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2016-08-19 Friday NewsNEWS The Pipeline vjow, LETTER 0,1ftatDpi Public Works Engineering \\\ 9 August 19, 2016 This will be my final Pipeline as Public Works Director/City Engineer for the City of Mendota Heights. It has been a distinct honor and privilege to serve the people of this great city for the past 8 years. While I am moving on in the employment realm, I will be remaining a Mendota Heights resident, and I sincerely hope I have the opportunity to serve the people of Mendota Heights again in the future. Sincerely, John R. Mazzitello, PE, PMP, MBA Public Works Director/City Engineer Public Works The Parks Crew trimmed trees along the trails on Victoria Avenue, Lexington Avenue, Marie Avenue, Huber Drive, and Kensington Park. The ballfields were dragged, chalked and the fields striped. Grass was cut. The soccer nets were installed on the goals. The Utilities Crew checked the lift stations daily. Sanitary sewer lines were cleaned on Callahan Place and Knob Road. He assisted the Parks Crew with tree trimming along the pedways. A sanitary sewer inspection was done on Lemay Shore Drive. The Streets Crew replaced vandalized signs on Maple Park Drive and Ivy Hill Drive. Catch basins were cleaned. Blacktop repair was done on Centre Point Drive, Wachtler Avenue, Emerson Avenue and Sylvandale Road. The shop was cleaned and organized for the pre OSHA inspection. Locates were performed for sign replacements in the Knollwood area. Engineering - Project descriptions simplified for easier reading. For more information, please contact the Engineering Department at (651) 452-1850. City Projects (construction near) Mendota Road Neighborhood Improvements (2016) - The first lift of pavement is complete. Contractor is working on the trail segment from Brookside to Laura as well as pedestrian ramps and trail work along Mendota Road. Update of Local Surface Water Management Plan (LSWMP) - Staff is expecting a draft plan any day now. The 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. The grant received for the treatment includes the treatment of Sunfish Lake. The City of Sunfish Lake is trying to collect the City matching funds from residents. Because the LMRWMO has to wait for the Sunfish Lake matching funds, treatment is expected shortly after ice -out in the spring of 2017. If Sunfish Lake is unable to collect the matching funds, the LMRWMO will proceed with Lake Augusta on its own. County Projects Highway 110 Greenway Trail Crossing (2017) - City and County staff participated in a public open house on Thursday at Market Square Park hosted by MnDOT. County staff continues to coordinate 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 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 has completed all portions of the retaining wall. They are fine grading out the area and will be installing the turf reinforcement mat and landscaping next week. 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) - MnDOT hosted a public open house at Market Square Park on Thursday. About 60 people attended. Construction is scheduled to begin in the spring with the directional closures of Highway 110 beginning in early June. 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 a trail gap segment between Maple Street and Marie Avenue. Staff attended a Project Management Team (PMT) meeting on Tuesday where pedestrian crossings and intersection configurations are being discussed. The Intersections of Dodd and Decorah/Wagon Wheel is being analyzed for a safe pedestrian crossing, as is the intersection of Emmerson and Dodd (at Somerset Elementary School). Contact Tara McBride, MnDOT Project Manager at 651-234- 7506, or tara.mcbride@state.mn.us for more project information. Other Activities Public Works Director/City Engineer Transition - A consultant has been brought on board to assist with the transition in the Public Works Department. The City Administrator will be presenting different organizational options to the City Council ahead of the upcoming budget workshops. 1 ElLit 11541 !tir (4%) °F 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 19, 2016 lust the Facts" Pmbng Your HaN • Hand your mail directly to a letter carrier, or use the letter slots at your local Post Office. Do NOT put outgoing mail in your mailbox with the flag up. • Pick up your mail regularly. Don't leave letters in the mailbox for several days, over the weekend or even overnight, if possible. Make checking your mailbox part of your daily routine. • Notify the Post Office if you change your address. • Don't send cash or sensitive information through the mail. • Alert the Post Office if you are going out of town. • Contact the Post Office if you don't receive a check or other piece of valuable mail you're expecting. • Keep an eye out. Watch your neighborhood mailboxes for suspicious characters. Report anyone loitering or behaving strangely around your mailbox. • If you see mail theft in progress or believe your mail was stolen, call the police! Did Tsu Kim.? Sub''„,, Police Officery Phil McCarty Did you know that in Minnesota you are required to have your headlights on for reasons other than it being dark? Minnesota State Statute requires the driver of a vehicle to have their head lights on any time from sunset to sun rise, but the same statute requires your headlights to be on anytime it is raining, snowing, sleeting, or hailing. It also requires you to have your headlights on anytime that the weather does not allow clear vision for at least 500 feet. This could include smoke, fog, or numerous other weather conditions. There is a reason why your lights need to be on, and the reason is safety. Many new vehicles are equipped with daytime running lights, which keep your headlights on even during the day. Vehicle manufactures include this feature because there have been many studies around the world that show benefits to driving with your headlights on. A report published in 2010 by the Minnesota Department of Transportation shows that your odds of being in an accident can be reduced by 5 —10 % just by using your headlights whenever driving. The sta- tistics do vary depending on the type of accident. Many times I have stopped vehicles for not having their headlights on and their response is, "my headlights are automatic," but their headlights have not turned on. It is important to remember that it is not always dark enough for your automatic headlights to turn on in inclement weather. When driving in inclement weather be sure to manually turn your headlights on so they stay on. More information can be found on this topic by visiting the Minnesota Department of Transportation's website. 