong alcohol odor. Officers escorted her back to her home where she was met by HealthEast.
Officers spoke with the females sister as well as her mother who advised she is a known meth user and had been
hallucinating saying she has been speaking with God, being filmed by cameras everywhere, and having outbursts.
A health and welfare hold was placed on the female and she was transported to the hospital.
STOLEN VEHICLE PLATE TUESDAY 1406 HOURS
Sergeant Peyton Fleming took a walk-in report from a male who stated that earlier in the day, he had gone to get
an oil change and was advised by a store employee that his front license plate was missing. The male believes the
plate was stolen but not known when or who took the plate. He had already obtained new plates and was advised
to destroy the remaining plate. The plate was entered into NCIC. No suspects at this time.
15000999
JUVENILE PROBLEMS WEDNESDAY 0729 HOURS
Officer John Larrive responded an abandoned (hang up) 911 call. The caller told the 911 operator that her
daughter would not let her out of the bathroom. They refused to give any further information and hung up.
Through some quick work the address was located and Officer Larrive was at the home in short order. The two
were located, the dispute mediated, and the juvenile was given a ride to school where she should have been.
SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY WEDNESDAY 1323 HOURS
Person called to report strange activity. The caller advised Officer John Larrive that while they were visiting the
grave of a deceased relative they were approached by a man who wanted to talk about how nice the cemetery was
and about how they knew the deceased family members. The man was reported to the staff and they advised the
caller to let MHPD know. No one located.
SUSPICIOUS BAG THURSDAY 0947 HOURS
Officer Todd Rosse recovered a bag that was left along side of the road. After determining it was likely tossed
from a passing car, Officer Rosse located the owner who told him the bag was taken from his unlocked car in St.
Paul the night before. Several items were missing. The remaining property was turned over to the owner.
Have a safe week! Mike
3
11/19 ‐ 12/03 2015 YTD
Calls for Service 258 6691
Citations 13 517
Warnings 34 676
Police Reports 29 998
Response Time Average 5.19 5.41
Check out the MH Crime Map!
Click below to search your neighborhood:
https://www.raidsonline.com
1101 Victoria Curve, Mendota Heights, MN 55118
If you are a Mendota Heights resident and you are
going out of town or on vacation, you can notify
MHPD of your outing and we will be more than happy to
keep a watchful eye on your home while you are away.
The House Check Request online form is available on
our website; you can complete a form found in our
lobby, or simply give us a call and we’ll help you out.
MHPD offers monthly Car Seat Safety Checks.
To schedule an appointment, call 651.452.1366 or email
jennyf@mendota‐heights.com to contact Ofϐicer Jennifer
Fordham.
MHPD has a Medication Disposal Box in the lobby of the
P D w h e r e D a k o t a C o u n t y r e s i d e n t s c a n s a f e l y a n d
anonymously dispose of their prescription drugs and
over‐the‐counter medication.
Please send us your positive
feedback on our staff to:
pdrecords@
mendota-heights.com
Your feedback is greatly appreciated and
helps boost the morale of our staff.
HAVE A SAFE WEEK!
Here are a few
great places to
take the kids
Ice Fishing!
Beaver Lake
St. Paul
Thompson Lake
West St. Paul
Jordan Mill Pond
Jordan
McColl Pond
Savage
Riverpointe Pond
Watertown
Wirth Lake
Minneapolis
Wolfe Lake
St. Louis Park
For more informaƟon and
some more kids fishing fun,
please visit:
MNDNR
hƩp://www.dnr.state.mn.us/
fishing/fin/ice_fishing.html
D AKOTA C OUNTY S HERIFF
The Front Row
“A front row seat to the greatest show on Earth...”
Volume 11
December, 2015
Safety First...
Recently the Point of Entry Screening was
expanded to the Western and Northern
Service Centers to aid to an already robust
security plan. In November, screening
equipment called “magnetometers” was
installed to help keep prohibited items from
entering our courtrooms. While the
Hastings Government Center has had
this security since 2002, the program
was expanded county-wide only
recently.
#FuzzFozz...
