Loading...
2013-01-04 Friday News January 4, 2013 Dates to Remember: January 8, 2013 Parks and Rec. Comm. 6:30 p.m. City Council 7:00 p.m. January 9, 2013 Airport Relations Comm. 7:00 p.m. January 15, 2013 City Council 7:00 p.m. January 22, 2013 Planning Commission 7:00 p.m. January 25, 2013 Annual Leadership Dinner, 6:00 p.m. at Mendakota Country Club Attachments: Pipeline, Just the Facts, Mendota- Lebanon Greenway Flyer Friday News Mendota Heights Weekly Report on City Activities Mendota Heights City Hall 1101 Victoria Curve www.mendota-heights.com (651) 452-1850 Ice Rinks Open Parks crews are happy to report that all of our outdoor ice rinks are open and that the ice is in great shape for skating. We have warming hous- es at Friendly Hills, Wentworth and Marie Parks, with hockey and pleasure skating areas. There is a smaller skating area (with no warming house) at Ivy Hills Park as well. You can’t have a much more True Minnesotan experience than grabbing a Thermos of hot choc- olate, throwing your skates over your shoulder and heading down to the neighborhood park for a skate. Social Media The City of Mendota Heights Facebook page has been growing in popularity, as more people take advantage of this new way to keep up to date with goings-on within the city. You can search for the page through Facebook, type www.facebook.com/mendotaheightsmn, or simply hit the Facebook link on the city’s webpage to get connected. An official twitter feed is in the works, we will start “tweeting” as one more way to stay connected. Social media doesn’t replace traditional forms of communication, but provides more ways to share special events, news and important updates with our increasingly mobile community. Double the Fun Due to New Years Day falling on a regular council meeting date, we will have two public meetings this upcoming Tuesday: The parks and recrea- tion commission meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. in the Large Conference Room, the city council meeting will start at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers Public Works The Parks Crew continues to flood ice rinks in the parks. Flooding fittings were repaired and trails were salted at Wentworth Park near the fire hydrants. Cul-de-sacs, parking lots, trails and ice rinks were plowed. The Utilities Crew installed a new float relay at the Culligan Lane lift station and assisted with plowing and salting the streets. The Streets Crew cleaned off bridge decks on Wagon Wheel Trail and Mendota Heights Road, plowed/salted main streets, and salted neighborhood streets. They also picked up supplies to repair mailboxes. Engineering City Projects (construction year) Dodd Road/Highway 110 Intersection Pedestrian Improvements (2013) – The consultant will be providing the City Council with an update and review of the final design plans at the January 15th City Council meeting. Final plans are anticipated over the winter with bidding and construction in 2013. Hunter Lane/Orchard Place Neighborhood Improvements (2013) –A second neighborhood informational meeting is tentatively scheduled for February 27th to go over specific property design issues with residents. Design plans are proceeding in accordance with the parameters set by City Council when the project was ordered last October. Final plan completion is expected in late winter/early spring with construction starting in June 2013. Crown Point & Overlook Neighborhood Rehabilitations (2013) – Design plans are proceeding. Final plans are anticipated by spring for 2013 construction. Lexington Avenue Pedestrian Trail, Hwy 110 to Douglas Avenue (2013) – Staff is preparing plans for the rehabilitation for construction during 2013. Dakota County has included this in their Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and will assist with project cost. Plans will be included with the Crown Point & Overlook Neighborhood Rehabilitation project for bidding. Highway 13 Trail Connection (2013) – Staff is planning construction of a trail connection along the south side of Highway 13 to connect the The Pipeline N E W S L E T T E R Public Works Engineering Code Enforcement January 4, 2013 pedestrian trail from Riverside Lane to Lilydale Road. The project may be delayed until 2014 if MnDOT can include it for funding as part of their trail gap program for 2014 (Highway 13 is a State Right-of-Way). If not chosen for MnDOT funding in 2014, the City intends to construct the connection in 2013. More information will be published about this project over the winter. County Projects North Urban Regional Trail (NURT) Realignment and Greenway Study – Staff is working with Dakota County and their consultant on a study analyzing potential realignment corridors for the NURT between Warrior Drive in Mendota Heights and Charlton Avenue in West Saint Paul. The NURT is currently located along the north side of Highway 110, and there are a number of realignment alternatives being looked at to connect the NURT to the northeast corner of Charlton and Marie in West Satin Paul. One alternative being looked at is connecting the NURT to Marie Avenue along Warrior Drive. A public Open House is scheduled for February 6th at the West Saint Paul City Hall to present alternatives and gather public input. State Projects Highway 149 (Dodd Road) Rehabilitation & I-494 Ramp Improvements – Dodd Road is proposed for reconstruction by the City of Eagan south of I- 494 in 2014. This project will impact traffic for Mendota Heights during construction. Reconstruction of the north interchange ramp is scheduled for reconstruction by MnDOT, also in 2014 under a separate project. This project may include a revised signal and turn lane pattern for the interchange. Rehabilitation of Dodd Road from I-494 to 7th Street in Saint Paul is planned for 2015 reconstruction by MnDOT. All these projects are in the preliminary stages of design. More information will be shared as the designs progress. Other Activities Future Cities Competition – Staff has been working with Friendly Hills Middle School (FHMS) students on their entries in the annual Future Cities Competition. Students are asked to plan a city of the future given specific criteria and problems to solve. This year’s theme is “Rethinking Runoff” and the teams are coming up with innovative ways to improve surface water quality. FHMS is entering three teams into the competition which will be judged on January 19th from 7:30 to 4:00 at the University of Minnesota Science, Teaching, & Student Services Building. FHMS has won awards in past competitions and it is expected that at least one team from the school will be selected as a finalist. 01/04/2013 The Mendota Heights Police Department Support Staff Kim Henning Susan Donovan Becky Pentel Police Officers Jerry Murphy Scott Patrick John Larrive Bobby Lambert Tanner Spicer Todd Rosse Jeff VonFeldt Steven Meyer Denise Urmann Michael Shepard Peyton Fleming School Resource Officer Jennifer Fordham Investigations Mario Reyes Chad Willson Sergeants Neil Garlock Brian Convery Eric Petersen Reserves Randy Pentel Jarrod Spicer Jim Knox Jeff Parker George Castillo Chaplains John Snider Lynn Liberman Frances Colon Alberto Vargas Butch Millett David Wick Chief Mike Aschenbrener Crisis      Friday  0817 hours  Officer Scott Patrick responded to a 15YOA with mental health issues  causing problems at home.  Upon arrival the youth was sitting outside in  in gym shorts, t‐shirt and socks; the youth accepted a ride from a sibling  to practice.  No further issues.    Medical     Friday  2028 hours  13 YOA hockey player ran into the boards at a local rink and was  unconscious after the hit.  HealthEast Ambulance along with Officer Chad  Willson responded to the call for help.  The youth was transported by  ambulance to the hospital.    Open Bottle     Friday  2307 hours  Officer Tanner Spicer (now back on patrol) stopped a car for failing to  signal a turn while proceeding to make two lane changes.  The car was  stopped a short time later.  In making contact with a driver, a bottle of  Jaggermeister was spotted wedged between the front seats.  The driver  stated repeatedly he had not been drinking.  Officer Spicer had the man  step from the car to do SFST’s as he did smell alcohol. He then informed  Officer Spicer he had been off of work for only a few minutes.  He did  pass the SFST’s as well as the PBT, which revealed a BAC of only .02.  (If  you have to hit the bottle that quickly after work, it might be a sign….)   The man was warned for the fail to signal and cited for the open bottle.      AOA – SPPD Fire    Sunday 2348 hours  Officer Steve Meyer was flagged down by a passerby who reported a  trash can fire in the Lilydale Regional Park.   He used snow to put out the  fire and didn’t get a response as to whether St Paul Fire was responding  or cancelled.  After putting out the burning magazines, he cleared.    Suspicious Activity    Monday 0917 hours  911 cell phone caller reports she was being followed by a black 4 door  sedan and thought it might be an undercover officer.  She pulled into the  parking lot of the police station, the other car pulled in, but no one was  getting out to talk to her.  