2016-03-04 Friday NewsCity of Mendota Heights Weekly Update
Mendota Heights City Hall
1101 Victoria Curve
www.mendota-heights.com
(651) 452.1850
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DATES TO REMEMBER:
March 8
Parks Commission
7 p.m.
March 9
Airport Commission
Open House
7:00 p.m.
March 13
Daylight Saving
Change your clocks
March 15
City Council
7:00 p.m.
March 22
Planning Commission
7:00 p.m.
Attachments:
Pipeline, Just the Facts
March 4, 2016
Airport Relations Commission Open House
Wednesday, March 9
The Airport Relations Commission (ARC) invites you to an Open House on
Wednesday, March 9th. The Open House will be held at Mendota Heights City Hall
beginning at 7 p.m. Representatives from the Metropolitan Airports Commission
(MAC) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will be joining ARC to talk
about issues of interest to Mendota Heights residents. The agenda will include a dis-
cussion on airport noise, a remodeling update for Terminals 1 and 2, and an over-
view of MSP’s economic impact for the region.
City Council to Consider CenturyLink Cable Television Franchise
The Northern Dakota County Cable Communications Commission (NDC4) manages
the City’s cable franchises on behalf of the City. At their February 23rd meeting,
NDC4 Cable Commission adopted resolution 2-23-16 recommending that each
member city grant a cable communications franchise to CenturyLink. NDC4 Execu-
tive Director Jodie Miller and Brian Grogan, legal counsel for NDC4 provided a brief
presentation on the draft franchise ordinance and agreement on Thursday, March 3
during the City Council meeting. The presentation is available online at
www.townsquare.tv.
The City Council will conduct the cable franchise public hearing and consider
adopting the proposed Cable Television Franchise Ordinance with CenturyLink at its
meeting on March 15, 2016. Residents are encouraged to attend and provide com-
ment on the proposed agreement.
Save the Date...Mendota Heights Spring Clean-up Day 2016
This year’s Spring Clean Up Day will be held on Saturday, May 7th at Mendakota
Park from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Visit www.mendota-heights.com for more
information and a list of items accepted.
New this year: Due to the weight of beams, landscape timbers and sharp metal
edges, we can no longer accept construction or remodel debris. These items should
be hauled to a landfill.
Public Works
The Parks Crew did body repair work on one of their truck s. The park bench
for Victoria Curve was assembled and installed. A picnic table and ground
mat were placed at the off-leash dog area. Trees were trimmed in the parks
and golf course, and the brush chipped. The gate was repaired at the Pilot
Knob site. Trash was picked up daily in the parks.
The Utilities Crew checked the lift stations daily. Pump two was put back
into service at the main lift station. The new guard rail was installed at the
main lift station. Continued OSHA online safety course, and attended the
Public Works leadership class at Hamline. Exercised the portable generator.
The Streets Crew finished trimming trees in the Friendly Hills neighborhood
and started in the Copperfield neighborhood. Trees overhanging the right-
of-way need to be cut so that a school bus can pass underneath. They
helped the Parks Crew clean up trees at the golf course. Trash and glass
were cleaned up at Dorset Road and Delaware Avenue.
Engineering – Project descriptions simplified for easier reading. For more
information, please contact the Engineering Department at (651) 452-1850.
City Projects (construction year)
Victoria Road Reconstruction & Rolling Green Neighborhood Rehabilitation
(2014/2015) – Warranty and punch list items to be completed in the spring.
Mendota Road Neighborhood Improvements (2016) – Plans have been
submitted to MnDOT for review. A neighborhood meeting is scheduled for
March 23rd from 6:30-8:00pm at City Hall. Invitations have been sent to
adjacent property owners. Construction is expected to begin in June.
Update of Local Surface Water Management Plan (LSWMP) – Staff has
provided the consultant background materials requested for their work in
updating the plan. A draft plan is expected by May/June. Complete plan
revision is expected to take about one year.
Lake Augusta Alum Treatment (2016) – Grant funded. The Lower
Mississippi River Watershed Management Organization (LMRWMO) has
submitted the work plan for the project. The LMRWMO will be responsible
The Pipeline N E W S
L E T T E R
Public Works
Engineering
March 4, 2016
for the project, and the City will contribute matching funds for the
treatment. Treatment is expected in the fall. This will be discussed at the
upcoming meeting of the LMOWMO Board on March 9th.
