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Issue 49 - Heights Highlights Fall 1999PAGE 1 October, 1999 ISSUE 49 CITY COUNCIL ENDORSES CONCEPT PLAN FOR MENDOTA HEIGHTS TOWN CENTER On September 21, 1999, the Mendota Heights City Council en- dorsed a concept plan for the Mendota Heights Town Center. This concept plan focuses on the Freeway Road redevelopment site in the northeast quadrant of the Dodd Road and T.H. 110 intersection. This twenty-three acre site had been designated a high priority by the Mendota Heights City Council during Target Issues workshops in 1997 and 1998. The Mendota Heights Town Center concept plan envisions the redevelopment of this site into a mixed use, pedestrian friendly village, centered around a town square. In 1999, City Council began to take steps to address the possible redevelopment of the Freeway Road site through a series of work- shops and by hiring a planning consultant team consisting of RMF Entities, a Twin Cities development consultant and A Studio, an architecture and urban design firm. The series of Council workshops served as a forum to investigate land use options for the site that ,_,K desirable retail, service, office and residential uses with the greater Mendota Heights community, while preserving and compli- menting the existing residential neighborhoods in the immediate vicinity. Concepts such as connecting existing trails, creating civic identity, providing housing options, enhancing open space, as well as, exam- ining scale, character, local history, traffic patterns and pedestrian sidewalks, have all been considered through the process. It was discovered from a turn -of -the -century plat map that this site had been the location of the original Mendota Town Hall. The culmination of these efforts is a master plan that establishes a Town Center image in the spirit of Mendota Heights. The proposed twenty-three acre Mendota Heights Town Center is designed to become a civic gathering place for the citizens of Men- dota Heights and will include interpretive elements describing the geology, history, and development of this area. Additionally, the Town Center will be an important trailhead for hikers and cyclists, linking new on-site trails to the surrounding trial system with con- nections to the Mississippi River and the Big Rivers Regional Trial. The Town Center is proposed to be a pedestrian friendly village, centered around a "town square" and a residentially lined "village green." Retail and offices are concentrated around the town square and along the new, curving South Freeway Road. Retail uses could include a coffeehouse, bakery, deli, pharmacy, bank dry cleaners, restaurant, florist, art gallery, and other compatible uses. Senior housing overlooks the proposed pond, with sidewalks to the nearby t-,vn square for convenient shopping. The tree lined "village green" sects the residential neighborhoods to the town square, the trail head, and arbor, while offering a wide range of life-style housing, including town homes, condominium flats, and a very popular new hybrid housing choice: "hoffices," which are town homes designed with in-home offices. The arbor is designed as a public gathering space and will serve as a trail head, site for community events, and possible farmer's market. The Mendota Heights City Council is moving forward with plans to assemble the site and has authorized the completion of a traffic study, property appraisals, and a land survey. Public input on the plan will be sought at community open houses to be held at City Hall on November 15 and November 16, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. For information on upcoming public presentations contact Mendota Heights City Hall at 651-452-1850. Y2K: The City and You We hear much in the media about Y2K and the potential impacts of this computer bug. Fortunately, the picture is much more optimis- tic about the readiness of utilities and critical services than it was a year ago when alarmist views were grabbing headlines. However, this issue is so complex that fear of the unknown naturally causes uneasiness in many of us. What's the City Done? The City Council adopted a Year 2000 policy that established a commitment to identify, address and resolve potential problems created by the Year 2000 issues and is committed to making the best possible effort to ensure the continuity of essential city services. In accordance with this commitment, the Year 2000 problem has been a top priority for all city operations. The city has conducted an inventory and assessment of all systems that could be affected by the Y2K problem and expects to have everything Y2K ready well in advance of December 31, 1999. (Y2K: The City and You - continued on Page 8.) Inside "Heights Highlites" Fire Safety Activities Part 150 Update Proposed Year 2000 Street Projects Winter Parking Regulations Low Interest Loans Available Y2K Continued For Great Fall/Winter Fun, check out