Issue 05 - Heights Highlights Summer 1985PAGE 1 SUMMER, 1985 ISSUE 5
Park & Recreation Survel
In the Winter issue of the Heights Highlites
the Parks and Recreation Commission asked
that the residents fill out a Park & Recreation
Survey and mail it into the City. Over 9% of
the 2300household receiving the questionaire
responded. The information gathered from
this survey is being used by the Park &
Recreational Commission in planning future
facilities and activities. Planning for new
facilities and park land acquisition is especially
critical now because completion of the free-
way system has begun to put demands on
remaining open space areas.
Some of the interesting information gained
from the surveys returned to us are the
following:
I
The City's Public Works Department com-
pleted sweeping of the 52 miles of streets in
Mendota Heights in early June and crews are
now patching holes and fixing damaged
roadways.
Residential streets that will be seal coated
this year received priority treatment. If you
think your "favorite" pothole has been over-
looked, report it to the Public Works Depart-
ment by calling 454-4059.
The Public Works Department urges resi-
dents not to park their vehicles on streets on
which no -parking signs are posted to announce
seal coating treatment. Treatment will be
during late July or in August. No -parking
signs will be posted 48 hours in advance of
the asphalt treatment which involves laying
both oil and a stone mix. Residents are asked
not to park their cars on this cover for about
two or three weeks, or until the contractor
returns to sweep up the loose stones.
Seal coating is applied to residential streets
on an average of once every six years,
�jgh highly traveled roadways get more
went attention. The following are the
streets to be treated this year: Ivy Hill Dr.,
Maple Park, Ridgewood, Callahan, Culligan,
Glenhill, Hunter, Orchard, Veronica, West
Circle, Avanti, Bwana, Vail, Twin Circle, Faro,
Summit Lane, Walsh, Kay, Stratford, Oxford,
Windwood, and Rolling Green Curve.
1. 65% of the respondents used the City
parks more than 10 times in the past
year.
2. Of the recreational activities currently
offerred Boys Baseball, Soccer,
Hockey, Tennis and Girls Softball are
the most popular.
In answer to the question of potential areas
of improvement for our City Parks, the
following improvements, in order of their
importance were reported. The top five
(very important) vote getters were:
1. Bicycle/Walking Trails
2. Cross Country Ski Trails
3. Baseball/Softball Fields
4. Nature Trail/Nature Study
5. Swimming (Beach or Pool)
The four items which the responders found
(not important) were:
1. Outdoor Amphitheater
2. Archery
3. Horseshoe Courts
4. Lighted Ballfields
The most popular write-in requests were
for bang boards on the tennis courts and
enforcement of the Dog Leash laws.
Mrs. Carol Damberg is the newest member
of the Parks and Recreation Commission.
She and her husband, Sheldon, have lived at
975 Caren Road since 1966. The Damberg's
three children have attended District 197
schools, where Carol has been active on
numerous committees. She is also a part-
time volunteer at the Dodge Nature Center,
and was a member of the City's original bike
trails committee.
]Hun VVYM, I
The city has retained the services of
Dahlgren, Shardlow, and Uban, consulting
planners, to determine appropriate and com-
patible land uses for that portion of the city
known as the Southeast Area. The primary
area of the study is bounded on the south by
Interstate Highway 494, on the west by Inter-
state 35E, Delaware on the east and extending
north to and abutting St. Thomas Academy,
the Convent of the Visitation Sisters, Friendly
Hills neighborhood and the Dodge Nature
Preserve. The consultant will also analyze the
impact of any changes in land use on the
surrounding area which includes the four
major land uses to the north previously
mentioned, as well as the bordering com-
munities of Eagan, Sunfish Lake and Inver
Grove Heights.
The study will take approximately two
months to complete and recommendations
made by the consultant will be reviewed and
discussed by the planning commission and at
public hearings before the City Council.
PAGE Z MENDOTA HEIGHTS HIGHLITES SUMMER, 1985
POLICE
Following area few tips reprinted from the
June issue of the Mendota Heights Police
Departments' Neighborhood Crime Watch
Newsletter. Over one thousand households
belonging to the Neighborhood Crime
Watch Program in Mendota Heights receive
the monthly publication. If you live in one of
the thirteen hundred households who are
not part of the program and want information
on joining call the Police Department at 452-
1366, weekdays from 8:00 to 4:30.
