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2005-08-19 Friday NewsCITY PONDS Both Council members and staff have been receiving complaints this summer regarding algae and duckweed growth on several ponds and lakes in the City. Sue contacted the DNR to ask if they have also been hearing a lot of complaints and to discuss the cause and possible solutions. Joel Stiras, DNR Fisheries, stated that they received more duckweed complaints last year. He also observed that filamentous algae bloom occurred earlier in this year than is typical, but does not know a reason for this occurrence as water temperatures were not warmer than usual. Joel and DNR staff recommends guiding residents toward prevention of increasing nutrient loading to ponds through buffer strips and use of no -phosphorous fertilizer. The DNR discourages the use of chemical sprays to kill the aquatic vegetation as decomposing vegetation creates more nutrients that will feed the problem in the future. In addition, elimination of duckweed can promote additional algae growth. Joel recommends removing the algae and duckweed using harvesting techniques such as dip nets or seines to skim the pond thereby removing the nutrients from the water. He also pointed out that if it appears that ducks and other birds are not hanging around a pond, it is not because of an over abundance of algae. If you have any additional questions DNR staffers Joel Stiras at 651-772-3796 or Neil Vanderbosch at 651-772-7956 would be glad to help you. FD HELPS INVER GROVE HEIGHTS At 1:00 a.m. this Tuesday there was a propane tank that was damaged at Farrell Gas in Inver Grove Heights and was leaking. There was no fire, but leaking propane gas poses a potential hazardous material problem. Inver Grove Heights had closed 117`x' Avenue by the BFI Landfill until the leak could be stopped. The surrounding air was monitored while crews worked to vacate the tank so that it could be repaired. Fire Chief Maczko called me on his way home in the morning to report the call. Besides Mendota Heights, Eagan, Hastings and the Dakota County Special Operations Team were called in to help IGH out. AUGUSTA SHORES Pat Hoffman, Peter Coyle and Brian Hower of Hoffman Homes came in to visit with Patrick Hollister and me to discuss Augusta Shores. They reported that as far as they know, everyone who purchased homes within their August Shores development is happy and the only one that complained about air noise sold her place for a nice profit, so she is happy too. They said a second unit is now for sale, also at a price much higher than their purchase price. They said that the average purchase price for the units was $500K. The purpose of their visit was to tell us that they desire to develop a second phase of town homes to the south of the ones now completed. We discussed with them the proposed change in airport noise contours resulting from the opening of the new runway. Staff told the gentlemen that the Council may wish to adopt the new contours if they are approved by the FAA. These new contours would put more land in the vicinity of Augusta Shores into an area compatible with residential development with the proper noise mitigation construction. Mr Coyle said that he and Mr Hoffman feel that the Council could approve a second phase of town homes even under the "old" noise contours. Mr Hoffman and Mr Coyle plan on attending a City Council meeting within the next few months for a preliminary discussion on a Phase II development for Augusta Shores before submitting a PUD concept plan to the Planning Commission. VILLAGE RETAIL COMING SOON The first retail building at The Village at Mendota Heights at Dodd Road and Highway 110 is well underway. Developer Ross Fefercorn received approval from the City Council on August 16 for signage for the first four retail establishments: Caribou Coffee, Wine Market by Kowalski, Cold Stone Creamery, and Fantastic Sam's. In addition, we are anticipating Sweatshop (a Pilates studio), as well as Vera's Salon. The green space in front of the retail building known as Market Square should be fully landscaped, complete with a fountain and sidewalks, by, mid-September. On the residential side, the housing component of the Village will be featured in this year's Parade of Homes starting on September 10. You can also participate in a bike ride through northern Dakota County on September 17, including a stop at the Village, sponsored by