the Parks and Recreation Information on Pages 5 through 7 PAGE 3 HEIGHTS HIGHLITES October METROPOLITAN AIRPORTS COMMISSION PART 150 UPDATE ..e Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) is in the process of updating the Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 150 program at the Minneapolis -St. Paul Interna- tional Airport (MSP). The Part 150 program update allows the MAC to develop and re- fine effective, comprehensive noise com- patibility measures that are safe, practical and beneficial. In 1996, as part of Dual Track decision to keep the airport in its current location, the Minnesota Legislature required an update to the existing Part 150 program. In addition, advancements in technology provide an opportunity to add further noise compatibility measures. Existing part 150 noise compatibility measures include the operational use of the Eagan -Mendota Heights Corridor and the Runway Use Systems. These measures help to distribute, as much as possible, noise throughout the communities. Another meas- ure includes land use treatments that help make the land surrounding the airport more compatible with aircraft operations, such as land use zoning adopted by local municipali- ties. Noise mitigation treatment efforts in- clude the MAC's residential and school I insulation program. _.,e insulation of homes surrounding the airport is recognized and approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and allows airports to invest in noise mitigation measures. Homes eligible for sound insula- tion are identified through the development of an airport noise exposure map. An airport noise exposure map uses the DNL contour to identify areas eligible for sound mitigation. DNL — or Day Night av- erage sound Level —is a universal FAA noise metric used throughout the nation to deter- mine the individual exposure level for avia- tion noise. By definition, DNL is the average noise level over a 24-hour period except that noises occurring at night are artificially in- creased by ten decibels. This nighttime weighting attempts to reflect the added in- trusiveness of nighttime noise events. At MSP, the Airport Noise and Operations Monitoring System (ANOMS) is used to quantify the actual noise environment expe- rienced in the community. The ANOMS sys- tem records and stores aircraft operations that occur at MSP on a daily basis and cor- relates these operations with actual moni- tored noise measurements that occur at one c I remote monitoring towers located tluvughout the communities that are adja- cent to MSP, including three monitors in Mendota Heights. The ANOMS system has the ability to extract and report the actual aircraft flight path, altitude and noise levels that were re- corded at the remote monitoring towers af- fected by each specific aircraft overflight. Other information such as MSP aircraft fleet mix, runway use, time of day operations, departure destination information and at- mospheric data are all used to recreate and forecast the existing noise levels and to pro- ject future noise levels for mitigation pur- poses. All of the ANOMS information is used along with forecasts of future aviation activ- ity including total number of aircraft opera- tions, aircraft fleet mix composition, time of day, aircraft weight, destination, wind and weather impacts, runway use, altitude and departure techniques are used to create a noise exposure contour. This contour de- fines the areas, which the FAA may approve for noise mitigation efforts by the MAC. To encourage public participation, the MAC held the first of a series of public meetings to disseminate the contour genera- tion/validation process and base case land use to the public on September 28, 29 and 30, 1999. At these meetings, MAC staff and others were available to answer questions about the Part 150 Study Update process, the contour generation validation process and the updating of municipal land use informa- tion. Additional public meetings are tentatively planned for: November 30, December 1 and 2, 1999 — Noise Abatement and Land Use measures to be Considered including Past Recommendations and Recommendations to be Considered; February 8, 9 and 10, 2000 — Recommendations for Noise Abatement and Land Use Measurements including MAC recommendations for Part 150 Up- date. The MAC recommendations include community comments submitted through- out the process. The draft Part 150 study update is expected to be published in April 2000 followed by a public hearing and a 30 -day comment pe- riod. Finally, the MAC will submit the Part 150 study update to the FAA in June 2000. The MAC is working closely with the Met- ropolitan Aircraft Sound Abatement Coun- cil (MASAC), which is comprised of 38 community and airport user representatives. Through this organization, the MAC has already received numerous comments to im- prove the Part 150 update and the public involvement process. The City of Mendota Heights is an active