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2015-12-11 Friday NewsCity of Mendota Heights Weekly Update Mendota Heights City Hall 1101 Victoria Curve www.mendota-heights.com (651) 452.1850 Visit us on: Facebook.com/ MendotaHeightsMN Twitter.com/ @Mendota_heights DATES TO REMEMBER: December 15 City Council 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. January 1 City offices will be closed for the holiday. City offices will re-open on Monday, January 4th at 8:00 a.m. January 4 City Council Workshop 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. January 5 City Council 7:00 p.m. Attachments: Pipeline, Just the Facts December 11, 2015 Holiday Collection Site Officer Denise Urmann is coordinaƟng a Toys for Tots Drive at City Hall once again this holiday season. New unwrapped toys can be dropped off through Thursday, December 17. Officer Urmann and her elves will deliver the toys to Kare 11 Studios on Thursday night during the Law Enforcement Drop‐off event. Winter Reminder Now that winter is here, the City would like to remind residents to place their trash cans on their driveway aprons, behind the curb line, when they are set out for pickup in or‐ der to minimize the chances of them being hit by passing snowplows. Although we do our best to avoid them, trash cans that are set in the curb line or in the street for trash hauler pickup stand a good chance to be hit by City plows because the plow drivers fol‐ low the curbing when removing snow. Wentworth Hockey Rink New hockey boards were installed at Wentworth Park this fall. Now we are just waiƟng for cold temps so that our Rink Flooders can start flooding and making ice for the season. It’s our goal to have the rinks ready for the end of the De‐ cember (weather permiƫng). Stay tuned! Mendota Heights Website Redesign Earlier this fall, the City Council gave staff direcƟon to move forward with the redesign of the City’s website. The current website was designed in 2009. Staff will be working with GovOffice to provide an updated and fresh look to the City’s website in 2016. If you have a digital photo that represents Mendota Heights that you would like to contribute for the website, please contact Tamara SchuƩa by calling 651.255.1356. We are looking for nature, wildlife, city scenes and events. Soaring Eagles –2011 Photo Contest Public Works The Parks Crew picked up the trash daily from the parks. They did fabrication work on the parks’ trailer. A new jack was installed on the trailer. Fabrication work was done on the parks’ snow blower. Side rollers were installed on the blower and a hydraulic chute control was also installed. The damaged gate at the Pilot Knob site was removed, repaired and replaced. The Utilities Crew checked the lift stations daily. A sanitary sewer inspection was done on a new home on Patricia Street. Both generators were exercised. The storm sewer was pumped out on Highway 13 for Lilydale. A water valve box was repaired on Kendon Lane. The Streets Crew performed maintenance on the plows and sanders. They received a salt delivery and loaded it into the holding area. They assisted the Utilities Crew by pumping out the storm water drain on Highway 13 in Lilydale. The main streets were salted and the trucks cleaned afterwards. The culvert was cleared for Rogers Lake on Swan Drive. They assisted the Parks Crew with modifying the trailers for the snow blowers. 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) – Lining sanitary sewer mains helps to prevent groundwater & storm water from infiltrating into the sanitary sewer system. By preventing infiltration, increases to sanitary sewer bills can be better controlled. 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. The Pipeline N E W S L E T T E R Public Works Engineering Code Enforcement December 11, 2015 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 be bid 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 (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) – The Dakota County Physical Development Committee voted to recommend the eastern alignment (crossing at Market Square Park near The Village) to the full County Board, which will meet on December 15th. The structure type of grade-separated crossing is scheduled for selection in January. 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) – MnDOT has granted a permit to temporarily close Highway 13 between the Ivy Falls Bridge and Sylvandale Road in conjunction with a slope repair project being accomplished by a private property owner. The MnDOT Permit expires December 31st, and the contractor expects to be able to reopen the Highway by then. 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 by constructing a retaining wall and revegetating 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. 