the Sierra Club. The bike ride is known as the "Tour de Sprawl". The Village was chosen as a stop on the tour for being a positive example of good land use. You can learn more about the Toler de Sprawl by visiting http://northstar.sierraclub.org/index.html. WAMPY'S PICTURES I was talking to former Planning Commissioner Bernie Friel this week and he told me that his web site www.wainpy.com now has over 2000 of his pictures in it. I think Bernie's pictures are awesome! Take a look and see if you don't agree. BEKKY LEAVES Friday was Police Secretary Bekky Trost's last day and we had a going away party for her in the Council Chambers at 10:30. Bekky has been here for over 15 years and we will miss her but it's on to bigger and better things. WORKSHOPS SET At this Tuesday's meeting the City Council set two workshops for September. On September 13°i they set a joint workshop with the Parks Commission to do a bus tour of the City parks and trails. (I found out after Tuesday night that there is a School Board primary election that evening, so there can be no City meetings). I am switching the meeting to Thursday September 8th. The meeting will leave City Hall at 5:30 p.m. in order to have enough light available for the tour. At 7:00 p.m. Thursday, September 22"d the City Council amid the Planning Commission will meet with the City Planner to discuss upcoming infill development with the City and whether any amendments need to be made to the City's Zoning Ordinance to better address future infill development. Respectfully submitted, Jim Danielson City Administrator Attachments: Just the Facts, Pipeline, Planning Commission Agenda, SouthWest Review Article "MH to celebrate 50th anniversary in 2006, Sun Current Article "MH opposes Highway 149 changes" and Villager Article "St. Paul College looks to get inventive with retooled machine shop program", Minnesota North Star Chapter (Village Retail attachment). Issue # 08-30 08/19/2005 Parking Complaint 08-13-051825 hours Homeowner reported to Officer Todd Rosse that there was a car parked across the end of her driveway. Officer Rosse located the owner of the car in a nearby restaurant. The car was moved. Medical / Underage Consumption 08-13-05 2013 hours Sergeant Donn Anderson and Officer Todd Rosse responded to the call of a 16 YOA passed out on the lawn. Upon arrival, they located a young man who was not able to speak and was in a comatose -like state. When HealthEast Ambulance arrived the young man was immediately loaded into the ambulance and transported to Regions. The paramedics requested Officer Rosse assist them in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. It was learned that the young man's parents were out of town and that he had consumed 24 shots of rum. The sister of the young man was located and responded directly to the hospital. It was later learned that the young man had been dumped by two buddies who ran off before the police arrived. They were located the next day and were still alive. The young man had been transferred to Children's Hospital and was not yet released. His BAC the night before was .34. Detox 08-14-05 0148 hours Officer Denise Urmann spotted the manager of the Moose Country removing an intoxicated male. In speaking with the manager the man let himself into the kitchen and began helping himself to food. The man PBT'ed at .27 BAC. He was transported to Ramsey Detox. Damage to Property 08-14-05 0346 hours Complainant advised Officer Denise Urmann that at approximately 0330 hours she heard a commotion in the driveway. In checking, she found the windows smashed out of her brother's car. When the caller came out she did spot a vehicle leaving the area and provided a description. She also advised that the family has been going through court proceedings with someone from West St. Paul. The victim checked the area around the home in WSP and did locate a possible vehicle -I- Issue # 08-30 08/19/2005 match. The case has been referred to investigations for follow-up. Assault 08-14-05 0840 hours Officer Steve Meyer responded to an assault call. Upon arrival, he spoke with the victim who was bleeding from the face. HealthEast ambulance was called to the scene. The victim refused medical assistance from the paramedics. He was advised to see a doctor and have his wound stitched up. The man advised that a sub- contractor who works for him showed up demanding to be paid. They argued for awhile and then he took