member of MASAC. Mayor Charles Mertensotto and Ms. Jill Smith are the appointed representatives for Mendota Heights and attend each meeting. For more information, contact the MAC noise information and complaint line at 612- 726-9411 or the mspairport.com web site. Please contact Kevin Batchelder, City Ad- ministrator, if you have any questions, com- ments or concerns. Shovel a Little More, Please Several years ago, the Volunteer Fire De- partment began the "Adopt -a -Hydrant Pro- gram," in which residents volunteer to clear snow away from hydrants and keep access to the hydrants clean. The program was initi- ated out of concern that hydrants might be buried under a blanket of snowfall or have restricted access in time of need. The inability of firefighters to find a hy- drant could seriously impact their ability to fight a fire in your neighborhood. Will you please help the department and do your part to make your neighborhood safer? Please contact Nancy Bauer at City Hall, 452-1850, for additional information and adoption pa- pers. Welcome Recruits! On September 21, 1999, the City Council approved the probationary appointment of three individuals as volunteer firefighters. Rob Galezewski's appointment was effec- tive immediately. Jay Taylor and Scott Gold- stein will begin their service on the depart- ment on December 1. Each of the recruits will receive extensive training, including participation in training through the Minnesota Technical College System and additional hours in inter -depart- mental training. Congratulations Rob, Jay and Scott. PAGE 4 HEIGHTS HIGHLITES October. 1999 Keep Informed on Current Events Residents are invited and encouraged to keep current on issues affecting your city by attending meetings of the City Council and its advisory commissions. The fol- lowing is a schedule of the regular meet- ings of those bodies. City Council: first and third Tuesdays each month, 7:30 p.m. Planning Commission: fourth Tues- day each month, 7:30 p.m. Parks & Recreation Commission: sec- ond Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. Airport Relations Commission: sec- ond Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. All regular meetings are held at City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve. If you would like an item placed on a meeting agenda, please call the city's staff at 452-1850 at least one week in advance of a meeting. Are You Burned Up about air noise?When air noise becomes unbearable and disrupts your family's life- style, the Metropolitan Airports Commis- sion wants to know. Call the MAC air noise com- plaint line at 726-9411. If possible, be prepared to o provide the MAC with in- formation on time, loca- tion, direction and aircraft type. CITY DIRECTORY Council Members: 452-1850 Charles Mertensotto, Mayor 454-3394 Michael Dwyer 452-7872 John Huber 450-0729 Sandra Krebsbach 454-5696 Mary Jeanne Schneeman 457-4337 Staff Members: Kevin Batchelder, City Administrator 452-1850 Kathleen Swanson, City Clerk452-1850 James Danielson, Public 452-1850 Works Director Scott Johnson , Police Chief 452-1366 John Maczko, Fire Chief 454-3266 Code Enforcement Officers: Paul Berg & Dick Gill 452-1850 Year 2000 Street Projects Earlier this summer, the City Council identified potential candidates for year 2000 street projects in Mendota Heights. Council directed staff to poll property owners in the Delaware Crossing, Ivy Falls, Rogers Lake, and Somerset View neighborhoods as a means of deter- mining residents' comparative level of support to be chosen as an area for a street project. The streets in these neighborhoods have been slowly deteriorating over the years. These streets would be updated to meet requirements of the City Standard street section. City Standard streets consist of a 3.5" thick bituminous pavement surface constructed over a 6" gravel base including concrete curb and gutter and storm sewer where appropriate. Total reconstruction of streets is planned for streets without concrete curb and gutter and storm sewer. Streets that currently have concrete curb and gutter would be resurfaced with a simple mill and bituminous overlay paving method where this design is appropriate and economically beneficial. All properties within the project area with driveway access from an improved street would be assessed an equal share of a total reconstruction or mill and overlay project cost, respectively, on a per lot basis regardless of frontage or corner lot considerations. The City offers property owners on these street projects the opportunity to replace their private driveways at additional cost under the City's improvement Contract. In August, the City's Engineering department sent a letter to all of the property owners to describe street improvement projects, along with a self addressed postage paid postcard. Residents were asked to fill out the postcard and mail it back to City Hall to indicate their support or opposition to a year 2000 