THE LATEST
 State of the City Address
On Tuesday, May 18, Mayor Levine delivered the Mendota Heights State of the City Address in the Council Chambers at City Hall. Mayor Levine reviewed 2020, and outlined the City’s plans looking ahead throughout 2021. If you missed the event, you can watch the full presentation on-demand. .
 In-person meetings return
With its regular meeting on May 18, the City Council held its first physically present meeting in the Council Chambers since January 5. The public is welcome to continue attending meetings in the Council Chambers, but still with a limit on the number of attendees in the room at any one time. Residents who would like to provide public comments at meetings must do so in person in the Council Chambers. The public is welcome to attend meetings in person, or continue to watch remotely via live broadcast on Cable Channel 18, or live online or for replay at townsquare.tv/webstreaming. Meetings will continue to take place at their regular start time of 6 p.m.
 Checking out the big rigs
An estimated 500+ attendees were able to get up close to check out fire trucks, police squads, mowers, plow trucks, and more at the City's first See-a-Truck event last Saturday. The free community event was held at Mendakota Park, and enjoyed by little ones and grown-ups alike. Thank you to our Public Works, Public Safety, and Parks and Recreation departments for hosting this fun event! We can't wait to do it again.
 Celebrating National Public Works Week
Thank you to the City's Public Works staff for providing vital and essential services to our community on a daily basis. Whether it is snow plowing, street repair, sanitary sewer cleaning, water main and/or fire hydrant maintenance, parks maintenance, City owned landscape management, facility repair and maintenance, or inspecting and repairing the inlets and outlets to our stormwater ponds, Public Works staff does their absolute best to make the City safer, healthier, and a great place to work, live, and play. At its meeting on May 18, the City Council commended the Public Works team for their exemplary work and contributions to the City, and recognized May 16-22 as National Public Works Week.
Road closure on Old Sibley Memorial Highway
Prepare for a temporary road closure on a section of Old Sibley Memorial Highway, near the intersection of HWY 13 and Mendota Heights Road. Vehicles will need to use the posted detour as the roadway will be closed to through traffic. The closure is planned May 24 through May 28 as part of a Dakota County project.
Parks Celebration rescheduled for August
The annual Parks Celebration community event scheduled to take place on June 5 has been moved to the weekend of August 13 through August 15. The weekend will include a kickoff activity on Friday evening, August 13, a family-friendly event at Mendakota Park on Saturday, August 14, and a wrap-up event on Sunday, August 15. Planning is currently underway with details to-be-announced.
The City will be seeking business and community sponsors to make this celebration possible. Sponsorships are a wonderful way to connect with the local community. Sponsors have the opportunity to host an activity, or simply make a donation to support the event. Information on how your organization or business can be involved will be available soon.
Public meeting announcements
City Council Special Meeting (Closed Session)
The City Council will be holding a special meeting in a closed session on May 24, 2021, to begin at 1:30 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss attorney client communications and litigation strategy regarding a personnel issue.
Airport Relations Commission Work Session
The Airport Relations Commission has scheduled a work session for a strategic goals discussion on June 3, 2021, to begin at 6 p.m.
City Council Work Session
The City Council will hold a work session on June 9, 2021, to begin at 1:30 p.m.
City email addresses changing
The City is in the process of changing its domain name from mendota-heights.com to mendotaheightsmn.gov to better identify itself as a government entity. City email addresses will be first initial, last name "@mendotaheightsmn.gov." To allow for a smooth transition, emails will continue to be received if sent to the old "@mendota-heights.com" addresses well into the future.
 COVID-19 information
Find a vaccination location
All Minnesotans 12 years of age and older are eligible to receive a free vaccination. Sign up for the Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine Connector.
Links to additional vaccine information:
Walk-ins are welcome
Walk-ins for Minnesotans age 12 to 17 are possible at any state community vaccination sites that are administering the Pfizer vaccine. Currently, these state sites have the Pfizer vaccine available:
- Bloomington (Mall of America)
- Saint Paul (Roy Wilkins Auditorium),
- Lino Lakes
- Oakdale
Parent or guardian consent is required for COVID-19 vaccination for people younger than 18 years old. For State Community Vaccination Clinics:
- 12-15 year olds must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
- 16 and 17 year olds must receive permission from a parent or guardian, either in person through being accompanied by a parent or guardian, or online beforehand through the appointment scheduling and registration process.
- Families are highly encouraged to join 12-17 year olds and get vaccinated at the same time.
Walk-ins for Minnesotans age 18 years and older are also available at all state community vaccination sites.
State Fairground vaccinations
Those 18 years and older can schedule an appointment today for a Johnson and Johnson, single-dose vaccine at the State Fair from May 26 - June 8; walk-ups are also welcome May 26 - June 8 from noon to 8 p.m. daily, no insurance or ID required. This site is being operated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Find a free community testing event
The Minnesota Department of Health continues to host both saliva and nasal swab testing events throughout Minnesota. Tests are free and insurance is not required. Visit mn.gov/covid19/get-tested/testing-locations/index.jsp for more information.