WA!
I I Z, � V_ 41�y
SUMMER TIME
Now that some semblance of summer has
arrived, we have some new things to think
about. Young people are staying out later,
and they are moving about in the neigh-
borhoods. Our little kids are out playing and
roaming away from their homes and yards
are full of valuable items that are easy to walk
away with. During this season, we all have to
take some extra precautions. Here are some
examples. Perhaps you can think of more.
Monitor the "Little Ones". If you have chil-
dren in the 4-7 year old group, make sure
that you know where they are when they're
"out playing." In a very short time, they can
wander blocks away from home and create
Complaints of dogs running loose have
increased and City officials wish to remind
residents of the Mendota heights dog ordi-
nances.
May 31st is the annual date when dog
licenses expire. Application for a license may
be obtained at city offices. The fee for
unspayed females is $6.00 and $3.00 for males
and spayed females. A 50C per month late fee
will be added each month beginning July 1st.
No license can be issued unless you furnish a
certificate proving the date the dog received
some tense moments for all of us. If they are
going to a friends home, have them give you
a call when they arrive. This will re -assure
you and help them remember their phone
numbers as well. If your child is at least 3
years old and has not been involved in the
"Kid Print" program, call us and we will fill
you in. Do not forget the annual "don't talk
to strangers" talk.
You paid for it, keep it! Bicycles, sporting
goods, lawn equipment and patio furniture.
All of these summer goodies are becoming
popular targets. Keep them out of sight
when not in use, and make sure they all bear
your OP ID number. A bicycle lying near the
curb is as good as gone. These are all popular
targets for "walk -by" thefts, as are open cars
and valuables in plain sight in a vehicle. Roll
up the windows and lock up the doors. Have
your children keep a careful eye on their
valuables when they are away from home.
Take a scan while you get a tan. When you
are outside doing lawn work or just taking in
some sun, be attentive to what is going on
around you. Watch for suspicious or out -of -
place activities and call us if you see something
unusual. If you are in the back yard, keep the
front door locked. It is not at all unusual to
have unwelcomed guests come in the front
when you go out the back.
Walking is good for all of us. Taking family
walks through your neighborhood is a healthy
and invigorating habit to get into. It is also a
habit that is effective in reducing the oppor-
tunity for crime. A 30 minute walk by several
neighbors each day results in several hours
of extra "patrol" time each week. A neigh-
borhood that is alive and active has a much
better chance of escaping crime. your daily
walks will help keep you and your neigh-
borhood healthy.
its last rabis innoculation. (Previous dog tags
are not accepted as proof.)
Other ordinances you should be aware of
prohibit dogs to run at large. Dogs must be
kept on their owner's property and under
restraint at all times, or on a leash not
exceeding six feet in lenth if on public
property.
If there is a problem with nuisance dogs or
dogs roaming the City, please call the Police
Department at 452-1366 (Between 8:00 a.m.
and 4:30 p.m.) or after hours, 450-1111.
The last Highlites gave some demographic data on "Who Are We?" Some recent
projections of the Metropolitan Council tell us a little about who we will be:
1970 1980 1990 2000
Population 6,565 7,288 9,000 10,200
Households 1,641 2,210 3,000 3,500
Employment 1,254 2,800 6,000 7,000
We've Got a Leak!
"Out of sight, out of mind" is how most
people probably think about the wastewater
that goes down their drains. Unfortunately,
there is a very real cost involved in properly
disposing of that sewage, and our system has
a problem.
Mendota Heights, like other metropolif�-
communities, collects sewage from its i
dents and businesses, then sends it on ..,
treatment plants operated by the Metro-
politan Wastewater Control Commission
(MWCC). About 70% of the quarterly sewer
bill you pay to the City goes to pay MWCC
for that treatment, the remaining 30% is for
maintenance of the local collection system.
Earlier this year, MWCC notified us that
they had repaired a malfunction in the
device that meters the flow from Mendota
Heights, and found that our volume is about
50% more than previously thought. That
means big $$$.
To meet our payments to MWCC, we will
likely require an increase in our sewer rates
beginning in the second half of the year.
However, the new rate should still be com-
parable to those of surrounding communi-
ties, and we are looking at alternatives to
ease the impact on small users, such as senior
citizens.
