2009-09-18 Friday NewsSeptember 18, 2009
CENSUS UPDATE
This week Guy and I met with three staff members of the 2010 Census
Bureau. At the meeting they informed us, that in mid-March or April of
2010 the census forms would be sent to the citizens. There are 2 forms, a
short form and a long form. Most people will only be getting the short
form, which they called the 10- 10- 10 form (10 questions, that take 10
minutes to answer, only once every 10 years). Only I% of the citizens will
receive the long form. They informed us that it was
yvg
y important for all
Minnesota citizens to be counted because we are within 3000 citizens of
losing a National Representative and because there are around 3000
Townships and missing one person per township could result in
redistricting and loss of a Representative in Congress.
F NOISE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
TheMetropolitan Airports Commission Noise Oversight Committee (NOC) met on Wednesday
afternoon, as they do every other month. Council member Ultan Duggan is our representative on
Rthat body, and spoke to the NOC about our community's concern about nighttime operations.
Chad Leqve with MAC Noise presented information detailing the significant number of night-
time flights which depart runway 12L over Mendota Heights since the new runway opened.
NOC passed a motion authorizing MAC Noise staff to conduct further study into the issue—
what factors have caused the significant increase in our air noise, and what might be done to ad-
dress the problem.
D
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEETING
AJake attended the DCR Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee meeting this
morning in Eagan. 3 local legislators and a number of local businesses attended the meeting,
which provided the opportunity for businesses to describe barriers to their success, and explain
Y how legislation impacts their bottom line. While there were not any Mendota Heights busi-
nesses in attendance, Jake still found the meeting to be interesting, as the businesses provided
insights into common concerns for doing business in our region and in this state.
PAR 3 LANDSCAPING
Council authorized the installation of a landscaping project at the Par 3, and the crews were
well into the project by Thursday afternoon. The site -plan was worked out by the volunteer
Par 3 Greens Committee, designed by Sage Landscape, with the intent of providing some color
ti ikarciotin.r to the course, while utilizing natural
vegetation make sure to check it out.
Don't forget all Council Members, Commissioners, staff
and family members are invited to the Par 3 Invitational next
Saturday, September 26!
September 18, 2009
CODE RED TEST
The Code Red test went very very smoothly this Wednesday. We did not receiveanX inquiries here
at City Hall. The DCC received a lot of good press out of the test. Hopefully everyone got their call
and have registered their cell phones and any place that they want to receive text messages from the
DCC.
Nall i 1 11101 N 11
Planning Commission Mtg 9-22-09 7:00 p.m.
Five-day forecast
'i
.. .... . ...............................
.. ... ... .... .......... ...... .... . . - . ... .... .... .... ........ . ....... ..... . ... . .
Tomorrow
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Sep 19
Sep 20
Sep 21
Sep 22
Sep 23
Partly Cloudy
Partly Cloudy
Showers
Showers
Partly Cloudy
7 go
Hi: :760
Hi: I 700
H 670
:Hi: 730
Lo: 60
to. 1570
Lo: 530
LO: '520
'0 Lo: 550
Attachments
Just The Facts, Pipeline, Planning Commission Meeting Agenda, TwinCities.com Article
"Mendota Heights Council rejects cannon at game" and Dakota County Intelligent Community
Initiative Flyer.
September 18, 2009
09/18/2009
_1_
09/18/2009
officers soon located the subject and learned the man was highly intoxicated, with a
PBT of .269. He was given a ride to Detox for a restful night of sleep. Officers
cleared.
Medical/DOA 09/14/2009 0717 hours
Officers Todd Rosse, Tanner Spicer and Peyton Fleming, as well as Investigator
Petersen responded to a call of an unresponsive male at a residence in Mendota
Heights. Officers, HealthEast Paramedics, and Mendota Heights Firefighters
exhausted all resources and eventually the party was pronounced as deceased. It
was learned that he had recently been experiencing some health problems. A
deputy coroner from the Minnesota Regional Medical Examiners Office also
responded and ruled the death to be from natural causes.
Knives in the Car 09/14/09 0803
While on duty at the High School, Officer Steve Meyer was doing security checks in
the neighborhood and observed a young lady just sitting in the passenger seat. He
chatted with her a bit, noting her extremely nervousness appearance, and after she
assured him she was not doing anything illegal, Officer Meyer asked her to step out
to ensure everything was alright. He asked her if she had anything in her backpack
that might be illegal and she told him she did have some knives in it. She said she
had forgotten they were in there after showing them to a friend. The knives were held
and eventually released to the owner after determining there was no criminal intent.
Under 21 Drink and Drive/DAS 09/16/2009 0216 hours
While onpatrol, Sgt. John Larrive observed a vehicle operating on the highway and
he could visually tell the driver and front passenger were not wearing seatbelts. Now
that this is a "primary" offense in Minnesota, Sgt. Larrive was able to conduct a traffic
stop of the vehicle based on this observation and violation of law. Good thing, too,
because once he made contact with the driver, he learned several things. First, the
driver was under the influence of alcohol, under 21, and did not even have a valid
driver's license!! The other three occupants of the vehicle were also issued citations
for not wearing their seatbelts. The driver was released to a guardian, as he is only
19 years old, and received citations for all the above mentioned offenses.