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 and turn lane extensions are proposed with the project, including changes to accesses across the median as well as closing the right-in/right-out to the 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 installation 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 also completed 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 “City of the Future.” Teams are graded on a virtual city using Sim City software, completing a project schedule, a 1500 word essay, scale model, and oral presentation. The State competition is 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 competition in January. Saint Paul Regional Water Service (SPRWS) Water Service Agreement – The Board of Water Commissioners met on Tuesday and approved the Omnibus Agreement that will convey the ownership of the Mendota Heights water system to SPRWS. Staff is scheduling several additional 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 across city property 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. Emerald Ash Borer Forum – Staff attended a forum sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (DOA) on Wednesday about management of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in Minnesota. Earlier this summer, the City inventoried all of the ash trees located on City property or right-of-way, and assessed their overall health and condition. Information received at the forum will be used to develop a formal EAB Management Policy for the City. Lower Mississippi River Watershed Management Organization (LMRWMO) – Staff attended the monthly meeting of the LMRWMO Board along with the City’s primary and alternate Board Representatives on Wednesday. The Board hears a summary of the year’s activities from the WMO Administrator, and approved production of the annual financial documents. The Board also informed the City that they were recommended for grant funds to treat the phosphorous impairment on Lake Augusta. If awarded the grant by the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR), treatment would begin in 2016. Engineering Basics Seminar (March 2, 2016 – Eagan Community Center) - 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/Public Works staff. The seminar is intended to offer background in infrastructure systems (streets, water supply, sanitary sewer, surface/storm water, environmental, etc.) to city officials that that do not necessarily have an engineering background. Participants in the seminar may 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. The seminar is set for March 2nd, 2016, at the Eagan Community Center from 6:00pm – 9:00pm. Invitation will be sent out after the first of the year. 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 11, 2015 Please remember, there are approximately 3,393 children missing nationally and 22 of them are from Minnesota alone. It is important to know of these cases and what the children look like as you never know if you could come across them. The parents and loved ones of these children never stop their search and us as good citizens should do everything we can to keep our eyes peeled as well. Please visit: www.missingkids.com If you have any information, please call: 1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST) “Stranger Danger” talks may not be the best approach. It ignores the fact that most children are abducted by someone they know. Avoiding strangers will not help if the abductor is a family member, neighbor, or family acquaintance. Instead of focusing on people, teach children to recognize and respond to threatening situations. Don’t say: Never talk to strangers. Say: You should not approach just anyone. If you need help, look for a uniformed police officer, a store clerk with a nametag, or a parent with children. Don’t say: Stay away from people you don’t know. Say: It’s important for you to get my permission before going anywhere with anyone. Don’t say: You can tell someone is bad just by looking at them. Say: Pay attention to what people do. Tell me right away if anyone asks you to keep a secret, makes you feel uncomfortable, or tries to get you to go with them. Use role playing scenarios. The more the children practice, the better prepared they will be to respond to an emergency. For more information on KiDSmartz, please visit www.kidsmartz.org 2 MENTAL HEALTH THURSDAY 1216 HOURS Officers Nick Gorgos and Denise Urmann responded to a group home on a report of a disorderly person causing destruction. The person also had suicidal thoughts; party was transported to the hospital for evaluation. Officers cleared. DAC THURSDAY 2328 HOURS Officer Steve Hilyar stopped a speeding vehicle on Hwy 110; the driver also had a “cancelled” status. Upon being stopped, the driver admitted he was not valid and was not supposed to be driving. The driver was cited for Driving after Cancellation (DAC), the plates were removed from the vehicle and the car was towed. HARASSMENT FRIDAY 1159 HOURS A former client was calling a local business and harassing them with inappropriate messages. However, the business told Officer Todd Rosse they only wanted the incidents documented. He advised them of several options, including getting a harassment restraining order. Officer cleared. FOUND ID