some paperwork and began to review it. While reading the paperwork he was struck in the head and the suspect fled. Investigator Brian Convery took a statement from the suspect by phone. The statements and photographs have been forwarded to the Dakota County Attorney's Office for charging. Damage to Auto I Theft 08-14-05 1850 hours Officer Tanner Spicer responded to the scenic overlook on a smashed out car window. The witness reported the window to a car had just been smashed out. The window had not been damaged when she and her family pulled in to use the picnic area. When she returned to her car she noticed several young men jump into a black Jetta and quickly leave the area. The license plate that she wrote down matched the vehicle description. The victim who had been out running, lost her checkbook, IPOD and house keys. The case has been referred to investigations for follow-up Burnsville and Eagan Police Departments were notified to watch for the suspect vehicle. Theft 08-15-05 0710 hours The construction supervisor for the 135E de-icing equipment installation project reported to Sergeant Donn Anderson that a Bobcat excavator and an Ingersoll-Rand compressor, worth in excess of $45,000, were taken from the job site. The items were last used on 08-11-05 and were parked in the cloverleaf of 35E and Hwy 13. The highway safety cameras were checked but do not show the construction trailer. The case has no current suspects. Keep the Peace 08-15-05 1000 hours Officer Brian Convery responded to a harassment call. Upon arrival, Officer Convery spoke to the caller who reported that she and her 21 YOA son had been arguing since she ate a couple of his oatmeal cookies. She wanted her son to leave and he was refusing. The homeowner (dad of the caller, grandfather of the cookie owner) was not present during the argument. Mom and son blamed each other for the problem. Since neither of them had a valid driver's license they agreed to go to opposite corners of the house and not talk for the remainder of the day. Welfare Check 08-15-05 1735 hours Officer Todd Rosse responded to the area of Hwy 110 and Dodd Road on a driver that may have passed out. Officer Rosse located the vehicle parked in the Town Center development the driver was awake, stable but exhausted. She refused medical treatment but did wait for her mother to arrive and bring her home. Have a great weekend! Mike (D -2- N E W S LETTER uhe Pmipeline Public Works Engineering August 18, 2005 Code Enforcement Public Works The Parks Crew pulled the irrigation lines at Mendakota Park and at the Fire Hall. Sprinkler valves and pipes were installed to sprinkle the east yard of the Fire Hall (Warnke site). They began laying out and striping soccer fields for fall soccer. 580, the big mower broke down and needed repairing. The power went out at the Lilydale lift station at 11:30 P.M. and was out for an hour because of the storm. Rich sprayed Roundup (total weed killer) around guard rails and in our right-of-ways. He also sprayed the parks for broadleaf weeds. The Street Crew opened the depression on Enterprise Drive and Mendota Heights Road. They found the frame for the storm sewer manhole was broken, replaced it with a new one, backfilled, compacted and put down the first lift of asphalt. There were complaints about potholes on Diego Lane, Bachelor Avenue, Orchard and Mendota Heights Road and they filled them. A stop sign was replaced that was down on Nashua and Decorah from a tree that feel during the last storm. They cleaned storm grates and looked at an erosion problem at LCS, on Highway 13. CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA August 23, 2005 Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Approval of July 26, 2005 Planning Commission Minutes. 4. Hearings a. Case No. 05-34: St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 700 Wesley Lane — Lot Split to create an additional lot. Public Hearing 7:30 p.m. b. Case No. 05-35: Kevin Manley, 1205 Culligan Lane — Critical Area Permit for the construction of a new home. Public Hearing 7:45 p.m. c. Case No. 05-36: Gary Petrangelo, 1040 Douglas Road — CUP and Variance for an Accessory Structure. Public Hearing 8:00 p.m. d. Case No. 05-37: Michael Harms, 662 Sibley Memorial Highway — Variance for a Driveway Gate. Public Hearing 8:15 p.m. e. Case No. 05-38: Margie Scherzer, 1054 Overlook Road — Variance for Driveway. Public Hearing 8:30 p.m. Case No. 05-39: Francis Herman, 1848 Twin Circle Drive, Variance for Driveway. Public Hearing 8:45 p.m. g. Case No. 05-40: Resurrection Cemetery, 2101 Lexington Avenue — Wetlands Permit for grading. Public Hearing 9:00 p.m. h. Case No. 05-41: Dr. Matthew Sturmer, Parkview Cat Clinic, PA, Lexington & Mendota Heights Road (Northeast Corner) — Zoning Ordinance Amendment to all Cat Clinics in the B-1 Zone and a Conditional Use Permit for a Cat Clinic. Public Hearing 9:15 p.m. 5. Verbal Review 6. Adjourn 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 452-1850 with requests. MH to celebrate 50th anniversary in 2006 Mendota Heights' Commemorative Histori- cal Planning Team, led by Ultan Duggan and Richard Spicer, is planning a fun -filled active day Saturday, June 3, 2006, at Mendakota Park and Mendota Plaza. A parade of 1950s cars, a pride of CEOs and city dignitaries, a 5- 10K Walk/run, "lite sports events for all, involving teams from every. corner -of Men dota Heights. Light-hearted competition, bands, music and dance to tap your toes and slap your thighs as you hear the music rise. Not into sports? Then sharpen your quills. The contest includes the first-ever Mendota Heights writing and art contests. The subject: Mendota Heights. (Limericks also accepted!) Or, with crayon, pencil, water color or oils, create a still life or landscape or other image of Mendota Heights. Entries accepted until April 30, 2006. Win- ners will be announced at the celebration event on June 3. Judged by faculty representa- tives of Mendota Heights schools in art, English and composition. Wanted for the historical commemorative issue of the Heights Highlites: fold pliotos let- ters, post" cards, citations, mementoes, -etc. Check your attic; we will include a selection in our golden anniversary salutation to Men- dota Heights. The more volunteers there are, the more fun and successful the anniversary will be.. Stay tuned for more information on times and events you would be comfortable helping with. Aug.11,2005 City Council gives nod -for new office building, communication network and property ordinance BY KELLY SAuTH Sun Newspapers Improvement is good, but Mendota Heights city officials have a conflict with the definition. They are opposed to Eagan's plans to add more lanes to parts of Highway 149. Eagan hopes to see the reconstruction of the road and has requested support from its neighboring cities. Inver Grove Heights, Dakota County and Rosemount all sent letters of support. The Mendota Heights City Council rejected support- ing the project at its meeting Aug. 2. Eagan officials have said the project will help alleviate congestion on high- ways 110 and 3. But, Mendota Heights council members were not swayed. Mendota Heights Councilmember Ultan Duggan said it's not the project it- self that council members were dis- pleased with, but the way the recon- struction has been planned. "We're not against moving traffic bet- ter," Duggan said. But, he and other city officials are concerned about widening the highway to six lanes and then narrowing it to four lanes near the border: "We feel there's going to be a bottleneck there," Duggan said. www.mnSun.com would be exiting onto Interstate 494. "I think there's a lack of understand- , ing on [the Mendota Heights City Coun- cil's] part," Matthys said. "If the im- provement isn't done, there will be bot- tleneck and congestion on Highway 149." In other business: • The council jumped on the bandwag- on with other area cities regarding I- NET, a fiber-optic communication net- work that most area cities have already installed. Mayor John Huber said the new tech- nology would provide firefighters and police officers a more economical and se- cure means of communication, specifi- cally -for dispatchers. The council previously declined join- ing I -NET until a unanimous agreement was reached Aug. 2. Council members now expressed more confidence with the system. "I think it's a pretty good system now," Councilmember Jack Vitelli said. Payment for the network will come from cable franchise fees, said Huber. The council also gave Moen -Leiser Construction the go-ahead for develop ing four small office buildings near the intersection of interstates 494 and 35E. The council passed a Planned Unit De- velopment (PUD), which details the con- tractor's customized plans. The developer was granted a PUD ear- lier this year but allowed too much time to lapse before beginning the