Caller reported it may be a road rage incident  as the other car cut her off so she pulled around them and “may have”  cut him off;  the black car followed her ever since.  Caller then reported  the car was leaving the PD lot and the driver flipped her off.  The suspect  vehicle registers out of St Paul.  No follow up; nothing criminal.    “Just the Facts” The latest news from the Mendota Heights Police Department 01/04/2013 *** If you are ever being followed, the best place to go is somewhere public and busy, like a retail area  or gas station.  A vehicle can be a dangerous weapon and “revenge” is not the best course of action  behind the wheel. Use caution as you’re dealing with the unknown “human nature” aspect.    AOA        Tuesday  0119 hours  Assisted with an out‐of‐control man who was picking fights at a local WSP bar.  The man had a friend  who left him there and then returned to cause more problems.  Both were intoxicated, both had  different outcomes. The first man was transported to detox; the other was provided a ride home.      Child Custody Issues      Tuesday  1922 hours  Officer Mike Shepard received a call from the unhappy half of a child custody exchange.  One parent was  unhappy about the prospect of driving to Lino Lakes to pick up their child.  Officer Shepard read several  orders the parents had in place governing the custody arrangements.  While he was reading the court  orders the custody exchange did occur.  No further actions.    Crash & DUI Arrest      Tuesday  2237 hours  Officer Steve Meyer noticed a male with no coat on, walking on the highway, talking on the phone (the  temp was subzero).  He drove over to approach him, but the man pretended not to see the squad car.   He did offer him a warm ride and found the man was extremely intoxicated.  Once they were back on  the move again, Officer Meyer looked down the road and could see a car stuck in the snow bank.  When  he checked the car, he found the radio still cranked up, steam coming from under the hood and both  airbags were deployed.  The man insisted he was alone (luckily).  At first it was hard to determine what  had occurred, but once you stood back you could see where the car had actually left the road, become  airborne (30+ feet) before landing nose down in the snow bank.  After failing all SFST’s the last of which  was the PBT showing a .238 BAC, the man was arrested. He was brought to MHPD where he was read  the MN Implied Consent Advisory, agreed to provide a breath test and soon gave a sample to the  DataMaster DMT which revealed a .22 BAC.  The man was booked into the Dakota County Jail.    Juvenile Complaint      Wednesday  1209 hours  Caller reported a 12‐13 YOA male walking down Dodd Road near the fire hall with no coat on.  Officer  Lambert located the youngster and transported him home.  Mom and the school were notified of what  had transpired.    Felony Warrant Arrest      Wednesday  2226 hours  On Tuesday evening, Officer Tanner Spicer ran an in‐squad computer check on a vehicle license plate  that showed a felony, out‐of state, body‐only warrant on the registered owner.  In less than 24 hours he  was under arrest and Georgia was planning a special trip to pick him up at the Dakota County Jail.    Golf Cart?       Thursday  1910 hours  Caller reported seeing a golf cart driving down the 16th fairway.  Officer Todd Rosse and Sgt Eric Petersen  arrived on scene shortly after the call.  No golf cart tracks were found on the course, the cleaner’s car  was in the lot, all doors were secure to the buildings.  As it has snowed lightly most of the day any  activity on the course would have been easy to spot.  Clear, unknown what the caller had actually  spotted.    Suspicious Activity       Friday   0020 hours  Officer Todd Rosse found a work truck backed up to the loading dock of a business in the industrial park.   The rear doors were standing open and there was no one around.  In checking for tracks the activity was  several hours old.  All doors were secure.            