County Projects
Highway 110 Greenway Trail Crossing (2017) – Easements for the trail
connections and necessary City permits will be brought to City Council at a
future date. MnDOT and Dakota County are planning an open house and is
scheduled for this coming summer/fall to go over final design details.
Traffic Signal Improvements: I-494 & Pilot Knob Road (2016) – Plans are at
MnDOT for review. Construction is expected in June.
State Projects
Highway 13 Slope Repair (2015-2016) – Residents should anticipate the
upcoming closure of Highway 13 beginning in early June and lasting to mid-
July. This closure is so the slope reinforcement work not completed during
the winter can be finished.
Highway 110 Rehabilitation (2017) – Staff attended the MnDOT Project
Management Team meeting on Wednesday for the Highway 110
rehabilitation project. City Council called for a Public Hearing where MnDOT
will be requesting Local Government Consent for access changes to the
Highway. The Public Hearing will be held on April 5th at the regular City
Council meeting. Local Government Consent is needed when there are
access changes from outside the Right-of-Way. Access changes being
proposed are closing the right-in – right-out east of Lexington and
establishing new drainage easements at several locations along the project.
Changes to access through the median do not require Local Government
Consent. Contact Molly Cline, MnDOT Project Manager, at 651-234-7723 or
molly.cline@state.mn.us for more information.
Highway 149 (Dodd Road) Rehabilitation (2018) – Staff assisted in the
Selection of area residents for the project’s Community Advisory
Committee. Eight residents from Mendota Heights applied to be on the
CAC. Applicants will be notified by MnDOT next week. Contact Tara
McBride, Project Manager at 651-234-7506, or tara.mcbride@state.mn.us
for more information.
Pilot Knob Bridge over I-494 Expansion Joint Repair (2016) – MnDOT will be
working on the Pilot Knob Road bridge over I-494 this summer. They will be
rehabilitating the concrete expansion joints on the bridge deck. Work is
expected to take 10-14 days. Staff is attending a pre-construction meeting
on March 24th, and will learn proposed construction dates afterwards.
Future State Highway Construction Map – MnDOT has provided a forecast of
highway project map that is available to the public. To view the map go to:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z5zBiGlu3bW0.krJV8KgtYTFA or
http://mndot.maps.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=efc53
72e5df74e368da35e9a0979637a.
Other Activities
City-Wide Trail Plan Update – The City has applied for a Statewide Health
Improvement Program (SHIP) grant from Dakota County to update the City
Trail Improvement and Maintenance Plan (TIMP). A study of the Dodd Road
(Highway 149) corridor would be included as part of the update.
Notification of grant status is expected later this month.
Engineering 101 Seminar (April 6, 2016 – Eagan Community Center) –
Invitations for the upcoming seminar have been sent out. The seminar is
scheduled for Wednesday, April 6th, 2016 at the Eagan Community Center
from 6:00pm – 9:00pm. Cities are initially limited to six attendees per
City. If seats remain open closer to the course date, they can be claimed on
a first come, first serve basis.
Future Cities Competition – Future City teams presented to the City Council
at their March 3rd meeting. The provided highlights of the cities they
created as part of the program and thanked the City for their support.
Regional Solicitation Grant Application Workshop – Staff attended this
workshop on Friday. The City plans on applying for a grant through the
Metropolitan Council to construct a pedestrian facility along Dodd Road from
Marie Avenue north to Delaware. Grant applications are due in June, and
the workshop walked attendees through how to complete the application, as
well as how the review and selection process works.
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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
Shayna Hoechst
Becky Pentel
RESERVES
Randy Pentel
Jim Knox
Jeff Parker
CHAPLAINS
Butch Millett
John Snider
Alberto Vargas
Lynn Liberman
Sue Plucker
Joel Detlefsen
Lenny Andrie
MARCH 4 2016
POLICE HANDGUNS
Between 2003 and 2014, outdoor sirens were acƟvated on average 10 Ɵmes per year
in Mendota Heights. This was due to the Dakota County and city emergency
manager’s policy to set off sirens during tornado warnings and all severe
thunderstorm warnings. When outdoor warning sirens are sounded to frequently,
they learned residents who frequently see no pending weather or damage in their
vicinity become desensiƟzed and may ignore the warning. This problem isn’t just
across Dakota County, it is across the country. CiƟes and counƟes are learning that
overuse of sirens may do more harm than good.
Beginning in 2015, outdoor sirens only sound when wind speeds are expected to meet
or exceed 70 miles per hour. This is an increase from the old standard. The new policy
conƟnues to acƟvate the outdoor warning sirens during tornado warnings but
changes to the sustained wind speed criteria will reduce the number of siren
acƟvaƟons during a severe thunderstorm.