street project. The poll responses were compiled and the findings were presented for Council's consideration in September. An overwhelming major- ity of property owners in the Ivy Falls and Rogers Lake neighborhoods that responded to the poll supported a year 2000 street improvement project. Poll results of the property owners in the other neighborhoods showed that a year 2000 street improvement project was supported in Delaware Crossing and opposed in the Somerset View areas by narrow margins respec- tively. Council ordered the preparation of a feasibility report for a year 2000 street improvers project for the Delaware Crossing, Ivy Falls, and Rogers Lake neighborhoods based or, support indicated by the street improvement project poll. The Engineering Department will proceed with preparation of the report for presentation to residents at a public hearing later this fall. Low Interest Home Improvement Loans The Dakota County HRA offers Home Improvement Loans for eligible homeowners throughout Dakota County. Funds can be used to finance a new roof, furnace, doors, windows, plumbing and electrical repairs, and more! There are two types of loans available. The Deferred Loan charges no interest and requires no monthly payment. It is secured with a mortgage against the property. It is due when you sell, transfer, or convey title in the property, or if it ceases to be your principal place of residence. The Installment Loan has a low Annual Percentage Rate (3%), along with a monthly payment. Your gross annual income, and the amount of financial assets you hold, will determine which of the two loans you would be eligible for. Financial Assets include checking accounts, CD's, etc. (your house and up to two acres of land are not counted as assets). The limits on financial assets for the Deferred and Installment Loans are $30,000 and $60,000 respectively. Additional qualifications for eligibility include sufficient equity in the property, a satisfactory credit history, and a manageable monthly debt load. If you qualify, the HRA will inspect your home, prepare specifications, and assist you in obtaining at least two bids for the work to be done. Loan proceeds are kept in escrow for you by the HRA. Payments are made directly to the contractor on your behalf when the work is complete. Completed work must be inspected by the HRA and approved by the homeow--r before payments can be made to the contractor. Fore more information, call Mark Hanson at (651) 423-8175. PAGE 5 HEIGHTS HIGHLITES October, 1999 MENDOTA HEIGHTS PARKS AND RECREATION FALL/WINTER TRIPS AND ACTIVITIES CINEMA CAFE MOVIE & MAPLEWOOD COMMUNITY CENTER A day -long adventure! First of all, a feature movie, pop & popcorn at the Cinema Cafe, followed by Pizza/Pop Lunch. Then a "day of play at the awesome Maplewood Community Center open -gym, swimming and waterslide. Children may bring $$ for snacks at the Community Center concession stand. Don't forget your swimsuit, towel, gym clothes/shoes. Join us for a great "day -off -school"! Date:Tuesday, December 28 Time:Pickup 8:15 AM/Retum 3:30 PM Depart/Return location: West St. Paul City Hall, 1616 Hum- boldt Ave., WSP Ages: 7-12 years of age Fee: $14.00 Registration Deadline: Tuesday, December 21 WINTER TUBING AT GREEN ACRES Join us for a terrific day of tubing and towing! Hours of tubing fun will be followed by a bag lunch in the cozy chalet. Children should bring a bag lunch and/or money for snacks and dress warm. See you there.... Date: Wednesday, December 29 Time: Pickup 9:30 AM/Return 1:00 PM Depart/Return location: West St. Paul City Hall, 1616 Hum- boldt Ave., WSP Ages:7-12 years of age Fee:$11.00 Registration Deadline: Tuesday, December 21 OFFICE INFORMATION: Open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m Mendota Heights City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve Phone: 651-452-1850 PARKS AND RECREATION STAFF: Mary Hapka, Recreation Programmer Terry Blum, Parks Leadperson John Boland, Parks Crew Mike Maczko, Parks Crew ROLLER-SKATING AT SKATEVILLE & GRAND SLAM IN EAGAN Have a "rolling" good time at Skateville in Burnsville roller- skating/rollerblading. Children may bring their own rollerblades. Then, off to Grand Slam in Eagan for pizza or a hot dog + pop lunch. Also included: a round of mini -golf, 4 game tokens, 1 bumper car ride and 1 round in the batting cages. Bring extra $$ if you would like. Tons of fun!!! Date: Thursday, Dec. 30 Time: Pickup 8:45 AM/Retum 3:15 PM Depart/Return location: West St. ` Paul City Hall, 1616 Humboldt Avenue Ages: 7-12 years of age Fee: $14.50 Registration Deadline: Tuesday, December 21 CELEBRATE MENDOTA HEIGHTS PARKS! The Parks and Recreation Department, the City Council and the City of Mendota Heights would like to express our deepest gratitude to all sponsors ofthe Eighth Annual Celebrate Mendota Heights Parks! event. As in the past, the residents of this com- munity were able to enjoy various activities during the