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2010-12-17 Friday NewsFrmidav News Mendota Heights Weekly Report on City Activities December 17, 2010 Thank You Public Works A big thank you goes out to everyone on the Public Works crew for the great work and long hours that were put in last weekend to deal with the blizzard. The 18 inches of snow we received and the high winds that blew it around made your job very difficult but as usual the results of your work were top notch. The streets were clear and residents were able to travel safely in and through the community. The compliments outpaced the complaints we received at city hall. On behalf of all residents, city staff and the city council thank you for your efforts and for giving up your weekends so far this winter season to clear our streets. Staff will continue to deal with the issue of where to store snow for the remainder of the winter season as snow removal will be necessary in certain areas. Please be careful as you travel during the winter season. Planning Services RFP At the December 7, 2010 city council meeting, the council authorized staff to issue a request for proposals for planning services. The city has been with our current planning consultant, Northwest Associated Consultants, for a little over ten years. While we have been happy with the service NAC has provided, we recognize that it is good business practice to revisit our contract. Staff is curious to see what the response rate will be. The RFP is currently out and we hope to have a planning firm selected in early 2011. Thank You Reception Reminder A thank you reception honoring the many years of service of Mayor John Huber and Councilmember Mary Jeanne Schneeman will be held on Tuesday, December 21, 2010 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at City Hall. Both John and Mary Jeanne decided not to run for reelection this year. The city council will also say a formal thank you to these two retiring members during the city council meeting that starts at 7:00 p.m. that night. Please stop in and say thank you to John and Mary Jeanne for their decades of service to the Mendota Heights community. Treats will be served and memories shared as these two members will attend their final city council meeting that same night. We hope to see you at City Hall on Tuesday night. Mendota Heights City Hall 1101 Victoria Curve www.mendota-heights.com (651) 452-1850 December 17, 2010 Page Two December 17, 2010 Important Note from X_o efl Xcel Energy has asked the city to help spread the word about the need to verify that gas meters, regulators and appliance vents are clear of snow and ice. The snowy start to our winter season makes this concept more important than ever. A clogged gas meter or regulator can lead to a gas buildup inside your home. A clogged appliance vent can cause appliance malfunction with the potential for carbon monoxide buildup inside your home. Xcel Energy recommends the following steps to safely remove snow and ice from meters, regulators and vents. • Carefully shovel around the meter and gently remove snow and ice from the gas meter and any associated piping, as well as from appliance vents by hand. • Avoid using any sharp tool, including a shovel, or snowblower on or near the meter, piping and vents. • Keep a three-foot clear area around meters, regulators and vents and check them regularly to make sure winds have not caused drifting. • Maintain a clear path to and from the meter to allow easy access in the event of an emergency. Please spread the word on these simple, but potentially lifesaving measures. Dates to Remember December 21, 2010 5:00 p.m. Thank You Reception for John Huber and Mary Jeanne Schneeman December 21, 2010 7:00 p.m. City Council Meeting December 24, 2010 City Offices Closed December 28, 2010 7:00 p.m. Planning Commission Meeting December 31, 2010 City Offices Closed January 4, 2011 7:00 p.m. City Council Meeting Attachments The Pipeline and Just the Facts. December 17, 2010 N E W S L E T T E R Public Works Engineering Code Enforcement Public Works The Pipeline $4 December 17, 2010 The Streets Crew plowed and salted all city streets after a seventeen -inch snowfall on Saturday. The crews worked constantly throughout the storm to keep City streets open during the storm. By the time crews were finished on Sunday morning, they had plowed all 70 miles of City streets at least 3 times! Some streets with larger traffic volumes were actually plowed 4 times in one day! Once the streets were clear, and after a much deserved rest on Sunday, crews were back at work on Monday morning cleaning up snow piles from the weekend plowing, and addressing resident complaints/issues. The