Have a great weekend! DAKOTA COUNTY GREENWAY COLLABORATIVE Mendota/Lebanon Hills Greenway Master Planning Process FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.HKGI.COM/PROJECTS/DAKOTA Dakota County envisions its greenways to provide multiple layers of benefits in water quality, habitat enhancement, recreation and non-motorized transportation. Mendota/Lebanon Hills Greenway Dakota County Greenway Vision 2030 The Dakota County Greenway Vision 2030 proposes more than a trail system - it suggests enhanced open space corridors that perform multiple functions and provide multiple community benefits in the areas of water quality, habitat, recreation and non-motorized transportation. The Dakota County Greenway Vision 2030 proposes a visionary network of multi-functional corridors that provide for habitat, recreation, water quality, and transportation. Currently, Dakota County is in the beginning stages of a year long effort to prepare a Master Plan for the Mendota/Lebanon Hills Greenway. The greenway master plan will be a long-term policy guide to improvements, acquisitions, management, and operations. The Mendota/Lebanon Hills Greenway’s proposed 11-mile route travels through Mendota Heights, Eagan, and Inver Grove Heights. The greenway will connect important regional destinations including: • Village at Mendota Heights • Dodge Nature Center Preserve • Friendly Marsh Park • Future and existing business parks in Eagan and Inver Grove Heights • Thomson Reuters • Numerous neighborhood parks in Eagan • Eagan Senior High School • Lebanon Hills Regional Park MENDOTA/LEBANON HILLS GREENWAY PLAN SCHEDULE 2012-2013 1. ORGANIZE THE EFFORTJuly - August 2012 2. UNDERSTAND WHAT EXISTSSAugust - September 2012 3. EXPLORE THE ALTERNATIVESOctober - January 2013 4. DRAFT MASTER PLANSJanuary 2013 - February 2013 5. FINALIZE MASTER PLANS AND APPROVALS March - June 2013 we are here The Dakota County Greenway Vision 2030 proposes a visionary network of more than 200 miles of multi-functional corridors that provide for habitat, recreation, water quality and transportation. Dakota County Greenway Collaborative SYSTEM WIDE: f Green signature f Consistent look/feel f Year-round interest f Filter stormwater f Grade-separated crossings TYPICAL URBAN TYPICAL SUBURBAN TYPICAL RURALGREENWAY TYPOLOGY 3OO-FT TYPICAL WIDTH 2OO-FT TYPICAL WIDTH 1OO-FT TYPICAL WIDTH LE B A N O N H I L L S RE G I O N A L P A R K BU R R O A K S P A R K TH R S H E R FI E L D S PA R K SU P E R T A R G E T WE S C O T T S T A T I O N PA R K NO R T H V I E W P A R K EA G A N S E N I O R HI G H S C H O O L DA K O T A H I L L S MI D D L E S C H O O L PI N E W O O D EL E M . S C H O O L GO A T HI L L PA R K WA L N U T HI L L P A R K TR A P P FA R M PA R K OA K P O N D HI L L S P A R K LA K E S I D E PA R K TH O M S O N RE U T E R S WO N D E R I N G PA R K BR I D L E R I D G E PA R K UP S YM C A CA R R I A G E HI L L S CO U N T R Y CL U B EX I S T I N G TR A I L S A N D WO O D L A N D EA G A N BU S I N E S S PA R K FR I E N D L Y MA R S H P A R K DO D G E N A T U R E CE N T E R P R E S E R V E FR I E N D L Y HI L L S P A R K FR I E N D L Y H I L L S MI D D L E S C H O O L KE N S I N G T O N PA R K TR I N I T Y S C H O O L AT R I V E R R I D G E CO P P E R F I E L D PO N D S P A R K ME N D O T A PA R K HA G S T R O M - KI N G P A R K VI L L A G E A T ME N D O T A H E I G H T S ME N D O T A PL A Z A YA N K E E D O O D L E R D WE S C O T T R D BA L D L A K E DI F F L E Y R D CL I F F R D ROBERT TR A I L S SC H W A N Z LA K E HO L L A N D LA K E MC D O N O U G H LA K E HA Y L A K E LEXINGTON AVE S LO N E O A K R D 55 14 9 I- 4 9 4 I- 4 9 4 I- 3 5 E I- 3 5 E A R GE N TA TRAI L D O DD R D 28 43 30 30 32 3 63 26 IN V E R G R O V E H E I G H T S INVER GROVE HEIGHTS SU N F I S H L A K E WE S T S A I N T P A U L EA G A N EAGAN ME N D O T A MENDOTA HEIGHTS MI N N E S O T A R I V E R GR E E N W A Y CO N N E C T I O N T O MI N N E S O T A R I V E R GR E E N W A Y CO N N E C T I O N T O MI S S I S S I P P I R I V E R TR A I L NO R T H U R B A N R E G I O N A L T R A I L CO N N E C T I O N T O EA G A N G R E E N W A Y CO N N E C T I O N T O HI G H L I N E G R E E N W A Y CO N N E C T I O N T O HI G H L I N E G R E E N W A Y Re c r e a t i o n D e s t i n a t i o n Ac t i v i t y C e n t e r Tr a i l h e a d Ne i g h b o r h o o d G a t e w a y Ex i s t i n g G r a d e S e p a r a t e d C r o s s i n g Po t e n t i a l G r a d e S e p a r a t e d C r o s s i n g Ag r i c u l t u r e 0 . 2 5 . 5 1 M I L E Me n d o t a / L e b a n o n H i l l s G r e e n w a y Re g i o n a l T r a i l A l t e r n a t i v e (e x i s t i n g / f u n d e d ) Re g i o n a l T r a i l A l t e r n a t i v e ( n o n - e x i s t i n g ) Ex i s t i n g L o c a l T r a i l Fu t u r e L o c a l T r a i l Fu t u r e R o a d s Ma j o r L o o p T r a i l NO R T H MEN D O T A / L EB A N O N H IL L S G RE E N W A Y 11 - 1 6 - 2 0 1 2 Me n d o t a / L e b a n o n H i l l s G r e e n w a y DR A F T P O T E N T I A L A L I G N M E N T S 1 1 . 1 5 . 1 2 FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.HKGI.COM/PROJECTS/DAKOTA