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2016-07-15 Friday NewsJuly 15, 2016 921 R.DDAY City of Mendota Heights Weekly Update DATES TO REMEMBER: Tuesday, July 19 City Council 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 26 Planning Commission 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 2 Night to Unite Tuesday, August 2 City Council *8:00 p.m. "Note later start time Tuesday, August 9 State Primary Attachments.• Pipeline, Just the Facts Mendota Heights City Hall 1101 Victoria Curve www.mendota-heights.com Visit us on: Un Facebook.com/ MendotaHeightsMN LTeitter.com/ `ndota_heights City's new dump truck This 2016 Mack truck is a new addition to the Streets department. It will be used year-round for hauling and also for snowplowing. Absentee Voting taping place for State Primary vor Ballots can now be cast by absentee ballot for the State Primary. This option is available for voters who, for any rea- son, are unable to cast a ballot on election day. If you would like to vote in-person by absentee ballot, you may do so at the following locations: ♦ Dakota County Northern Service Center, 1 Mendota Road West, West St. Paul ♦ Dakota County Western Service Center, 14955 Galaxie Avenue, Apple Valley ♦ Dakota County Administration, 1590 Hwy 55, Hastings The Mendota Heights City Hall is no longer serving as an in-person absentee voting site. The Northern Service Center is conveniently located one mile east of Mendota Heights. To access it, travel east on Highway 110 and turn left on Mendota Rd. It is located two blocks to the east. You may also absentee vote the following ways: ♦On-Line—Go to MnVotes.org to apply for an absentee ballot. The ballot will be mailed directly to you. ♦ US Mail—Mail or fax a paper Absentee Ballot Application to Dakota County Elections, 1590 Highway 55, Hastings, MN 55033. Officials will mail a ballot to you. Hwy 13 slope Repair Update The private contractor is continuing work on the concrete wall. Most of the week was spent welding reinforcements. Concrete form parts have arrived onsite. Form construc- tion and rebar placement is expected to start next week. N E W S LETTER Public Works Engineering Code Enforcement/lit Public Works The Pipeline July 15, 2016 The Parks Crew cut grass, dragged and chalked fields. Tree material was picked up from the storm and hauled away. A concrete trip hazard was ground down at Mendakota Park. The Friendly Hills rink was torn down. The soccer fields and ball fields were striped. The Utilities Crew checked the lift stations daily. Sanitary sewer lines were cleaned on Woodridge Drive, Acacia Boulevard, Cascade Lane, Maple Park Drive, Falls View Court, Norma Lane and Ashely Lane. A sewer inspection repair was done at 514 Staples Avenue. Fire hydrant painting continues. The Streets Crew did a stop sign replacement on Park Place Circle. Catch basins were cleaned after the storm. A large tree limb was removed that was blocking the sod installation at the retaining wall project on Victoria Road. The equipment expo was attended at Towmaster. Training was done on the salt spreader that was installed on the new truck. Blacktop patching was done on Commerce Drive. A sign order was picked up from Advantage Sign and Graphics. A wobbly mailbox was fixed on Victoria Road. The black dirt supply was restocked. Engineering - Project descriptions simplified for easier reading. For more information, please contact the Engineering Department at (651) 452-1850. City Proiects (construction year) Victoria Road Reconstruction & Rolling Green Neighborhood Rehabilitation (2014/2015) - Landscape and catch basin installation at the corner of Stratford and Victoria is scheduled for the coming weeks. Mendota Road Neighborhood Improvements (2016) - Contractor has started the project. Pavement removal and storm sewer installation has begun on Mendota Road. Substantial completion for Mendota Road (frontage road) is estimated for early September; substantial completion for Warrior Drive, High Ridge Circle, and Sibley Court is expected in early August. Update of Local Surface Water Management Plan (LSWMP) - The consultant was sent the 1993 city-wide model. Watershed Management Organization approval is expected in August with final City adoption in January 2017. Lake Augusta Alum Treatment (2017) -The Lower Mississippi River Watershed Management Organization (LMRMWO) will be managing the project that will apply alum to the lake to reduce the amount of phosphorus in the water. Treatment is expected in September/October of 2016 or spring of 2017. Ivy Falls Creek Control Structure Repair (2016) - Staff will be including the lining of a faulty outlet pipe at one of the storm water ponds located on Somerset Country Club with the Sanitary Sewer Lining contract to be executed later this year. Staff will provide a temporary repair until then. County Projects Highway 110 Greenway Trail Crossing (2017) - 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). County staff will be participating in an open house on August 18th at Market Square Park (City Hall will be the backup location if weather impacts the park site). For more information contact Jacob Rezak, Project Manager, at 952-891-7981 or jacob.rezak(a)co.dakota.mn.us Traffic Signal Improvements: I-494 & Pilot Knob Road (2016) - Signal installation is complete. A Joint Powers Agreement for shared financing of the project was approved at the July 6th City Council Meeting. If issues arise with the new signals, contact Stacy Reilly, Project Coordinator at stacy.reilly(a)co.dakota.mn.us or at 952-891-7935. State Proiects Highway 13 Slope Repair (2015-2016) - Highway 13 is now