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2016-04-29 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: May 3 City Council 7:00 p.m. May 7 Spring Clean-up Day Mendakota Park 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. May 10 Parks Commission 6:30 p.m. May 11 Airports Commission 7:00 p.m. May 17 City Council 7:00 p.m. May 24 Planning Commission 7:00 p.m. Attachments: Pipeline, Just the Facts CarFit Flyer April 29, 2016 2016 Parks Celebration Friday, June 3rd Music in the Park The Percolators Market Square Park @ 6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 4th Mendota Heights 5K walk/run Market Square Park @ 9:00 a.m. Park Celebration Mendakota Park @ 11:00 a.m. DNR schedules Public Hearings for Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area Rules Starting in 2013, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has been work- ing to update the Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area (MRCCA) Rules. The MRCCA is a 72-mile land corridor along the Mississippi River encompassing 54,000 acres of land including 30 jurisdictions. Land development in the corridor is currently guided by state regulations, which are implemented through local plans and zoning ordinances. Public hearings concerning the DNR's proposed rules are scheduled for the following locations and dates: Tuesday, June 14, 4:30 p.m. Schaar’s Bluff Gathering Center 8395 127th St. East, Hastings Wednesday, June 15, 4:30 p.m. Greenhaven Golf Course Event Center 2800 Greenhaven Road, Anoka Thursday, June 16, 10 a.m. Mississippi Watershed Management Organization 2522 Marshall St. NE, Minneapolis Interested parties can find additional information on the DNR's website: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/input/rules/mrcca/index.html Spring Clean-up Day Saturday, May 7, 2016 Mendakota Park 8:00 a.m. until Noon This event is open to Mendota Heights residents with a current ID, driving personal vehicles and small trailers. Visit www.mendota-heights.com for additional information. C on n ectin g c o mmun ity me mb e rs th ro ug h en rich in g a nd fun s ocia l a c tivitie s Ma y 2 01 6 is su e For more information on eac h ac tivit y call t he c ontac t and number listed below. P ic kle Ba ll 2 Se s s ion , Quick Lea rn Clas s e s Join us for a 2 class i ntroduction and quick learn of the game. We w ill focus on the basics and some pl aying. E quipment provi ded. Mon. June 13 & Wed. June 15 5:30 - 6:30 pm 2 Sessi ons $15. Rai n date 6/20/16 Mon. June 13 & Wed. June 15 6:30 - 7:30 pm 2 Sessi ons $15. R ai n date 6/20/16 C lick here to register for Qui ck Learn Classes or call 651-454-9822. Locati on: Marie Park, 1780 Li lac Lane, Mendota H ei ghts. H otli ne: 651-255-1174 for i nformation about i ncl ement w eather and class cancel ization. P ic kle Ba ll, O p en Play , F re e , N o Re g is tra tion Ne e ded . C ome out and pl ay for fun! B eginner to advanced pickle ball players w ill have the opportuni ty to w ork on thei r game w i th other pi ckl e bal l enthusi asts in a casual setting. N o schedul ed matches. Questions cal l MH Park and R ec at 651-454-9822 June 16 - August 30, Tuesdays & Thursdays at 9 a.m. June 22-August 31, Wednesdays at 6:30 pm Locati on: Marie Park, 1780 Li lac Lane, Mendota H ei ghts. Cribb a ge a n d Co ffee Joi n us for a casual game of cribbage w hile enj oying a w arm cup of coffee. When: Monday's 10 a.m. -12 p.m. Locati on: Par 3 Gol f C ourse C l ub House 1695 D odd R d., Mendota H ei ghts For More i nformation cal l 651-454-9822 Me ndo ta Heig hts Bo ok Clu b Ti tl es wil l be both fi cti on and nonficti on that appeal to adul ts. B ring your thoughts to share and a favori te ti tle or author that others might like to read. 3rd Wednesday each month, May 18. May Ti tle: The H eali ng, by Jonathan Odell Questions cal l Murray Wi l son , 651-554-6805. When: 10-11 a.m. Locati on: Mendota H eights Elementary 1970 Summi t Lane Mendota H eights Check i n at the front office, cl ub meets in the media center. C ost: Free N o R egistrati on N eeded Soc ia l S c rab ble D o you enj oy pl ayi ng scrabbl e and chatting about current events? C ome joi n us and play a game of scrabbl e and chat. We w i l l provide the suppl i es for playing. We al so have copies of the dai ly new spaper, hot coffee, Wi-Fi and comfortabl e seating. When: Wednesday's Ti me: 10 a.m. -12 p.m. Locati on: Par 3 Golf Course C lub House 1695 D odd R d. Mendota H ei ghts C ost: $0.50 N o R egistrati on needed. For More i nformation cal l 651-454-9822 Cra ftin g fo r a Cau s e H elp Meal s on Wheels by j oini ng w ith us to decorate paper bags. We start w i th pl ain whi te bags and turn them into w arm wished for nei ghbors recei vi ng thei r "Meal s on Wheel s". No RS VP necessary, al l are w el come. S uppl i es provided. When: 3rd Monday of each month, 11 a.m. May 16 at Mendota H ei ghts El ementary, 