celebra- tion on Saturday, August 21, 1999. This years donations allowed the community to enjoy entertainment by the Alpha Bits, Tune Into Kids, Facepainting by ProTec, and the Animal's of Walton's Hollow. We are extremely appreciative of your generosity as your donation provided valuable assistance in making this event pos- sible and an experience for all to enjoy. WARMING HOUSE ATTENDANT POSITIONS AVAILABLE The City of Mendota Heights is seeking applicants for Warm- ing House/Rink Attendants. This is a part-time position and is ideal for students, adults or seniors. Applications and job de- scriptions are available at Mendota Heights City Hall. City Hall is located at 1101 Victoria Curve and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Rink Attendant experience is not a requirement to apply. The application deadline is Monday, November 29, 1999. For additional information contact Mary at 651-452-1850. REGISTRATION INFORMATION CIN OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS PARKS AND RECREATION Registration for programs may be made in person or by mail at the Mendota Heights City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve. All registrations must be accompanied by program fee (checks made payable to the City of Mendota Heights). Deadlines Most activities have limited enrollment and registration deadlines, so please register as soon as possible. Registrations will NOT be taken over the phone. Non-resident Fee Non-residents arewelcome to participate in our programs, however, residents will receive priority registration. There is a $5.00 non-resident fee per participant, per activity if you live outside Mendota Heights. Please include the non-resident fee with regular registration costs when enrolling. Refund Policy A $2.00 service fee will be charged for individual cancellations made prior to the start of a program or its registration deadline. This service fee will also apply to registrations taken after the deadline date, if enrollment allows, with the exception of being on a participant waiting list. No refunds will be given after registration deadlines or the start of an activity. Registration fees for programs canceled by the City will be fully refunded. Confirmation There will be no further confirmation after registration. It is your responsibil- ity to be present on the date and time your program begins. You will receive notification if a program is filled, can- celed, or changed. Participants With Disabilities Participants with disabilities who are in need of any special assistance or auxil- iary aids should notify the Parks and Recreation Department at the time of registration to ensure that any need can be met to fully participate and enjoy a program or service.. *************************************************************************************************************** REGISTRATION FORM - PLEASE PRINT Mendota Heights Perks and Recreation Office Use Only: 1.101 Victoria Curve DateReceived: Receipt #: Mendota Heights MN 55118 -- Phone: 651-452-1850 2AA`� JA Check #: Cash:_ By: Parent/Guardian Name: Address: Home Phone: City: Zip Code: Work Phone: Please check for $5.00 Non -Resident Fee Participant Name 1. Gender (Circle) M F M F M F Birthdate / / /_/_ / / Activity Name Start Date / / _/_/ /_/ Time FEE $ $ $ 2. 3. Liability of Accidents I agree that all activities undertaken by me or my child as part of the program are undertaken by me or my child at my or his/her own risk and that the City of Mendota Heights shall not be liable for any claim, demands, injuries, damages, actions, or causes of action whatsoever to myself or my child or my property or my child's property due to the passive or active negligence of the City of Mendota Heights, it's agents, or employees arising out of or connected with my or my child's participation in or the use of operation of equipment in this program and that I expressly forever release and discharge the City of Mendota Heights, its agents, or employees from all such claims, demands, injuries, damages, actions or causes of action whatsoever. I understand that my signature is required before my or my child's participation in this program is allowed. I have read this Agreement carefully and know and understand its contents. Signature Date PAGE 8 HEIGHTS HIGHLITES Y2K: The City and You (Continued from Page 1) A committee representing each of the city's departments identified equipment and systems that could be impacted by the Y2k bug. We have received readiness status re- ports from all the major service providers and all of the essential equipment vendors. We have attained Y2K readiness documen- tation from the essential service providers such as: West St. Paul Dispatch, St. Paul Water, NSP, US West, MnDot, and the Met- ropolitan Waste Commission. NSP has assured us that any power failure will not be due to a Y2K problem. The City of Saint Paul has assured us that water will continue to be available to