closed and will reopen on September 2nd. MnDOT issued a permit for the closure. The City has asked for weekly updates that will be posted on the City web page. The City's Facebook site will also be used to communicate updates. Highway 110 Rehabilitation (2017) -Construction staging and detour routes are being evaluated in response to a business meeting held on June 29th. MnDOT has already began to act on issues raised by area residents during a neighborhood meeting held on June 15th. There will be a public open house at Market Square Park on August 18th from 4:30 - 6:30 (City Hall will be the backup location if weather impacts the park site). For more information contact Molly Cline, MnDOT Project Manager, at 651-234-7723 or molly.cline(a)state.mn.us. Highway 149 (Dodd Road) Rehabilitation (2018) - Staff is assisting the MnDOT project team in producing the Environmental Document for the project, and is coordinating the incorporation of the trail gap segment between Maple Street and Marie Avenue. Staff met with MnDOT to finalize the details of incorporating the trail into the highway project. Staff provided construction details for the trail segment from South Plaza Drive to Mendakota Park. This section will be rehabilitated in conjunction with the MnDOT project. Contact Tara McBride, MnDOT Project Manager at 651-234-7506, or tara.mcbride()state.mn.us for more project information. Other Activities Engineering Consultant Services Pool - Staff is producing the contract documents to send to the selected consultants. By establishing a pre -approved consultant pool, the City will be able to more quickly and efficiently bring in consultant assistance on projects and other necessary tasks. Please contact the Engineering Department for questions or further information. Highway 149 Trail Corridor Plan & SHIP Grant - Staff received preliminary cost estimates and recommended trail alignments from our consultant. These were sent to Dakota County for inclusion in the Regional Solicitation Grant Application through the Metropolitan Council. The grant application will be a joint application with Dakota County and would be for funding to construct a separated trail facility between Marie Avenue and Delaware Avenue along Dodd Road, as well as part of the Mendota -Lebanon Hills Greenway Trail from Decorah Lane/Wagon Wheel Trail south to Mendota Heights Road. Grant applications are due July 15th Pollinator Friendly Activity/Victoria Road Public Seminar - Staff is assisting area Dakota County Master Gardeners in hosting an "open house" style seminar at the corner of Victoria Road and Douglas Road on July 27th from 6:30pm-7:30pm. In 2014, the City reconstructed Victoria Road in this area and worked with Master Gardeners to plant native grasses and flowers along the road way between Marie Avenue and Douglas Road. There was also a "no -mow" grass patch planted north of Douglas. This was a pilot project to demonstrate the survivability and benefit of utilizing native plantings along roadsides rather than traditional turf. The seminar is open to the public. 1 CHIEF Mike Aschenbrener SERGEANTS Eric Petersen Tanner Spicer Peyton Fleming POLICE OFFICERS John Larrive Todd Rosse Jeff VonFeldt 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 Jon Clayton Dan Iverson Ut IS T>A rt 8 o TUESDAY, AUGUST 2ND, 2016, IS THE 8TH ANNUAL MN NIGHT TO UNITE! JULY 15, 2016 NIGHT to UNITE! Neighbors Joining Together Strengthen your neighborhood and connect with your partners in public safety by hosting a party today. By filling out the Night to Unite form found on the city website and submitting it by July 22nd, your neighborhood can build awareness around crime prevention and get to know your local public safety team members. Questions? Contact the Mendota Heights Police Department WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ON AUGUST 2ND! Submitted n P emKnad Police Ser Y: Tanner geant IT'S A SCAM! Spicer One particularly common scam we are seeing quite a bit recently is an "IRS" scam. � The potential victim receives a phone call from a convincing and official sounding per- son who identifies themselves as an IRS agent, threatening to sue the potential victim for unpaid taxes. The recipient becomes a victim once they take the bait and follow the instructions to purchase money orders or even iTunes cards and provide the num- bers for the card to the "agent" who has remained on the phone with the victim all � the way through the purchase of the card. Under no circumstances should you divulge your private information. The CHAPLAINS IRS will not contact you by phone or email to tell you that you owe them money; if Butch Millett you do owe the IRS money, they will send you official, hand -delivered mail. If you John Snider Alberto Vargas receive a phone call, message or voicemail from someone claiming to be from the IRS Lynn Liberman demanding you purchase money orders, iTunes cards or give them banking infor- Sue Plucker Joel Detlefsen mation to settle a debt to avoid legal action, hang-up the phone or simply delete the Lenny Andrie message. If you have fallen victim to this scam, there is very little chance you will be able to recover any of the funds you have lost. For more information on protecting yourself from identity scams, please visit the Federal Trade Commission's website. wo i @Q9 @QTOOO I IDENTITY THEFT FRIDAY 0930 HOURS Sergeant Eric Petersen took an identity theft report from a male who reported noticing several of his Flex Perks miles had been used by several suspects for airline tickets traveling from Abidjan to such destinations as I Rio De Janeiro and Port Au Prince Haiti. The