most common items called in from residents were regarding mailboxes, and crews were out this week looking at damage from plows and/or snow plumes from the plows. They also began digging out fire hydrants, and plowing the trail network. A wheel loader was rented to help the crews remove large snow piles around the City. Parks crew began clearing the ice rinks today. Once cleared, the rinks will be re -flooded to provide a fresh layer of ice. Parks crew will also be touching up snow clearance in parking lots at the City parks Engineering Lower Mississippi River Watershed Management Organization (LMRWMO) - Staff attended the monthly meeting of the LMRWMO on Thursday (11/16) at Lilydale City Hall. The LMRWMO is in the process of updating their 10 -year management plan for the watershed, so much of the discussion centered around the plan updates. Once completed, it will be presented to City Council, and the City's Surface Water Management Plan will need to be revised to reflect changes in LMRWMO policies and goals. The LMRWMO is anticipating the updated plan to be completed by May 2011. Future Cities Competition - Public Works Director Mazzitello and Assistant to the City Administrator Jake Sedlacek have been working with students at Friendly Hills Middle School on their projects for entry in the annual Future Cities Competition. The teams from Friendly Hills have completed their computer models using the popular SimCity software, and they are putting the finishing touches on their city narratives and product research essays. The next phase of the competition will require the teams to build scale models of the cities they described in their narratives. More information about the Future Cities competition can be found at the Success Beyond the Classroom webpage www.successbeyond.org. Highway 13/I -35E Interchange Drainage Improvements - Staff attended the Lilydale City Council meeting on Monday afternoon to hear a presentation from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) on their proposed project along Highway 13. MnDOT is proposing a three -phased project to reconstruct Highway 13 from Lilydale Road (County Road 45) to approximately the Post Office site in Mendota. Once complete, issues of stormwater drainage form the City of Mendota Heights into the City of Lilydale should be addressed. The proposed phases are: Phase I - Install traffic signals at the I -35E entrance and exit ramps along Highway 13; connect sidewalk/trail in front of Holiday store; provide Americans with Disabilities Act complaint crosswalks at entrance/exit ramp intersections. This work is scheduled for 2011. Phase II - Reconstruct Highway 13 from the City of Mendota to approximately the site of the new Italian architecture villas in Lilydale. Reconstruction would consist of new road base, new pavement, curb & gutter, and storm sewer pipes. This work is scheduled for 2012. Phase III - Reconstruct Highway 13 from the new Italian architecture villas in Lilydale to the I -35E entranc%xit ramp intersection near the Holiday and BP stores. Reconstruction would consist of new road base, new pavement, curb &gutter, and storm sewer pipes. This work is estimated to be under construction in 2015. Water Main Breaks - There were a number of water main breaks this week, and Engineering staff had to work quickly with Saint Paul Regional Water Service (SPRWS) to identify the precise locations and severity of each break. Through a quick response by staff, and excellent cooperation from SPRWS, the leaks were identified and repaired quickly. Wagon Wheel Reconstruction & Area Rehabilitation (2011 Streets Project) -- Staff is beginning to design the 2011 Project. Staff anticipated having a set of 65% complete drawings by early spring. Once staff gets to that point in the design, we intend to hold another neighborhood meeting to go over design details with residents. Project construction is anticipated to begin in June 2011. T!e latest�ecvs f�v�,,, tiie Meyc�'vta �fei9lits�vlice �eyart�ner�t 9 12/17/2010 The Assault Saturday 0230 hours Mendota Sergeant Eric Petersen was called to a local bar on report of an Heights assault. When he arrived he was met by a woman who had been sprayed in the face with pepper spray and her boyfriend who had Police injuries to his face. They both stated that after the bar had closed Department they went out to their car. While the boyfriend was clearing snow Support off of the vehicle and the woman was inside, an unknown male Staff started knocking on the window. When the woman rolled down Kim Henning the window she was sprayed in the face with pepper spray. The Sandie Ristine Susan Donovan male then dropped the canister and ran off. The