In the meantime, our sewer and engin-
eering departments are redoubling efforts to
find out where all the extra flow is coming
from. (Our sewage flow is almost twice the
amount of water we consume). If you see a
couple of guys named Tom looking down
the manhole in your street at 2:00 A.M.,
that's us!
One suspicion is that there are m-
homes with drain tiles and sump pu;
discharging into the sanitary sewer. This is
unnecessary, costly and illegal! If your pump
is one of the offenders, please help out by
draining that water to the yard. If you are not
sure, call the City inspector to have a look
and advise you how to correct the situation.
PAGE 3 MENDOTA HEIGHTS HJGHLITES SUMMER, 1985
Bike Trail Construction rCompletion
n early August hiking and cycling enthusi-
asts can venture forth along the recently
constructed first phase of the Mendota
Heights Backbone Trail system. The eight
foot wide bituminous trail begins at Mendota
Heights Road near the east end of the 1-35E
bridge. From here it goes north along the
lake shore to Roger's Lake Park. Then west
on Wagon Wheel Trail to the west side of
1-35E. The separated trail picks up here and
goes north to Curley's Addition and ends at
Cullen Ave. Here local streets, Timmy and
Mary Adele, are used and the eight foot trail
starts up again at the corner of Patricia and
Mary Adele Ave. The trail then parallels
Lexington Ave., crossing Hwy. 110andextends
north until it meets the existing trail along
Marie Ave. This phase of the trail system is
over two miles long.
Thanks go to Mike Bisanz for granting an
easement across his property along 1-35E and
also to Tom Curley, Jr., who allowed us to
cross his property at Hwy. 110 and Lexington
Ave.
Dakota County has designated this trail as
part of the Dakota County's Metro Bike Trail
System and is contributing $15,000 towards
the construction costs. The rest of the esti-
mated $85,000 total cost is coming from the
city. A further extension of the trail will be
constructed later this year along Mendota
Heights Road from Lexington to Hwy. 55.
This portion will be funded by the county
and be built in conjunction with the city's
project to widen Mendota Heights Road and
install concrete curb and gutter.
Future segments of the trail will connect
Hwy. 13 to Marie Ave. by going through
Valley Park and to the south the trail will
continue on Mendota Heights Rd. to Pilot
Knob and then into Eagan connecting to an
existing county bike trail.
Ground breaking for the trail was held June 15th in Roger's Lake Park and was attended
by members of the Park and Recreation Commission, city staff, council members and
the contractors.
Recently the mayor, city council, and city
staff management personnel gave up a week-
end to attend meetings at the Mendakota
Country Club. No golf was played, but every-
one came away feeling that they had "im-
proved their game."
Lyle Sumek, an organizational development
consultant, conducted group discussions to
determine if individual problem solving and
conflict resolution styles helped or hindered
*' city "team" (i.e., Council and staff) from
'ing things accomplished. A good deal of
trine was spent brainstorming about issues
that will be before the council during the
next two years, then prioritizing what they
felt were most important. Accordingto Sumek,
no city can do EVERYTHING, so it is vital that
the elected officials select their highest pri-
orities, and allocate city resources (i.e.,
money, staff time, etc.) accordingly.
Although Council identified 30 important
issues for the next two years, the highest
priorities were:
1. Developing an overall statement of
mission, vision and philosophy for
the City.
2. Upgrading the TH 110/149 Commer-
cial Area.
3. Studying the alternatives of construc-
ting a city hall versus continuing to
lease City office space.
4. Park acquisition and development,
including bike trails.
5. Developing a master land use plan
for the 1-494 corridor (35E to Dela-
ware).
• •me
The Mendota Heights Fireman's Auxiliary
needs your help in their semi-annual blood
drive, which will be held at St. Peter's Church,
(off TH 13), on Tuesday, September 3, from
1:00 to 6:00 p.m. If you are interested in
donating, call Rita Maczko at 454-1628 NOW!
She will record your name and phone number
and you will be contacted/reminded a few
days before the Fireman Auxiliary and Red
Cross set up at the church. Beverages and
snacks will be donated by local merchants.
The next big event will be the annual Fire-
man's Ball this October, but more about that
in the next issue.
PAGE 4 MENDOTA HEIGHTS HIGHLITES SUMMER, 1985
PAUL, KAISER,
FIRE MARSHALL
In April, Paul Kaiser was appointed to the
part time position of Fire Marshall. Mr.