project, re- quiring him to reapply for a PUD. Council members said their opposi- "We look Forward to a good project," tion to the plan won't mean much. said Huber after the council unanimous "[Eagan] will probably go ahead [with ly passed the request. the project] anyway," Duggan said. The council also passed a property or - Eagan City Engineer Russ Matthysdinance that has been in the works for said that will probably be the case. more than two years. The ordinance de - "It's disappointing, [but] we're still tails with property maintenance regula- going to apply for funding [from the tions. state]," Matthys said. The next council meeting is at 7:30 He said most people who use the road ` p.m. Aug. 16. inventive resbach and Don Gundlach show off some of the new equipment at St. Paul iat could benefit local inventors. Photo by Brad Stauffer. "This partnership (with St. Paul Col- lege) could really benefit everyone in- volved," Balser said. According to him, it would give college students an opportu- nity to learn how to develop an idea for a new product and would help inventors bring their ideas to fruition. Working with inventors could help St. Paul College create greater interest in its machine shop program. About 50 stu- dents are enrolled in the program now, but the college would like to increase that. St. Paul College is one of the state's top machi.he, tool and die, and manufactur- ing training schools. To help maintain that competitive edge amid budget pres- sures, the college recently reduced its shop areas from three to two and trimmed its faculty positions from five to three. The. college also stocked the two shops with about $500,000 in new Haas Company equipment,. including mills, by Jane McClure Post -It notes, computers, farm implements, shopping bags, plastic containers, mechanical hoists—St. Paul has been the birthplace for many inventions. Now St. Paul College coiild help future inventors make their ideas be- come a reality. St. Paul College officials and the Minnesota Inventors Network are working on a partner- ship that would allow students using the col- lege's machine shops to create working prototypes of inventions. The college and the Inventors Network have discussed the part- nership for several months and hope to have a final agreement soon. Several issues must still be worked out, in - chiding how the college would be compen- sated for the work it does for inventors. The lathes and other state-of-the-art equip- ment. Haas also is loaning the college some mini -mills used in the manufac- turing process. The mills will be re- placed every three years. Students at the college can opt for ca- reer paths in mold shops, precision ina= shining, medical device manufacturing, defense manufacturing, contract ma- chine shop work, project management, specialized machine operations, and re- search and development. Stridents can seek degrees or certification in engi- neering technology, tool-making, bio- medical precision machining and machine operations. Students also can use their training toward completion of apprenticeship requirements in the manufacturing trades. " ' "This partnership with the inventors' group has the potential to help us con- tinue to meet the needs of the manufac- turing community;"I(Asbach said. Roger Belfay, a West 7th neighbor- colleges' corporate partners also have to sup- port the agreement. The idea already has the support of Mayor Randy Kelly. "This could certainly be an asset to the col- lege and to economic development for the greater community; said Sandra Krebsbach, dean of technology, trades and apprentice- ships at St. Paul College. Stillwater resident Bill Baker,who heads the Minnesota Inventors Network, a loosely knit group of about 50 members, has developed a curriculum for inventors, teaches"Inventre- preneur" classes and has invented several products himself.. One of his most successful inventions was a product to insulate glass pa- tio doors, which he developed during the na- tions energy -crunch in the early 1980s. WEDfVESDAI',A(JGUSfs]`0,2005`r hood resident and patent atiorney, said the proposed partnership would meet a need for local inventors. Belfay often works with inventors who struggle to find ways to get working prototypes made because of a lack equipment and materials. "This isn't a process where you can run out to Menards and get a few lengths of PVC pipe;' Balser said. "There's a process inventors need to follow