residents and businesses in Mendota Heights. The sewer lift stations have been tested and found to be compliant. Portable generators are available to make certain they keep working. The Police and Fire Department radio system and 911 telephone system is Y2K ready and has backup power available. The City's fi- nancial records system is also Y2K ready. The City Hall telephone system was re- placed in July. All non-compliant computers and software have been replaced or up- graded. In addition to prevention measures, the Y2K committee is preparing a contingency plan to deal with Y2K related problems, based on the city's current emergency plan. The goal of these plans is to ensure contin- ued operation of key programs and services. One planned contingency is to have addi- tional police and fire personnel on duty on January 1. While we do not expect major problems, due diligence and common sense require that we be ready in the unlikely event that something should happen. Will Public Safety be Impacted? There is one area of concern that could impact delivery of police and fire services in the first few hours of January 1. U.S. West is confident that the public switched tele- phone network will not fail due to Y2K HOME ENERGY LOANS Home energy loans, at an annual 8% APR, are available through the State of Minnesota (MHFA) for furnace replacement, new or replacement air conditioners and water heat- ers, insulation, doors and windows. Minimal documentation is required for approval. Loans of $1,000 to $8,000 are available un- der this program. For an application or more information, contact the Environment & En- ergy Resource Center at 651-227-7847. technical problems. However, customers could have some difficulty getting a dial tone after midnight on January 1 due to system overload. If everyone picks up their phone after midnight to see if it is working or to call friends to wish them a happy new millennium, it may overload the phone sys- tem quickly. We ask that you refrain from making unnecessary calls after midnight on the morning of January 1 to keep the lines open for emergency calls. If you have to make an emergency call and cannot get a dial tone, don't hang up right away. Keep the line open and wait a while for the tone - - don't keep pressing the switch hook. If this fails, you will have to send someone for help to one of two locations: the Police Station at 1101 Victoria Curve (northwest comer of Hwy 110 and Lex- ington Ave), or the Fire Station at 2121 Dodd Road (two blocks south of Hwy 110). You may also be able to flag down one of the additional police patrol units that will be on duty. What Should You Do? What steps should you take to prepare your family? Consider this: Minnesota is a land of weather extremes. In the last few years, the Twin Cities area has experienced several widespread power outages due to severe ice storms or strong thunderstorms. Following storms in May and June of last year, many houses in Mendota Heights were without power for an extended period of time. The difference between unexpected severe weather and the Y2K problem is that we know when the millennium bug is ex- pected to hit. Preparing your household for utility out- ages is a good idea any time of year — not just for 2000. However, if you are consider- ing the purchase of an emergency power generator, be sure that a licensed electrician is consulted with regard to the proper hookup of the generator. The Fire Depart - October. 1999 ment also cautions against storing larg quantities of fuel in residences or garages. The Mendota Heights Police and Fire De- partments have information available with regard to steps you can take to prepare your household for Y2K. Above all, don't panic! There is no reason to believe there will be widespread utility failure due to Y2K. Year 2000 readiness disclosure informa- tion contained in this communication relates to the city of Mendota Heights, Minnesota Year 2000 efforts. The disclosure of this information is intended to serve as a Year 2000 readiness disclosure under the Year 2000 information and readiness disclosure act, public Law 105 -- 271. Winter Parking With another Minnesota winter ju, around the corner, the City's Public Works Department is already making preparations for the winter season. The Mendota Heights Public Works Department and Police De- partment ask the public's cooperation in in- suring that City plows can safely and promptly remove snow from our streets. City Ordinance prohibits on -street parking anytime we receive two or more inches of snow, until after the snowplow has cleared the street. The police department will be enforcing this ordinance. With everyone's cooperation, snow plowing can be done in a safe and expedient manner. From: Bulk Rate City of Mendota Heights U.S. Postage 1101 Victoria Curve PAID Mendota Heights, Mn. 55118 Permit No. 6166 St. Paul, Mn. 55118 POSTAL PATRON CARRIER ROUTE PRESORT MENDOTA HEIGHTS, MN 55120 ECR WSS