2 1 Uggil f J DatigU000 PD ACCIDENT FRIDAY 0614 HOURS Officer Todd Rosse responded to a one vehicle property damage accident with no injuries present. The driver of vehicle stated she had missed her turn to get to work. Being unfamiliar with the area she attempted to enter a local business parking lot when she turned too wide and her vehicle veered off the roadway and into a light pole. The vehicle was towed, information was gathered and the business owner was notified of the damage. SUSPICIOUS PERSON FRIDAY 1220 HOURS Officer Todd Rosse responded to the MHPD lobby concerning a harassment report. Officer Rosse spoke with a local business security personal regarding a former customer that may be a potential problem. At this point, no threats or aggressiveness has taken place by the former customer, but there has been odd and disturbing 1 behavior and the fear he may return. Informational report only taken at this time. 1 ANIMAL CALL FRIDAY 1637 HOURS 1 Officer Todd Rosse responded to the MHPD lobby concerning an animal complaint that had taken place earlier in the day. The reporting party stated that he and his wife were visiting a relative. When they got out of the car along with their leashed dog a large dog came running towards them and toward their dog. The woman was holding her dog while the man tried keeping the large dog away but ultimately while trying to I keep the jumping dog off they all fell. The woman was subsequently injured from the fall. Once the owner of the jumping dog got to the dog she apologized and quickly took the dog away. Ultimately the dog owner was cited for dog running at large. 1 DAMAGE TO PROPERTY SATURDAY 1155/1317 HOURS I Sergeant Eric Petersen responded to a local intersection on a report that 2 stops signs had been spray painted in black and white paint. Sergeant Petersen took photos of the stop signs and forwarded the information to MH public works for repair. A short time after, Officer Rosse responded to a parking lot near the stop signs regarding vandalism to a vehicle. The suspects had used spray paint to damage a nearby victim's vehicle. No suspects or witnesses at this time. THEFT MONDAY 1602 HOURS Officer Mike Shepard responded to a report of a theft of a bicycle. The victim reported that sometime in the past week someone stole her bicycle from the locked bicycle room in her building. The victim spoke with the 11 building management and was told there are not cameras that covered the bicycle room. There is no suspect information at this time. 3 Mg1 G1 THEFT BY SWINDLE 17.,71 WEDNESDAY 1805 HOURS Officer Jeff VonFeldt responded to a local residence for a report of theft by swindle. The victim stated she had received a phone call from a man who saying he was an out of state lawyer and that her grandson was in a car accident and was arrested for DUI. The man told the victim that her grandson needed a large sum of money for bond. The victim sent the money and was then told she needed to send more money. The victim then contacted her daughter and found out that her grandson was fine and was not in an accident nor out of state. Officer VonFeldt spoke with the victim and advised her of the current scams. THEFT OF FUEL WEDNESDAY 2048 HOURS Officer Phil McCarty responded to a local gas station regarding a theft of fuel. The reporting party stated that a tan car pulled up, pumped gasoline and left without paying. The reporting party was able to take down the license plate of the vehicle, which Officer McCarty was able to use to identify the registered owner of the vehicle. Ultimately the suspect was identified and contact was made with the assistance of another agency. The suspect admitted to stealing the gas and a citation was issued and mailed to the suspect. DAMAGE TO PROPERTY THURSDAY 0912 HOURS Officer Todd Rosse spoke with a reporting party over the phone in reference to damage done to his mailbox. The victim stated that the damage appeared sometime overnight and upon inspecting the damage it appears that possibly a trailer was backed into the mailbox. The mailbox was on the ground but still connected to its post and still contained mail from the postal service. No suspects or witnesses at this time. THEFT THURSDAY 1421 HOURS Officer John Larrive responded to the PD lobby regarding a report of theft of mail. The victim discovered a discrepancy in the balance of his checking account. When the victim looked into the matter, he found that a check that cleared his account that he had written had been changed to a different business and for a different amount. The victim also discovered that a second check he had written had not been received by the intended recipient but had not yet cleared the bank. The victim reported that he had placed both checks in his residential out going mailbox. * * Side note: 10 days ago Investigator Willson executed a search warrant on check washing operation. Thieves steal your mail, chemically wash the check and simply reissue it to whoever they want for however much they choose. * * The victim in this case has since cancelled his accounts and the case is pending further investigation. 1 1 1 1 1 El rl rz 4 TIPPITt Calling 9.1.1 with Medical Emergencies When you call 9-1-1 in Dakota County, it is good to know how your call is handled at Dakota Communications Center (DCC) in a medical emergency. The DCC handles police/fire/ medical dispatching for the county. The dispatchers are certified in the use of Interna- tional Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) protocol for Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD). The EMD is a doctor created and approved protocol to help dispatchers determine the seriousness of a medical condition. The dispatcher you are speaking with will ask specific questions in relation to the emergency. They will enter the info into their CAD system and another radio dispatcher will notify the appropriate responders; ambulance, police, fire. Once first responders have been notified, the caller will be provided with pre -arrival instructions which will tell the caller exactly what to do to help the patient until responders arrive. Please send us your positive feedback on our staff to: pdrecords@ mendota-heights.com 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 dteon vat Calls for Service Citations Warnings Police Reports Response Time Average 08/12-08/18 116 4 WL3: 2016 YTD 5460 503 8 506 19 632 5.30 5.09 Check out the MH Crime Map! Click below to search your neighborhood: https://www.raidsonline.com 1101 Victoria Curve, Mendota Heights, MN 55118 Medication Disposal Take it to THE BOX 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 J 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. I-VAVE A SAFE WeeK!