Counterfeit Bill 09/16/09 1700 hours
Officer Todd Rosse was asked to respond to a gas station who had called in to report
receipt of a counterfeit $20 bill. When the employee noted the bill was counterfeit, he
told the customer, who was surprised and immediately gave him a normal $20 bill.
The employee did get the customer's name, whom he trusted and stated as a
regular, but the information did not match up when Officer Rosse attempted follow-up
contact. Case to be forwarded to Investigations.
Illegal Dumping 09/16/2009 approx. 1300 hours
Secretary Kim Henning helped a local citizen who walked in to the lobby to report a
dumping complaint. The resident was even kind enough to bring in the evidence,
which was a bag of dog waste. The complainant explained that someone in her
neighborhood routinely puts a bag of their dog's feces in her garbage can AFTER the
can has been emptied by their waste removal provider. The reporting party was
looking for assistance in finding the proper ordinance and/or state statute which
would apply to this situation in hopes that she could at the very least, leave a nice
note with the city ordinance attached on the lid of her garbage can in an attempt to
curtail this non -neighborly behavior.
#&* a joey'a e ~44,dl A/4
FA Q's for DCC Mass Telephone Notification System
The CodeRED community notification system went live at the DCC on September 8, 2009. We have tried to
anticipate the questions you may receive in the community and provided a FAQ list below. Please let us know
if you need any further information or assistance.
➢ How do I self -Register for notifications:
o Self Registration is available through the DCC web -site at www.mn-dcc.or click on the CodeRed
logo to complete the process.
o Those without internet service can call the DCC at 651-322-8660 from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm to be
assisted with registration.
➢ What Information is required for self -registration:
o First and last name
o Address within Dakota County
o Cell Phone number and/ore-mail address
➢ What about my land -line phone?
o The DCC data base has a complete listing of residential and business landline phones, which we will
update twice a year.
o Residents or businesses that have recently moved, changed addresses or changed phone numbers
should consider self registration.
➢ May I Opt out of the system?
o There is no opt -out for land -line phones. (DCC exempt from "Do not call" laws)
o People may remove their self -registration information by contacting the DCC at 651-322-8660.
➢ Can I register even if I don't live in Dakota County?
o Yes, as long as you list a valid Dakota County Address in your registration.
■ This may be appealing a non-resident who may be interested in notifications affecting a
family member living in Dakota County such as an elderly parent living in Dakota County, or
a non-custodial parent who would be interesting in notifications affecting a family member.
➢ What type of things will the system be used for?
o The system will be used at the direction of local police, fire and government officials to notify the
public of situations requiring protective action, such as a hazardous material spill, or requiring the
public's assistance such as an endangered missing child or vulnerable adult.
o The system will not be used for weather warnings, but could be used for follow up information
such as evacuations or shelter locations.
➢ Is there a cost to register or receive notifications?
o No. The DCC pays a flat annual fee for the system. Residents and business will not be billed for
notifications or to register.
➢ Is my registration information private?
o Yes. The information in the data base or information you provide is private data under state law
and will only be used by the DCC for emergency notifications.
o The DCC CodeRed privacy statement is available at www.mn-dcc.or or by calling 651-322-8660.
➢ How many cell phones/E-mails may I register for my address?
o There is no limit. Each registration form can accommodate two numbers, so you will need to enter
additional forms for more than two numbers.
➢ What will I see on my caller ID during a notification?
o The phone number, 866-419-5000 will be displayed. If you call that number, the last message left
on your phone will be replayed.
➢ What should I do if I receive a notification?
o Listen carefully to the specific information and follow the instructions provided. Normally, you
should not call 9-1-1. There is an option to replay the message at the end.
o An "all -clear" notification will be sent when the situation has been resolved.
What if I have other questions?
o Visit the DCC Web -site at www.mn.dcc.org and click on the "emergency notification" tab.
o E-mail questions to: info@mn-dcc.org
The Parks Crew set up tents, tables and chairs at the Pilot Knob site for Great
River Greening. Trees in the pedways were trimmed at Kensington South at
Curleys to clean off the pedways for the overlay. Permanent baseball bases were
installed at Hagstrorn King Park.
Rich painted "No Parking Stripes," at the Northland lift station. He sprayed the golf
course and Public Works Garage lawn for broadleaf weeds. He painted the pump
panel at the St. Thomas lift station that vandals had "tagged".
The Streets Crew dug up storm sewer inlets for repair, removed the old brick
which was replaced with new brick, and mudded up cracks. This was done on
Swan Drive, Bluebill Drive, and Cheri Lane. Andy helped the Parks Crew by
trimming the pedways in the Wagon Wheel area. The new snow plow arrived. A
signal is not working on Mendota Heights Road and Mn/DOT was called for service.