1970 S ummi t Lane, Mendota H eights. C heck i n at the offi ce. Activi ty hel d i n room #6. June 20, Jul y 18, Aug. 18, meeting at Thompson P ark Activi ty Center, 1200 Stassen Lane, West S t. Paul . For More i nformation: C all Li sa Grathen at 651-403-8302. Wha t E ls e is h a pp e nin g for Old e r Ad ults ? Thompson P ark Activi ty Center is a program sponsored by ISD 197 and serves residents i n Mendota H ei ghts, West S t.Paul and the E agan area. To see al l that is happeni ng at Thompson P ark, CLI CK HE RE to see our newsl etter or cal l 651-403-8300. A Collaborativ e of : Public Works The Parks Crew painted park signs. The fields were dragged and chalked. Grass was cut in the parks, when it wasn’t raining (only specific areas were mowed. Grass is being allowed to grow longer in the spring as part of the City’s Pollinator Friendly work plan). Brush was picked up in Victoria Highlands Park. Plumbing repairs were done at Mendakota and Kensington Parks. Electrical repairs were done at Mendakota Park. Repair work was done on the Toro mower. The Utilities Crew checked the lift stations daily. The Lilydale lift station was plugged with wipes and was cleaned out. The sprayer was repaired for the upcoming broadleaf spraying season. The manholes were checked and marked along Falls View Court and the Knollwood Court easement. The storm sewer overflow pipes were cleaned in Rogers Lake Park. Assisted the Streets Crew with cleaning out the catch basin on Winthrop Court. The Streets Crew picked up fallen tree limbs on Apache Lane. A debris pile that was left by a contractor on Coleshire Lane was cleaned up (the City will be billing the contractor for the time it took to clean up the debris). Signs were picked up from Advantage signs. The “no parking” signs were replaced on Northland Drive. Sod was picked up and placed on Knob Road. Potholes filled on South Plaza Drive, Decorah Lane, and Enterprise Drive. 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) – Installation of a retaining wall at the corner of Victoria and Stratford Lane, warranty issues, and punch list items are underway. Mendota Road Neighborhood Improvements (2016) – Bid opening was held on Wednesday at 10:00am. Six bids were received with McNamara Contracting providing the lowest bid. All six bids were extremely close and competitive. Bid award will be before City Council at the May 3 rd meeting. Construction is expected to begin in early June, after school is out. Update of Local Surface Water Management Plan (LSWMP) – The consultant is finishing the text of the LSWMP. Draft storm water models have been completed. A draft plan is expected by the end of June. Watershed approval is expected in August with City adoption in January 2017. The Pipeline N E W S L E T T E R Public Works Engineering April 29, 2016 Lake Augusta Alum Treatment (2016) –The Lower Mississippi River Watershed Management Organization (LMRMWO) has received the grant money from the Board of Soil and Water Resources (BWSR) to apply alum to the lake to control the amount of phosphorus in the water. The LMRWMO consultant will develop specs for the project and managing the program. Treatment is expected in the fall. County Projects Highway 110 Greenway Trail Crossing (2017) – Staff attended the monthly Project Management Team meeting on Wednesday . County staff is coordinating the trail alignment with representatives from MnDOT, Mendota Plaza and Dodge Nature Center. Design is anticipated to be complete in time to bid with the MnDOT Highway 110 Rehabilitation project (see below). For more information contact Jacob Rezak, Project Manager, at jacob.rezak@co.dakota.mn.us or by phone at 952-891-7981 Traffic Signal Improvements: I-494 & Pilot Knob Road (2016) – Staff attended a preconstruction meeting for the project on Tuesday. Construction will begin on May 11th and last until June 8th. One lane of traffic on Pilot Knob will be open at any point in time, and the contractor was instructed to have all travel lanes open during morning and evening peak periods. For more i nformation contact Stacy Reilly, Project Coordinator at stacy.reilly@co.dakota.mn.us or at 952-891-7935. East-West Transit Study – No additional information this week. The County’s consultant is looking at demand and optimal routes for east-west transit between Dakota and Scott Counties. Study completion is anticipated in January 2017. State Projects Highway 13 Slope Repair (2015-2016) – Staff is meeting with the contractor next week to discuss schedule and notifications. Construction is expected to resume in early June. A 4-5 week closure of Highway 13 between Sylvandale and Wachtler is anticipated during this period. Highway 110 Rehabilitation (2017) – Staff is working with MnDOT on establishing drainage easements for the project. A meeting has been scheduled for May 9 th with some adjoining property owners to discuss drainage in