Deputy Celina LaBlanche took time
out of her day to accept on behalf of the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office 334 stuffed
animals that were gathered from our community partners at Frontier Communications
during their annual toy drive. Each year Frontier conducts this toy drive and
graciously donates these animals to local law enforcement. The toys are used in a
variety of settings by the Sheriff’s
Office, but most commonly to comfort a
child involved in a traumatic event. It’s
a small gesture, but one we are
humbled to make during emergencies.
(left) Deputy LaBlanche accepts over 300
stuffed animals.
In the Community...
Commander John Grant and
Detective Tom Hooper made a
presentation to a group of senior
citizens from the Apple Valley Senior Center. The one-hour presentation covered a
wide variety of scams that are targeted towards the seniors in our community. In
addition, those in attendance were presented with a File of Life, which is a document
designed to communicate any medication information or special health needs to first
Tim Leslie, Sheriff
Joe Leko, Chief Deputy
Featuring Sheriff’s
Sworn Operations
and Detention
Services Deputies:
Commanders
John Grant
Dan Scheuermann
Captains
Dan Bianconi
Pat Enderlein
Jim Rogers
Rick Schroeder
Sergeants
Scott Durdall
Jim Gabriel
Booker Hodges IV
Rob Hosking
Jim Iliff
Jeff Leopold
Chris Melton
Tim Samuelson
Matt Schuster
Rob Shingledecker
Matt Wayne
Dawanna Witt
Special Duty
Deputies
Brad Billmeyer
Terry Ecker
Ryan Fitzgerald
Tim Fletcher
Amber Hentges
Bryan Hermerding
Ryan Holmquist
Tom Hooper
Thomas Jacobson
Coreen Kulvich
Ryan Olson
Blake Pederson
Jon Reiners
Deputy Sheriffs
Scott Bensen
Brandon Buckley
Sandy Dose
Brian Eells
Joshua Fahey
Mike Fendrick
Dan Forrey
Steve Forrey
(left) Deputy Kim Mays performs security
screening.
(below) Prohibited items recovered from entry
screening and amnesty collection boxes.
Click here to subscribe to this newsletter electronically. Page 2
The Front Row
“A front row seat to the greatest show on Earth...”
Volume 11
December, 2015
responders who may provide
medical care in the event of an
emergency. The presentation
was well-attended, and we look
forward to returning in 2016.
Veterans’ Day 2015...
In honor of Veterans’ Day,
members of the Sheriff’s Office
Command Staff joined former
members of our military for
lunch at the Minnesota Veterans’
Home in Hastings. Established
in 1978, the Hastings Veterans’
Home provides a variety of
assistance to veterans for
mental health issues, chemical dependency, and vocational rehabilitation services.
Thank You, veterans!
Moped or Motorcycle, You Be the Judge...
Normally the use of transportation other than an automobile after the consumption
of alcohol would be recommended to help keep our roads safe. Unfortunately, this
is not always true, especially when the
transportation has been outfitted with a
gasoline engine, exhaust system, and
auxiliary gas tank. Deputy Tim Gonder
noticed the driver of this motor bike traveling
at a high rate of speed on a pedestrian path
one recent evening. The driver had several
alcohol priors and was arrested for DWI.
Tim Leslie, Sheriff
Joe Leko, Chief Deputy
D AKOTA C OUNTY S HERIFF
Tim Gonder
Ryan Googins
Jonathan Grimes
Leondo Henry
Joseph Hertenstein
Dan Hoover
Christopher Jensen
Krystal Johnson
Jordan Klug
Celina LaBlanche
Erik Langgaard
Andrew Leko
Jen Lenarz
Brent Lohmann
Bruce Lohmann
Matt Lohmann
Kim Mays
Mark McKnight
Lester Mitchell
Jon Napper
James O’Meara
Sean Qualy
Matt Regis
Matt Schepers
Nathaniel Severson
Rebecca Sherman
Dan Siebenaler
Brian Smidt
Gordy Steffel
Adam Suedkamp
Michael Vai
Mike Vikesland
Dan Vujovich
Bob Wegner
Tony Welin
Phouthaivanh
Wilkerson
Questions?
Comments?
Please contact the
Dakota County
Sheriff’s Office at
651.438.4700 or any
of the following by
email:
joseph.leko@
co.dakota.mn.us
julie.ecker@
co.dakota.mn.us