Engineering
Visitation Roundabout - A project update was delivered to Council at the Tuesday
night meeting, and an opportunity for public comment was provided to interested
residents. A number of issues and questions were brought up at the meeting and
these issues and questions will be summarized and addressed by staff in a
memorandum for the October 6t" Council meeting. The most prevalent issue
brought forward by residents was school generated traffic moving through the
Rogers Lake neighborhood. Staff believes this is a separate issue from the safety
and traffic congestion concerns at Visitation Drive and Mendota Heights Road, and
that it can be addressed by a separate project. If the City chooses to proceed with
the project, Staff anticipates Final Plans being ready for approval and a request for
authorization for advertisement for bids being brought before Council at the
October 20t" meeting. Approved plans are due to MnDOT by November 13t" as a
condition of the Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding.
Xcel Energy/Mendota Heights Road Street R - Xcel Energy has been working
with staff on the repair of the washout on Mendota Heights Road just west of
Lexington Avenue, Xcel had installed gas mains under Mendota Heights Road
several years ago, and the bedding material for those pipes has eroded away. The
area has been blocked off for most of the summer, and Xcel Energy is currently
Code Enforcement
working on filling in the washed out area. Staff is anticipating the work being
completed • the beginning • October.
Saint Paul Water Hydrant Flushin - Saint Paul Regional Water Service has taken
the water tower offline for annual maintenance and cleaning of the lines. On
Monday of next week, they will conduct a bacteria test to assess the results of the
cleaning. If the test passes, the water tower should be back online by Tuesday.
Saint Paul Regional Water Service does not anticipate any impacts to residents
during this time.
Gun Club Lake Watershed Management Organization (GCLWMO) -Staff
attended the Quarterly meeting of the GCLMWO, along with City appointed
representative Larry Craighead, on Wednesday. At the meeting Staff
updated the GCLWMO on our progress in meeting the stormwater
implementation priorities as identified in the City's Local Surface Water
Management Plan. Also discussed were the GCLWMOs efforts to establish
wetland enhancement and wetland buffer area projects.
TH 55 &Mendota Heights Road Intersection Improvements -Staff met with
the design consultant on Thursday to discuss project progress and
construction cost estimate. The cost estimate came in much higher than
anticipated, and due to the limited amount of funding available from the
City's Municipal State Aid account, Staff instructed the consultant to provide
options by next week as to how to best reduce the construction cost of the
project. Options include reducing the reconstruction area to immediately
around the intersection or executing the project as a mill &overlay rather
than a reconstruction.
Cherry Hills 2nd Addition Rehabilitation Project -Staff has been monitoring
the contractor as the project has progressed. Wear course pavement has
been installed and striping on Summit Lane has been completed. Project
completion is estimated for October.
F.ATe 0 A
I i I
September 22, 2009
7:00 P.M. City Council Chambers
1) Call to Order
2) Roll Call
3) Approval of the August 25, 2009 Planning Commission Minutes
4) Hearings
a) Case No. 09-29: Maureen Haggerty — 790 Ridge Place — Conditional Use Permit
and Wetlands Permit for Construction of a Fence.
b) Case No. 09-34: 'David Kutoff, Materials Processing Corporation — 2300 Pilot
Knob Road - Conditional Use Permit Public Hearing 7:00 P.M.
c) Case No. 09-35: Thomas Costello — 24 Somerset Road — Variance to "String
Rule" and Side Yard Setback for Home/Garage Addition — Public Hearing 7:00
P.M.
BIL=
Auxiliary aids for persons with disabilities are available upon request at least 120 hours in
advance. If a notice of less than 120 hours is received, the City of Mendota Heights will
make every attempt to provide the aids, however, this may not be possible on short notice.
Please contact City Administration at 651-452-1850 with requests.
Mendota Heights I "They have applied for fireworks, too," he said.
Council rejects cannon at
—Nick Ferraro
Pioneer Press
Updated- 09116/2'009 1 1�31�'30 PIM! CE)"I"
A request by St. Thomas Academy High School to
fire a Civil War -replica cannon at next month's
homecoming football game was shot down Tuesday
by the Mendota Heights City Council.
Mike Byrne, assistant headmaster at the all-male,
Catholic military school, asked the council for
permission to fire a tamer cannon than the one that
alarmed neighbors in 2005, causing several of them
to call 911. The rented cannon has not been fired
since.
"We'd like to bring it back," Byrne said, adding they
would reduce the cannon's blast and point the
cannon away from neighborhoods and toward the
Interstate 35E corridor.
Byrne said it would be fired at the beginning and
end of the game and whenever the school scores.
And this time, he said, "we would notify the
community" beforehand.
The council discussed whether to pass the request
under the condition the school test -fire the cannon
before the game and see if neighbors complain. The
request, however, was denied on a 3-2 vote.
After the vote, City Administrator Jim Danielson
reminded the council that all is not lost for the
school on game day.
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