their area of the project. There is a project meeting scheduled for next week. For more information contact Molly Cline, MnDOT Project Manager, at 651-234-7723 or molly.cline@state.mn.us. Highway 149 (Dodd Road) Rehabilitation (2018) – There is a project meeting next week at MnDOT to discuss scope and design progress. Staff is working on getting a bike/pedestrian facility incorporated into the project from Marie Avenue north to Delaware Avenue (see Highway 149 Trail Corridor Plan below). For more information contact Tara McBride, MnDOT Project Manager at 651-234-7506, or tara.mcbride@state.mn.us for more project information. Pilot Knob Bridge over I-494 Expansion Joint Repair (2016) – MnDOT will be repairing the bridge deck concrete expansion joints on the Pilot Knob Road Bridge over I-494. Work is expected to take approximately two weeks, and is anticipated to begin immediately after the signal improvement project by Dakota County (see above) on or about June 8th. Other Activities Highway 149 Trail Corridor Plan & SHIP Grant – Staff is presenting the Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) between the City and the County at the May 3 rd City Council meeting. The JPA will allow the City to utilize the grant money to develop the plan. Staff hopes to use this plan to apply for a separate grant from the Metropolitan Council to construct a separated trail facility for non-motorized use between Marie Avenue and Delaware Avenue along Dodd Road. Asset Management – Work Order Module Training – Staff attended training on how to use the newly acquired work order tracking system that is part of our recently purchased asset management software. An electronic work order system will provide a more efficient way of l ogging daily activities, costs, and materials used. The system should be fully operational by the end of June. 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 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 APRIL 29, 2016 Our Stars and Stripes fly everywhere—in our schools, our government buildings, businesses, homes, even in corn fields. While it flies proudly at the top of the flagpole, we are inspired and filled with pride, especially during times of strife. When the flag is lowered to half -staff, we are reminded or alerted to a day to remember, honor, or grieve. Proper flag etiquette, according to The U.S. Flag Code, dictates that flags fly at full staff from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs. However, for a more patriotic effect, a flag can be flown 24/7 if properly illuminated. The flag is flown at half staff upon the death of principal US Government officials, most specifically the President, or former president, the Governor, Supreme Court Justice, Chiefs of Staff (past and present), among others. We also lower the American Flag to half staff on the following holidays :  Peace Officer’s Memorial Day, May 15 (sunrise to sunset)  Memorial Day (sunrise until noon)  Patriot Day, September 11 (sunrise to sunset)  Korean War Veteran’s Armistice Day (sunrise to sunset)  National Firefighter’s Memorial Day (sunrise to sunset)  Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, December 7 (sunrise to sunset) According to The Office of Governor Mark Dayton & Lt. Governor Tina Smith , there is also flag etiquette for our state flag in accordance with the U.S. Code, designed to “protect the integrity and special significance of lowering the flag.” There are no “laws” around the when and why to fly at half staff, but the purpose of The U.S. Flag Code is to “head off the trivialization of this memorial salute and to preserve the dignity and significance of flying the US flag at half staff.” To ensure you are raising and lowering your flag correctly, try subscribing to Half Staff.org or via the Governor’s office link above. US FLAG ETIQUETTE We are part of a pretty special family—the law enforcement family. When Officer Patrick passed away, our department felt the fellowship with that family in so many amazing ways. MN Law Enforcement Memorial Association (MNLEMA) was our most amazing supporter. We can never re-pay how much this service organization did for us and Scott’s family, and continues to do for agencies and survivor families. We look forward to Police Week as a time to reflect and a time to remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. It’s also a time to celebrate our community and our nation and be grateful for the safety and security we enjoy and often take for granted. May we never forget…. 