With the new policy in effect, the use of outdoor warning sirens across Dakota County
have been reduced by 75 percent or more. In 2015, there was only 1 (non‐test)
outdoor siren acƟvated county‐wide!
IF YOU HEAR AN OUTDOOR WARNING SIREN, FIND OUT WHY!
Police handguns vary from agency to agency. In the agencies I've worked for, some
require officers to purchase their own guns, while others provide guns for the officers.
When I started with the Mendota Heights Police Department in 2006, we all purchased
our own handguns. We had a list of approved weapons that we could carry. In 2007,
the department made the decision to move to department owned guns. For the past 9
years, we've carried Glock model 22.40 caliber guns with weapon mounted tacƟcal
lights.
The department has recently started studying replacing our aging guns with new
handguns for officers. This study has consisted of a handgun commiƩee within MHPD,
who narrowed the gun choices down for officers to test. While we leaning toward a
Glock model, the decision is sƟll pending.
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AOA/PURSUIT FRIDAY 0237 HOURS
Maplewood PD requested assistance in a pursuit involving a male with outstanding felony warrants. Officers
Hilyar, Urmann and Shepard assisted in the pursuit. The vehicle finally ended up running out of gas in St
Paul and taken into custody.
AOA/PURSUIT #2 FRIDAY 1732 HOURS
Officer Mike Shepard assisted several agencies in a pursuit involving a male with an outstanding felony
warrant. The aggressive suspect vehicle drove through yards, nearly hit an officer, drove head on into an
occupied squad from another agency and prepared to flee again. Officer Shepherd’s squad was directly in
front of the fleeing car and stopped the suspect with his vehicle. The driver gave up, put his hands up and
was taken into custody.
FOUND PROPERTY MONDAY 0944 HOURS
Officer Todd Rosse responded to a local business on a found property report. Rosse was met with the
manager who informed him staff had located a phone in the men’s restroom. While attempting to the learn
the owner, suspicious data was found. Under investigation.
BURGLARY MONDAY 1727 HOURS
Officer Nick Gorgos and Sergeant Peyton Fleming responded to a home on a burglary report. Upon arrival,
he was met by the homeowner who stated that when he came home, he noticed a small glass window next to
the front door had been broken. He did not feel comfortable entering so he requested police assistance at
this time. Officers combed through the home and found the television ripped out from the wall and
dangling from the chords and the master bedroom was rummaged through. A jewelry box containing
“cheap” jewelry was also missing. No suspects at this time.
WARRANT TUESDAY 1630 HOURS
While on routine patrol, Officer John Larrive ran a license plate and it came back clear; however, the driver
had an outstanding gross misdemeanor warrant out of Anoka County. Larrive conducted a traffic stop,
made contact with the driver, identified him and told him was under arrest for the warrant. Larrive searched
the vehicle prior to the tow arriving and found a glass pipe containing burnt marijuana in it. The male was
issued a citation for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and transported to Dakota County Jail.
DAC/IPS WEDNESDAY 1223 HOURS
While on routine patrol, Officer John Larrive observed a vehicle that he knew from prior information to
have revoked plates and the vehicle owner to be DAC/IPS. Larrive conducted a traffic stop and confirmed
the revoked plates and DAC/IPS. Larrive removed the plates from the vehicle and allowed the male to drive
his vehicle a short distance home. He was issued a citation for Limited Drivers License Violation and
Revoked License Plates.
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02/26 ‐ 03/03 2016 YTD
Calls for Service 121 1,246
Citations 25 156
Warnings 23 177
Police Reports 21 175
Response Time Average 4.32 4.64
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
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!
At MHPD, we have a MedicaƟon
Disposal Box, however, we do not
accept any form of needles or
syringes for various safety &
health reasons.
DISPOSAL OPTIONS:
Clinics & Hospital CollecƟon Sites
Home Needle‐DestrucƟon
Devices Mail‐Back Programs
Dakota County Recycling Zone
3365 Dodd Rd.
Eagan, MN 55121
651.905.4520
Washington County
Environmental Center
4039 CoƩage Grove Dr.
Woodbury, MN 55129
651.275.7475
For more informaƟon on disposal
opƟons and informaƟon on
household hazardous wastes,
visit the MN PolluƟon Control
Agency’s website:
www.pca.state.mn.us/