Loading...
2011-01-21 Friday NewsFr'lda News Mendota Heights Weekly Report on City Activities January 21, 2011 New Councilmember Appointed The City Council appointed Mike Povolny to fill the vacant seat on the council at their meeting on Tuesday. The council had previously interviewed eight residents who applied for the open seat last week and narrowed that list down to Jill Smith, Ansis Viksnins and Mike Povolny. Mike will fill the remainder of the vacant term which runs through December 31, 2012. Mike jumped right into his new duties and participated in the annual council goal setting work session that was held on Wednesday evening. Congratulations on your appointment Mike and welcome to the City Council. The city would also like to thank the other seven applicants who stepped forward and placed their names into consideration for this appointment. Your desire to serve our community is very much appreciated. The now complete City Council will interview 15 applicants for commission seats on February 16, 2011. NOC Meeting The January 2011 Noise Oversight Committee meeting held at the MAC offices featured a few topics of interest to Mendota Heights. The most important of those is the continued discussions on the development of performance based navigation design noise criteria for procedure development and implementation at the MSP airport. This issue directly relates to flight paths and noise levels surrounding the airport. This issue will play out over the next two years and Mendota Heights officials will stay very involved. The meeting also featured concerns that Eagan has about the use of runway 17. City Council Sets Goals The City Council held their annual goal setting session on Wednesday. The council along with city staff members discussed a number of issues. The council set a number of goals for the year including work on the following topics: Rental Housing Issues Storm Water Pond Maintenance Commercial /Industrial Property Maintenance Airport Issues 2012 Budget There were a number of issues discussed and other goals set as a part of the work session. City staff will work with the council on these issues throughout the year. Mendota Heights City Hall 1101 Victoria Curve www.mendota- heights.com (651) 452 -1850 January 21, 2011 Page Two January 21, 2011 Legion Fish Fry Volunteers You may not know that the South St. Paul Legion contributes funding and volunteer staff to our annual youth safety camp. Their support is crucial to the success of this popular and effective program. While this civic - minded group does not ask for anything in return, we have a long- standing tradition of staffing one of their fundraising fish -fry nights each year. This year, we are seeking volunteers to help on Friday, February 25, 2011 from 5 -8 p.m. Our responsibility includes bussing tables and helping clean -up. We are looking for 5 -8 helpers (teen or adult) to serve with Jake on the 25th. Plan to show up at 4:30 for a free dinner before you shift. Let Jake know if you are willing /able to serve either a part or all of the evening. Parks and Recreation News With spring just around the corner, the Parks and Recreation Commission had a very full agenda at their last meeting. The commission will be actively seeking feedback on the trails system as they cre- ate a comprehensive trails plan. The Com- mission is also seeking input on the Ken- sington Park playground and will be hosting an open house at the park when weather permits. The commission also verified the date for the 2011 Mendota Heights Parks Celebra- tion, which will beheld Saturday, June 4, from 10 a. m. to 1 p.m. Dates to Remember January 25, 2011 7:00 p.m. Planning Commission Meeting February 1, 2011 7:00 p.m. City Council Meeting February 8, 2011 6:30 p.m. Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting February 9, 2011 7:00 P.M. Airport Relations Commission Meeting February 15, 2011 City Council Meeting .m. Attachments The Pipeline January 21, 2011 Public Works The Parks Crew started up the aerator at Rogers Lake. They plowed the cul -de -sacs, skating rinks and parking lots this week. The trails are being widened with the bobcat snow blower. Skating rinks continue to be flooded. Rich cleaned grease off the floats at the Veronica lift station. He helped plow the streets and salt the middle area of the city and plowed the lift station areas. The Streets Crew plowed all the main lines on January 14, 2011. They had an early start on January 15, 2011 when they again plowed and salted all city streets. They plowed and salted city streets again on January 17, 2011. The plow trucks were washed and greased as needed. John Ambrose helped Cliff fix the leaking hydraulic lines on plow truck 303. John Ambrose also worked on the parks trailer by fixing the ramp. Engineering Stormwater Ordinance Amendments - Staff has prepared several minor Ordinance Amendments to both Title 11 and Title 12 of the City Code in order to clarify definitions between Zoning, Wetland, and the new Stormwater Management Ordinances. These minor amendments will be discussed at a Public Hearing at the January 25th meeting of the Planning Commission, and if acted upon, they will be before City Council at the February 1St meeting. Wagon Wheel Trail Reconstruction - Staff is continuing to work on grading and elevations for the project area to ensure positive drainage and to calculate the cut and fill areas. Staff is in the process of scheduling a follow- up neighborhood meeting to go over more specific design issues with residents. Staff anticipates the follow -up neighborhood meeting to be in early February. This project is anticipated to be under construction in early summer 2011 with substantial completion by the end of September 2011. Knoliwood Lane Neighborhood Rehabilitation - Council approved the Feasibility Report at the January 18th meeting. Staff will now schedule a neighborhood meeting at City Hall for all the affected property owners. Tentative date for the neighborhood meeting is March 30th. Once the neighborhood meeting is complete staff will prepare for the Public Hearing before City Council which is scheduled for April 19th. The project is proposed to resurface the streets in the neighborhood either by pavement replacement, mill & overlay, or crackseal & sealcoat. Lower Mississippi River Watershed Management Organization (LMRWMO) - Staff attended a meeting of the LMRWMO on Thursday morning. The LMRWMO is in the process of updating its Watershed Management Plan and much of the discussion centered on proposed revisions. Once complete, member cities including Mendota Heights will have to update their Local Surface Water Management Plans to reflect changes in the Watershed Management Plan. Also discussed was the scheduling of an informational and educational opportunity for member cities through the Science Museum of Minnesota. More information will be brought forward at their next meeting.