male contacted his financial institution immediately and I I through their investigation, $12,000 worth of airline tickets were purchased. The male was ultimately reimbursed and was advised to file a report with the FTC. I STOLEN BICYCLE FRIDAY 1620 HOURS Officer Denise Urmann received a request to call complainant regarding a bicycle theft. The woman reported that her juvenile daughter was babysitting at a home and had her 1999 Girls Schwinn 10 Speed Mountain Park parked out in the front yard. She left to go to the park and when she returned, the bike was missing. No suspects. I I PI ACCIDENT FRIDAY 1713 HOURS I Officers Steve Hilyar and Denise Urmann responded to a single vehicle crash where a vehicle struck a power line pole causing power outages to the surrounding area. The drive had minor injuries and was issued a I I citation for Operating a Vehicle with Unsafe Equipment. I I ARSON FRIDAY 2013 HOURS Officer Steve Hilyar responded to a home on a property damage report. He met with the homeowner who stated that unknown persons entered her property, cut the flowers from her hanging basket, ignited the fire pit cover on fire and ignited a small fire under her deck stairs that caused burned/scorched wood. When asked if she knew anyone who would have done it, she said her roommate just had a breakup and perhaps the ex could have done it. A neighbor approached Hilyar to tell him that three of his tires were slashed I overnight. He advised the neighbor to file a report. No arson suspects as of this time. I AOA - DWI SATURDAY 0922 HOURS I I Officer Denise Urmann overheard dispatch air a driving complaint on 35E where suspect vehicle was driving on a rim and all over the road. The vehicle exited onto Hwy 13 so Urmann responded to the area and found the vehicles front left tire tread was completely gone so she activated lights and sirens. She made contact with the female driver and asked what she was doing. The female answered, "I don't know." Her eyes were bloodshot and her speech was thick tongued. She stated she had three glasses of wine. MN State Patrol arrived on scene at this time and conducted the field sobriety tests and Urmann cleared the scene. 3 @Q9 @QTOOO I DOC/INDECENT EXPOSURE SUNDAY 0222 HOURS Sergeant Peyton Fleming was monitoring bar close at a nearby establishment when he observed a male standing next to a car where he could only see his head and feet. He began to notice a puddle by his feet getting larger, consistent with urinating. Fleming exited the squad, approached the male, and asked him what I I he was doing. The male stated, "nothing." Fleming asked why he was urinating in the parking lot and he did I not respond. Fleming then asked how he was planning on getting home as he was clearly intoxicated and standing next to his vehicle. The male called his brother for a ride home and Fleming issued him a citation for Indecent Exposure. ROBBERY MONDAY 1944 HOURS Officers Jeff VonFeldt, Nick Gorgos, Phil McCarty and assisting WSP Officers, responded to a local pharmacy on a robbery in progress where two black males took numerous drugs from the pharmacy. While I en route, they were informed that the suspects left the store and fled in a silver vehicle. In speaking with the I manager of the pharmacy, she stated that one male was wearing a black wig and the other a striped shirt roaming the store. The two males both jumped the counter, demanded the "good stuff' and said "Don't make me open fire on you." The manager then opened the secured cabinets and the males emptied them into a trash can then left to meet their accomplice driver out the front door. Under investigation. I PD ACC/DRUGS/DRIVE W/O DUE CARE TUESDAY 1646 HOURS Officers Todd Rosse and Nick Gorgos responded to a three vehicle property damage accident. Upon arrival, it was learned that there were no injuries and two of the three vehicles were parked legally and unoccupied. The juvenile driver admitted that he reached down to change the CD in his stereo and took his eyes away from the road and struck a parked vehicle causing that vehicle to strike the parked vehicle in front of hers. An anonymous party wanted to report that they saw the driver throw something into the swamp area prior to officers arrival. Gorgos located a dirty white sock containing a metal grinder with residue and a small plastic baggy of marijuana inside of it. The driver admitted to throwing the items out of his vehicle. The driver was I I given a ride home and also issued a citation for Driving Without Due Care, Possess Marijuana in a MV and I I Possess Drug Paraphernalia. 4 t IDB�T�\ HELP KEEP YOUR COMMUNITY GANG FRFT- Follow these gang violence prevention tips from McGruff; • Talk to school staff about gang risk factors and how to recognize gang -related behaviors. • Know where your child spends his/her time and who he/she spends time with. • Educate your child about the consequenc- es of gang involvement and help him/her practice refusal skills. Encourage your child to get involved in positive school and community activities. • Report suspected drug or gang activity to police. To learn more about gang prevention, visit nc c.orT Please send us your positive feedback on our staff to: pdrecords@ mendota-heights.com Your feedback zs greatly appreciated and hells boost the morale of our staff. o � I I as aaQ I 07/08-07/14 2016 YTD Calls for Service I � I Citations Warni. 1 ' Police Ir I I Response .verage I Check out the MH Crime Map! Click below to search your neighborhood: https://www.raidsonline.com 1101 Victoria Curve, Mendota Heights, MN 55118 Medication 0ispasal • • 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.