Kaiser has over 27 years of experience in fire
service, the last 19 as fire captain for the city
of Richfield.
During his first eight weeks with the city
Paul has conducted 56 inspections, mostly in
the industrial park, with a total of 208 code
violations noted. The response from the
business community in correcting these vio-
lations has been gratifying.
Some of the goals he hopes to achieve are
the creation of afire and life safety committee,
the adoption of Appendix E of the Uniform
Building Code, a safer atmosphere for those
who work and live in Mendota Heights, and
a less hazardous environment for the vol-
unteer firefighting team.
KLAVTON ECKLES,
CIVIL ENGINEER 1
Due to the death of City Engineer Ed
Kishel in late February, the engineering
department was understaffed. In March ap-
plications for the position of Engineer I were
accepted and after review by staff Klayton
Eckles was recommended to council for
approval. Although appointed April 16th,
Klayton did not start full time until June 21st
after graduating from the University of Min-
nesota. He previously worked summers and
part time for the city of Maple Grove as an
Engineering Aid while attending school.
Klayton is 24 years old, single, and enjoys
scuba diving, windsurfing and is in training
to compete in two triathlon competitions
this summer.
PAUL HEIMKES
CODE ENFORCEMENT
On June 18th, the City Council authorized
the appointment of Paul Heimkes as summer
code enforcement intern. Property owners
should be alerted that Paul will enforce City
ordinances regulating noxious weed removal
(grass or weeds in excess of 12" in height),
outside recreational vehicle storage, storage
of junk and abandoned vehicles, and tree
and hedge growth around intersections. He
will also enforce the City's zoning code,
including the provisions regulating home
occupations.
Staffing limitations in the past have re-
stricted enforcement activity to responding
to written and telephone complaints from
the public. The new intern will continue to
respond to such complaints, but will also
patrol the community to seek out ordinance
violations. Paul's first step will be to contact
the property owner to seek voluntary com-
pliance; stiffer follow-up action, such as
issuance of a citation, will be a last resort
only.
The City Council hopes that hiring Paul for
the summer will lead to a cleaner and more
pleasant community. Now just might be the
time to clean up that mess! Please call City
offices, 452-1850, if you have questions about
our nuisance ordinances.
Since its incorporation in early 1956, Mendota
Height City Offices have changed locations
several times. In the early years, much City
business was conducted in the Mayor's kit-
chen, or in the back of the old Fire Hall on
Dodd Road, and offical records were kept
under the bed at the City Clerk's house.
By the late 1960s, the city had a semi-
permanent location in the building that is
now Curley's Furniture Library at TH 110 and
Lexington. As that space rapidly became
inadequate, the City agreed with DCR Cor-
poration to be a major tenant in the Dakota
County State Bank Building. The City has
been housed there since 1972, and today the
Administration, Engineering, and Police De-
partments occupy about 5,000 square feet of
space; the Council and Planning Commission
hold meetings in the downstairs community
room. Annual lease payments are approx-
imately $50,000. City staff size has increased
due to continuing community growth and is
starting to put pressure on that space. The
Police Department, in particular, is becoming
unacceptably confined.
Recognizing that the City's current lease is
up in 1987, the Council and staff felt that it
was time to not just look at leasing more
space, but to consider whether Mendota
Heights has reached the stage where it
should have its own City Hall. The two
potential advantages are long-term cost
effectiveness, and space that is tailored to
municipal functions. The Minneapolis archi-
tectural firm of Lindberg Pierce has been
retained to do a space needs assessment for
the City. if the conclusion of that study
indicates that we should build, the architects
will also prepare concept designs and anal-
ysis of alternative sites.
The Council has voted to convene a citizen's
committee to work with the architect, and
make recommendations to the Council on
the need for a city hall, location, conce-t
plan, and so forth. if you would like to hi
please submit a letter of interest to May—.
Robert Lockwood, 750 South Plaza Drive,
Mendota Heights, MN 55120.
From: City Of Mendota Heights Bulk Rate
750 Plaza Drive South
Mendota Heights, Mn. 55120 U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 61
St. Paul, Mn. 5:
POSTAL PATRON
MENDOTA HEIGHTS, MN
55118 AND 55120