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2016-08-05 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: Monday, August 8 Parks Commission 6:30 p.m. *Meeting rescheduled from Aug 9 Tuesday, August 9 State Primary Tuesday, August 16 City Council Tuesday, August 23 Planning Commission 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 6 City Council 7:00 p.m. Attachments: Pipeline, Just the Facts Aug 5, 2016 Filings Open for Mayor and City Council State Primary—August 9 Voting hours: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Go to mnvotes.org for answers to your voting questions… ~ Am I registered to vote? ~ Apply for an absentee ballot ~ How to register to vote ~ Where do I vote? ~ What are the election dates ~ Get a copy of your ballot Hwy 13 Slope Repair Update The private contractor is continuing work on the concrete wall at the site to the east of Wachtler Ave. The contractor poured concrete for the second of three retaining wall sections this past week. Forms and steel reinforcement are being placed for the third pour, which is scheduled for next week. Ma- terials for the modular block portions of the retain- ing wall have begun to arrive on site, and block placement is scheduled for next week as well. The highway is scheduled to reopen Sept 2nd. 2016 Concert Series Wednesdays 6:30 p.m. @ Market Square Park Rain or Shine Aug 10….Shopp The 2016 General Election ballot will include the Mendota Heights city of- fices of mayor and two council members. The term of office for mayor is two years. The term of office for a councilmember is four years. Affidavits of candidacy for these offices can now be filed with the city clerk at the Mendota Heights City Hall until 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 16, 2016. ***I-35E to Close This Weekend*** (8/5/16 to 8/8/16) Interstate 35E will be closed this weekend between Shepard Road and I- 94. The closure will begin at 10:00 p.m. on Friday (8/5/16), and the high- way will reopen at 5:00 a.m. Monday (8/8/16). Both directions will be closed during this period. In addition, the northbound ramps will from TH13 and Highway 110 will be closed from 3 a.m. until noon on Saturday (8/6/16). I-35E will be closed this weekend between Shepard Road and I-94. Closure will begin at 10:00pm on Friday (8/5), and the Highway will reopen at 5:00am Monday (8/8) morning. Both directions will be closed during this period. The northbound closure will extend to Highway 110 until noon on Saturday (8/6). Public Works The Parks Crew painted picnic tables. Playground repairs were completed, and assisted with a lift station repair. Grass was cut and weeds were sprayed in the parks City-wide. The Utilities Crew checked the lift stations daily. Guard rails were sprayed for weeds on rights-of-way. An air conditioner was installed for the computer server room at Public Works. Sanitary sewer lines were cleaned on Dodd Road, Ivy Hill Drive, and Sylvandale Road. Roots were cut and root killer applied on Dodd Road. There was a call Saturday morning at 9:00 am to come in because of a power outage at the Northland lift station. Root cutting in the sanitary sewer lines was also done in two spots at the Eagle Ridge townhomes. The Streets Crew cut weeds on the north end of the city. Barricades were delivered and picked up for Night-to-Unite. Blacktop repair was done in the Centre Pointe business district. Catch basins were cleaned before and after the rain storm. Cutting blades on the brush mower were picked up and changed. Storm debris clean-up was done city wide. 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) – Project is nearly complete. Sidewalk installation at Walsh & Victoria is being scheduled through Xcel Energy’s contractor. Sod issues persist with one resident. Issue is being worked with the contractor. Mendota Road Neighborhood Improvements (2016) – The first lift of pavement in the rehabilitation portion of the project (Warrior, Sibley, High Ridge) is complete. Reconstruction of Mendota Road from Warrior to Delaware is essentially complete and awaiting pavement. Storm sewer installation on Mendota Road is complete, and curb placement is nearly complete. The Pipeline N E W S L E T T E R Public Works Engineering August 5, 2016 Update of Local Surface Water Management Plan (LSWMP) – The consultant has completed the city-wide model. The last step is to verify the model with our existing storm-sewer as-built drawings. A draft plan is expected to be before City Council in September. Watershed Management Organization approval is expected in October 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 shortly after ice-out in the spring of 2017. 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 area business open house on August 11th at 8:00am at City Hall. There will be a public 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@co.dakota.mn.us East-West Transit Study – Staff attended a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting on Thursday. The TAC discussed the final goals and objectives of the study to be presented to the policy makers later this year. State Projects 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 contractor poured concrete for the second of three retaining wall sections this past week. Forms and steel reinforcement are being placed for the third pour, which is scheduled for next week. Materials for the modular block portions of the retaining wall have begun to arrive on site, and block placement is scheduled for next week as well. The project remains on schedule for re-opening the highway no later than September 2nd. The City’s Facebook site and web page will also be used to communicate further updates. Highway 110 Rehabilitation (2017) – Construction staging and detour routes are being evaluated in response to a business meeting held on June 29th. There will be a local business open house at City Hall on August 11th from 8:00am to 9:30am. There is also 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@state.mn.us. Highway 149 (Dodd Road) Rehabilitation (2018) – Staff is assisting the MnDOT project team in incorporating the trail gap segment between Maple Street and Marie Avenue. Staff provided construction details for the trail segment from South Plaza Drive to Mendakota Park, which will be rehabilitated as part of the project. The Limited Use Permit for the City trail in State Right-of-Way may need to be renewed as part of the project. Contact Tara McBride, MnDOT Project Manager at 651-234-7506, or tara.mcbride@state.mn.us for more project information. Other Activities West Saint Paul – Delaware/Butler Intersection Closed – The City of West Saint Paul is closing the Delaware Avenue/Butler Avenue Intersection until August 16th for sanitary sewer repair work. For more