SATURDAY 0847 HOURS A resident called to report an employment authorization card found close to their door on their property. Officer McCarty responded to the residence and found the presence of the card suspicious. Homeowner was advised of crime prevention measures and the property was taken to the police department. Owner follow up pending. RECOVERED STOLEN AUTO MONDAY 1135 HOURS Officer John Larrive responded to a local hotel on report of an abandoned vehicle that had been there since Friday night. Upon running the plate, he found it was stolen out of Columbia Heights. The vehicle was towed and Columbia Heights PD was contacted to handle the vehicle recovery and owner contact. Officer cleared. DISTURB THE PEACE MONDAY 2108 HOURS A concerned parent contacted police regarding Facebook postings that included threatening messages and possession of a weapon. Case under investigation. THEFT TUESDAY 0859 HOURS Officer John Larrive responded to gas station to investigate a gas drive off. Employee became suspicious of the three occupants. The customer pumping the gas was acting nervous and the two passengers inside appeared to be causing a distraction. Employees turned off the pump and the occupants got back into the and took off. Plate information led to the owner who provided the officer with follow -up information. Case under investigation. 3 STOLEN AUTO/WARRANT TUESDAY 1855 HOURS Officer Robin Nelson responded to residence on report a stolen truck. The complainant was visiting a friend and when he left the house he found the vehicle was missing. He stated the truck was paid for and he still had the keys. The truck was actually his Dad’s truck, but he had not yet called him to inform him of the theft. When Officer Nelson ran the complainant’s information, she found a warrant for his arrest, with a bail option. Officer McCarty assisted with the arrest and transported him to MHPD. The owner was then contacted—he informed Officer Nelson that the vehicle was not stolen. He had learned his adult son had lied to him about where he was going, so he decided to teach him a lesson. Dad moved the vehicle, via an alternate set of keys, to another location. When asked, he reluctantly agreed to post the bail money for the son; son was eventually released to father. Officers cleared; no further charges. DAC WEDNESDAY 0109 HOURS West St Paul requested assistance from MHPD to remove a vehicle stopped in the road in our city. Officer VonFeldt responded and found the driver asleep in the vehicle, but the car was turned off and locked. He was able to wake the driver up and identity him; he also learned he had been drinking and was homeless. Upon running his information, he was found to be cancelled. The man had no options for a ride and his phone was dead. The vehicle was towed, he was cited for DAC he was taken to detox. Officer cleared. PROPERTY DAMAGE WEDNESDAY 1046 HOURS Officer McCarty responded to a report of a damaged gate at a park. Upon arrival, he found the swing gates at the entrance had been hit by a vehicle. City staff was notified of the damage. THEFT WEDNESDAY 1243 HOURS Officer John Larrive responded to a business who reported theft of a catalytic converter from one of their vehicles. The suspect did leave behind a backpack and tools but no other follow -up information is available. Case inactive. DAC-IPS WEDNESDAY 1311 HOURS While on patrol, Officer John Larrive ran a plate that was flagged for plate impoundment due to alcohol violations. The vehicle was stopped and the driver was identified by his MN state ID (not a DL). His DL had been Cancelled—Inimical to Public Safety. The vehicle that belonged to the wife was towed after the plates were impounded and the husband was taken to jail. BURGLARY WEDNESDAY 0800 HOURS Officer Steve Hilyar responded to a report of a theft from storage unit at an apartment building. Upon arrival he found the door had been pried open and some property had been stolen. Case under investigation. 4 5 Tis’ The Season! ...for package theft When making a purchase online or when you are scheduling a delivery, maybe consider a few things if possible:  If a retailer provides the option, choose a specific delivery time when you know you will be home.  Consider having your package delivered for in-store pick-up.  Be aware of your delivery notifications so you know the day your package is to arrive.  Request the delivery company to hold the package at their facility until you are able to pick it up.  Ask the shipper to require a signature confirmation of delivery.  Provide delivery instructions to leave package somewhere out of sight.  Ask a trusted neighbor to retrieve your package and 12/04 - 12/10 2015 YTD Calls for Service 123 6,845 Citations 8 535 Warnings 10 681 Police Reports 36 1,046 Response Time Average 6.12 5.40 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 Officer Jennifer Fordham. MHPD has a Medication Disposal Box in the lobby of the PD where Dakota County residents can safely and 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!