to suc- ceed. That's where St. Paul College can be extremely helpful to our members." Another important part of the invent- ing process is market research. Balser said inventors need to figure out how their ideas would fit in the marketplace, what the competition is and who would purchase their products. Then there are the steps of setting up manufacturing and distributing operations, and getting patents. "Only about 15 to 20 percent of the in- venting process is actually coming up with your idea," Baker said."Much of the rest is research and marketing." St. Paul College/see page 26 Tour de Sprawl Page 1 of 2 Explore, enjoy and protect the planet Home Current Campaigns Outings & Events Get Involved Donate Much of this fun, leisurely bicycle ride of about 19 miles will be on quiet, sce and some rolling hills. See below for a general map of the route. The ride wi to five hours and feature rest stops where bikers will hear from city officials, community citizens. The tour appeals to both the serious recreational rider a ride their bike. All riders should bring a snack, a water bottle, and wear a h and be ready to have a great time! Advance Registration is highly recommended, but not required. Register now online! Registration ($15 and FREE for students) Includes: • Snacks • Lunch • Sag wagon support • Map • Expert guest speakers Commemorative 10th Annual Sierra Club Tour de Sprawl T -Shirts als only $101 http://northstar. sierraclub.org/campaigns/open-space/tour-de-sprawl/2005/index.html 8/18/2005 The Tour de Sprawl 2005 Land Use The Best of Development, Redevelopment and Open Space in the Twi Saturday, September 17th, 2005 Tour de Sprawl Registration: 9:30am Ride Begins: 10:00am "The Sierra Club's tenth annual Tour de Sprawl answers this question by combining a scenic bike ride with fun stops highlighting the best of community redevelopment & environmental protection in the Twin Cities. Search Join us on Saturday, September 17th to enjoy a leisurely ride " while exploring first hand how smart -growth developments, urban redevelopment and wonderfully preserved open spaces are making Exxpose Exxon J the Twin Cities a better place to live! The Sierra Club's tenth annual Tour de Sprawl is simply one of the most fun & entertaining events available to Sierra Club members and the environmental Sign up for Monthly e -Newsletters community. ° It's not a race, not a conference, and not a lecture. r For its :10th Anniversary, the Tour de Sprawl is returning to its roots Sign up for x in St. Paul. This years' route highlights: e -Action Alerts • Lamedevelopment develo entp__-ro osals on St. Paul's West ---_- - - --- —p • A new Mendota_ Heights town center • The Dodge Nature Center • The Robert Street_transit _studvcorridor • Dakota_County_'s excellent,_ growingtrail system Much of this fun, leisurely bicycle ride of about 19 miles will be on quiet, sce and some rolling hills. See below for a general map of the route. The ride wi to five hours and feature rest stops where bikers will hear from city officials, community citizens. The tour appeals to both the serious recreational rider a ride their bike. All riders should bring a snack, a water bottle, and wear a h and be ready to have a great time! Advance Registration is highly recommended, but not required. Register now online! Registration ($15 and FREE for students) Includes: • Snacks • Lunch • Sag wagon support • Map • Expert guest speakers Commemorative 10th Annual Sierra Club Tour de Sprawl T -Shirts als only $101 http://northstar. sierraclub.org/campaigns/open-space/tour-de-sprawl/2005/index.html 8/18/2005 Tour de Sprawl Page 2 of 2 Directions to Starting Point: Raspberry Island, St. Paul From downtown St. Paul, take the Wabasha Street Bridge over the MississiPl signs to "Harriett Island East Entrance" Turn LEFT onto Water Street. Turn LEFT on Levee Rd. and follow street under the Wabasha Bridge. Turn RIGHT onto the Raspberry Island access road. "r- If Arriving By Bus: Complete transit information is available �° www.metrotranslt_org or call 612-373-3333., AN Route Map TOUR O -E For More Information on the 10th Annual Tour de Sprawl Please contact JoshuaHoudek or call (612) 659-9124. About Us, I Newsletter_&_Action Alerts Groups I Join!. I _v.4!unteer I Contact_ Copyright © 2003-2005 Sierra Club North Star Chapter. All Rights Reserve( http://northstar. sierraclub. org/campaigns/open-space/tour-de-sprawl/2005/index.html 8/18/2005