information call Ross Beckwith, West Saint Paul Public Works Director, at 651-552-4130. Lower Mississippi River Watershed Management Organization (LMRWMO) – Staff attended the monthly meeting of the LMRWMO Board of Managers on Wednesday in West Saint Paul. Ongoing grant fund applications and upcoming projects were discussed. Also, a report from the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) was presented describing the upcoming audit of the LMRWMO. Valley Park Vegetation Management – Staff met with representatives from Great River Greening and Xcel Energy to discuss development of a comprehensive vegetation management plan for the Valley Park area. Great River Greening will research grant opportunities, and Xcel is going to look into how to execute a cooperative agreement between the utility and the City. More to come….. Public Works Director/City Engineer Transition – Staff met on Friday to go over the transition over the next several months given the resignation of the Public Works Director/City Engineer. The City Administrator will be presenting different options to the City Council ahead of the upcoming budget workshops. 1 The latest from the Mendota Heights Police Department 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 CHAPLAINS Butch Millett John Snider Alberto Vargas Lynn Liberman Sue Plucker Joel Detlefsen Lenny Andrie AUGUST 5, 2016 FIRST ELECTRONIC TRAFFIC SIGNALS On August 5th, 1914 the world’s first electric traffic signal was put in place on the corner of Euclid Avenue and East 105th Street in Cleveland, Ohio. In the earliest days of the automobile, navigating America’s roads was a chaotic experience, with pedestrians, bicycles, horses and streetcars all competing with motor vehicles for right of way. The problem was alleviated somewhat with the gradual disappearance of horse-drawn carriages, but even before World War I it had become clear that a system of regulations was necessary to keep traffic moving and reduce the number of accidents on the roads. As Christopher Finch writes in his “Highways to Heaven: The AUTO Biography of America” (1992), the first traffic island was put into use in San Francisco, California in 1907; left-hand drive became standard in American cars in 1908; the first center painted dividing line appeared in 1911, in Michigan; and the first “No Left Turn” sign would debut in Buffalo, New York, in 1916. Source- http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-electric-traffic-signal-installed Minnesota's "No Texting while Driving" Law It is illegal for drivers to read/compose/send text messages and emails, or access the Internet using a wireless device while the vehicle is in motion or a part of traffic —including stopped in traffic or at a traffic light. This also includes accessing social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snap- chat etc. Cell phone use is totally banned for school bus drivers. Cell phone use is also totally banned for teen drivers during their permit and provisional license stages. STAY ALIVE & DO NOT TEXT AND DRIVE! 2 DRUG PARAPHERNALIA SUNDAY 1833 HOURS Officer Nick Gorgos and Officer Jeff VonFeldt responded to a report of a man down at a local intersection. Upon arrival the Officers found a man on the ground next to a tree. After speaking with the male, the officers became suspicious of narcotics use do to the responses the man was giving. Officers searched the male and drug paraphernalia was found. The man was cited and released. SUSPICION SUNDAY 2059 HOURS Officer Jeff VonFeldt responded to a call regarding an incident where someone attempted to go in a victims apartment. The victim reported that while sitting in her living room she heard someone trying to open her front door. Just before she opened the door, thinking it was her boyfriend, she looked out the peephole and noticed a female at her door. When the victim opened the door the woman ran out the doors of the building. The victim wanted to report the suspicious activity due to her apartment being broken into while she was out of town a few months earlier. MISSING PERSON/ATTEMPT TO LOCATE MONDAY 0028 HOURS Officer Nick Gorgos responded to a call of a concerned mother regarding her adult son not returning home. The mother reported that she was concerned after not being able to make contact with her son and his phone going straight to voicemail which was not normal behavior for him. A KOPS alert was issued for the son. Later in the day, Officer Denise Urmann made contact with the family and learned that the son was now home safe and that he had checked himself in to an area hospital. KOPS alert was cancelled. THEFT OF MAIL MONDAY 1342 HOURS Officer Denise Urmann responded to a local residence regarding a theft of mail report. The victims said that they had been gone for a few days and that when they returned home they noticed that their mailbox door was down and the box was empty. The victims were unsure what if any mail was taken but wanted to report it. The victims were also going to contact the association to notify other residents, due to numerous other mailboxes being open on the same side of the street. AOA MONDAY 1633 HOURS Sergeant Tanner Spicer and Investigator Chad Willson responded to the MHPD lobby regarding a party who wanted to turn himself in for felony crimes. The party admitted to swindling thousands of dollars from a number of parties. The crimes were determined unreported at the time and all had occurred in other jurisdictions. Contact was made with the agencies involved and ultimately the Washington County Sheriffs took custody of the party after an initial report was made in the city of Newport. DOMESTIC/AOA TUESDAY 2050 HOURS Officer Jenny Fordham and Sergeant Peyton Fleming responded to assist in locating a watercraft on the river from which 911 was called in regards to a possible domestic. After locating the watercraft, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office investigated and determined there was no assault and that both parties were intoxicated and needed to be separated for the evening. MHPD then assisted by transporting one of the parties to a hotel. 3 07/29-08/04 2016 YTD Calls for Service 145 5,184 Citations 7 489 Warnings 12 488 Police Reports 14 600 Response Time Average 4.95 5.16 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 HAVE A SAFE WEEK! CALL 9-1-1 FOR ANY RESPONSE EMERGENCY OR NON-EMERGENCY 24 HRS A DAY Residents should call 9-1-1 any time they need Police, Fire or an Ambulance to respond. But it’s after hours! Now what do I do? If you arrive at the Police Department and find the door locked, but you have an urgent question or situation, you can use the phone located in the police (lower level) vestibule and connect directly with Dakota County Dispatch.