boyfriend gave Cathy Ransom chase and when he caught up to the suspect a fight ensued and Becky Pentel he was assaulted. Prior to the suspect leaving in a cab he told Police Officers the victims he was a professional fighter. Sergeant Petersen Jerry Murphy Scott Patrick an attempted contact with the cab company to have the driver return p p y John Larrive with the suspect but there was no answer. Statements and Bobby Lambert photos were taken from the victims. This case was then Tanner Spicer forwarded to investigations for follow up to attempt identification Todd Rosse of the suspect. Chad Willson Jeff VonFeldt Jennifer Fordham Check the Welfare Saturday 1140 hours Denise Urmann An out of state caller requested a welfare check on her mother, Michael Shepard she stated she had an open phone line at her mother's residence Peyton Fleming for four hours and believed a man who is court ordered to not School Resource Officer stayat the residence had been overheard in the background. g Steven Meyer Officer Todd Rosse responded and spoke with the complainant's Investigations mother. Information was gathered and will be forwarded to the �'rari°Reyes city attorney's office for review and possible charges. The Tanner Spicer complainant was advised of the findings. Sergeants Neil Garlock Brian Convery Ordinance Violation Sunday 1138 hours Eric Petersen Officer Bobby Lambert was dispatched to a complaint of a Reserves resident blowing snow into the street causing a traffic hazard. RandyPentel The resident was advised. A reminder: It is unlawful to blow Gino Messina Jesse Alettner snow into the street or impede any public right of way and Andrew Quinlan homeowners can be cited if this occurs. Chief Mike Fraud Sunday 1933 hours Aschenbrener Officer Chad Willson responded to a fraud report. The 12/17/2010 complainant believed that mail had been taken out of their mailbox. The contents of the outgoing mail had contained a check which was then made out to an unknown suspect for $3500 and cashed. The victim contacted his financial institution and was assured he would not be responsible for the fraudulent check. Forward to investigations for follow-up. Never put checks in your outgoing mail!!! Disturbance Monday 0329 hours Officer Scott Patrick was dispatched to a school for a student refusing to get off the bus. Upon arrival Officer Patrick was met by school staff who explained the student was causing a disturbance and would not get off the bus after being confronted by staff. The student was trespassed and given a ride to his residence by Officer Patrick. Personal Injury Accident Monday 1730 hours Officer Todd Rosse and Sergeant Brian Convery were dispatched to a hit and run injury accident. After observing the crash a witness stopped next to the suspect vehicle and told the driver they had hit another car, the suspect then left the scene at a high rate of speed, the witness called 911 and continued to follow. The suspect realizing they were being followed decided to return to the scene. Officer Rosse made contact with the victim who complained of minor pain but refused any medical treatment. Sergeant Convery made contact with the suspect who admitted to hitting the other vehicle and leaving the scene, she was ultimately cited for failing to yield. Mental Health Crisis Call Monday 1432 hours Sergeant Neil Garlock and Officer Todd Rosse were dispatched to a residence for a woman threatening suicide. The woman who has had previous mental health issues had witnessed an attempted suicide earlier in the day. When Sergeant Garlock and Officer Rosse made contact with her she admitted to taking over-the-counter medication in an attempt to hurt herself. A mental health hold was completed and she was transported to the hospital for evaluation without incident. Disturbance Tuesday 2253 hours Officer Peyton Fleming responded to a report of a man walking down the street singing Christmas songs. The area was checked but he was not located. Theft Wednesday 1222 hours Sergeant Neil Garlock responded to a gas station for a report of a gas drive off. The driver pumped over $45 in fuel and left without paying. The employee was able to get the license plate number and a good description of the suspect. A check of the area did not locate the vehicle. Forwarded to investigations registered owner. Theft Wednesday 1700 hours Officer Chad Willson responded to a college where security was reporting over $1500 in computer equipment missing. All students have access to the room where the equipment is kept and the room is routinely left unlocked. There were no signs of forced entry and no suspects or witnesses. Forwarded to investigations. Av e,owt-WI-Awl e'WAWAAe'W -2-