2 DWI FRIDAY 0454 HOURS Officers Steve Hilyar and Denise Urmann were notified by dispatch of a road rage driving incident where the caller was being followed by a vehicle who was trying to run them off the road. Officers located the vehicle and came in contact with the sole male driver. They immediately observed a distinct odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath as well as bloodshot, droopy eyes. The male denied being involved in any road rage incident when asked. He was then asked to perform SFST’s in which he had a poor evaluation. South East was called to tow the vehicle and the male was placed under arrest for DWI. MEDICAL FRIDAY 1724 HOURS Officers Steve Hilyar and Mike Shepard responded to location on a juvenile male who had fallen over the edge of Ivy Falls approximately 30 feet. A friend stated it appeared to be an accident. MH Fire, Health East, DCSO and MN DNR responded to assist. The male was lifted up the side of the Falls with a Stokes basket and rope rigging. He had received multiple injuries. Note: The juveniles gained access to Ivy Falls by walking right past a sign advertising that the property is PRIVATE and there is NO TRESPASSING BEYOND THIS POINT. Safety first! DOMESTIC SUNDAY 1745 HOURS Officer Denise Urmann and Sergeant Peyton Fleming responded to a home on a verbal domestic. Upon arrival, officers made contact with the female who stated she was sitting in her car and her boyfriend was banging on the window to have her let him in. She stated the two of them got into an argument over missing text messages so she got in her car to leave. That is when he jumped into the bed of the truck, reached through the window and removed the gear shift of the truck. As soon as officers were called, he went inside the house. The boyfriend refused to speak with officers. The girlfriend said she didn't want anything done and that she would just leave for the night. THEFT MONDAY 1206 HOURS Officer John Larrive was dispatched to a local business on a theft report. Upon arrival, he was met by a store employee who advised him that a customer stole a pair of Jimmy Choo Alana sunglasses a couple of days prior and that the theft was caught on video surveillance. The suspect was in a couple days prior to set up an appointment and was seen on footage grabbing the sunglasses and walking out of the store. Larrive made a phone call to the suspect and asked her if she stole a pair of sunglasses and she admitted to the theft. She was asked to come in and give a statement. Case pending. 3 HARASSMENT TUESDAY 1019 HOURS Officer Todd Rosse met with complainant in the PD lobby concerning a possible OFP violation. She stated that she has an Order For Protection against her ex-boyfriend. She stated the order states he is to not contact her at her place of employment. Her employer received a phone call from her ex -boyfriend stating his name and that he was calling on behalf of his ex-girlfriend. He left a voicemail with several harassing communica- tions. In looking further into the OFP, it was determined that it was not served until later in the day, after the harassment took place. The OFP violation did not apply, but the harassing communications was sent for charging. FRAUD TUESDAY 1533 HOURS Officer Rosse responded to our police lobby to meet with the a complainant reporting fraud. His credit card company contacted him and informed him his card was used to make a purchase out of state —one charge had cleared, but further attempted transactions were stopped and were not authorized. They also informed him someone manually typed in the number, but his chipped credit card had not left his possession. No suspects and the victim was not out any money. Case inactive. THEFT WEDNESDAY 1033 HOURS Officer Robin Nelson responded to a local business on report of a theft from locker. The victim had placed his wallet into a patient storage locker in a changing room. Upon returning to the locker, he found his wallet stolen, which included his international ID forms, credit card and nearly $250 in cash. The area is only accessible by staff, but other patients had been in the area as well. No suspects, no surveillance available. Case inactive. 4 VANDAL SUSPECT APPREHENDED We’d like to send a special SHOUT OUT to our very own Public Works employee, Rich Burrows, for helping us out with the arrest of this vandal of the MH Lift Station. Public Works staff first notified us of graffiti being created on the Lift Station and security camera photos were posted on the City of Mendota Heights Facebook page. On Tuesday, Rich was working with St Paul staff on an area project when he spotted the suspect entering the area and his car. The stars were aligned and when he called officers; Officers John Larrive and Todd Rosse were able to get there quickly and ultimately arrested him. He was taken to jail and provided with a citation for Misdemeanor Property Damage, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and a few other crimes. St Paul was also happy to hear it—they have been looking for him too. Now that is team work! 04/22 - 04/28 2016 YTD Calls for Service 103 2,446 Citations 17 334 Warnings 13 315 Police Reports 13 322 Response Time Average 4.75 4.86 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!