Recent highlights
 Don't toss your plant pots in the recycling!
Why? Recyclers don't like black plastics because optical sorting machines cannot identify them and manufacturers don't like them because they cannot dye the plastic another color. Several local stores are accepting empty plant pots, including Home Depot in Eagan and Inver Grove Heights, and Lowe's in West St. Paul.
Upcoming recycling events
Join the Recycling Tour
May 25, 6:30–7:30 p.m. Register
As we wait for in-person tours to resume, take part in a virtual recycling tour this month. Eureka Recycling will walk us through their operation using facility videos and answer questions you have about recycling collection.
Boat Wrap Recycling
Through June 15
Drop off boat wrap at Lighthouse Motorsports and Marine in Rosemount during regular business hours. Call 651-322-4420 before dropping off. The type of plastic used to wrap boats requires special handling and cannot be placed with regular home recycling. Remove all straps, cords, rocks and gravel. Transhield covers and fabric liners, including plastic wrap with fabric, are not accepted.
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Take home FREE compost for your garden.
The Compost Site is open Friday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (operation is weather dependent). The compost site accepts yard waste such as grass clippings and leaves. Fees are $0.50 per standard sized bag and $1 per larger plastic bag or barrel. Volume-based fees are charged for pickup truck loads.
  Valley Park pollinator plug and shrub planting
This Saturday, May 22, Great River Greening will host a native pollinator shrub and native plug planting event at Valley Park from 8:30 a.m. to noon. This planting project will continue the restoration work being done to create nine acres of pollinator resources and habitat throughout the Xcel Energy corridor in Valley Park. The project is part of the larger Metro Big Rivers Phase 8 plan, which focuses on protecting and improving habitats that are needed by wildlife Species in Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). The project is a partnership between the City, Great River Greening, and Xcel Energy, and is funded through the Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment. For more information visit Great River Greening’s event page
Curly Leaf Pondweed treatment at Rogers Lake
In the following weeks Rogers Lake will receive a Curly Leaf Pondweed treatment to help remove and control this invasive aquatic plant. Curly Leaf Pondweed (CLP) is an invasive aquatic plant that can form dense stands of thick vegetation that crowds out native aquatic vegetation and can inhibit lake recreation. CLP has thin, submerged leaves that have wavy edges. It is one of the first plants to emerge in the spring, and dies back in mid-summer. By treating this plant early in the season, the plant is able to be targeted, and poses less of a risk to native vegetation that has not yet begun to emerge.
The treatment is funded in part by two grants the City has received for the project: An Aquatic Invasive Species Grant awarded by Dakota County, as well as an Aquatic Invasive Species Control Grant awarded by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The project also includes an education and outreach program to help residents and lake users identify and prevent the spread of aquatic invasives. The project is a partnership between the City and the Roger’s Lake Improvement Association.
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Recent highlights
Just the Facts
Incident reports 5/14/21 - 5/20/21
Previous Just the Facts publications are available in the Laserfiche archive system on the City's website.
Sign up for emergency alerts
The Emergency Alert Program is available through the Dakota Communications Center (DCC) at mn-dcc.org/community-notification/.
Stay in touch through Nextdoor
The MHPD has expanded their social media channels to include Nextdoor. Learn more and sign up at nextdoor.com.
For immediate public safety response and non-emergency police assistance call 9-1-1
The Police Department will also continue to process requests for police reports, gun permits, etc. Link to the forms under Public Resources at mendota-heights.com/police. Completed forms and general questions can be submitted via email to pdrecords@mendota-heights.com.
Has someone filed for fraudulent Unemployment Insurance Benefits in your name?
If you receive a notice advising that Unemployment Insurance Benefits have been applied for using your name and it was done without your permission, use the link below to report it to the State of Minnesota Unemployment Insurance Division, and call your local police agency to report the Identity Theft. If you live in Mendota, Lilydale or Mendota Heights call MHPD at 651-452-1366. uimn.org/fraud-report/index.jsp
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 What's happening in local parks this summer?
Watch the Community Park Connection's Summer episode to learn about local park and recreational programs this summer.
Marie Park playground update
While we were hoping to receive the new playground equipment mid-May for June 1 completion, the receipt of the equipment has been delayed. Our contractor anticipates receiving the equipment on June 7, with a revised targeted completion date of June 16. Thank you for your patience as we await this new amenity to the park.
Movie Night
June 4 | 8:30 p.m. at Mendakota Park
Bring a blanket, chairs, and your favorite snacks, and watch Tom and Jerry under the stars (rated PG). This is a free community event - no registration required.
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Resident feedback sought to help develop Strategic Plan for Parks and Recreation
Respond before midnight, May 21
The City of Mendota Heights is developing a Strategic Plan that will provide long term direction and guide future maintenance and improvement decisions for the City's parks and recreation system.
Please help prioritize Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation opportunities, by taking this online two-minute survey via Polco.
Permit requests open for field and facility rentals
Due June 1 for first consideration on events August through November
Permit requests for field and facility reservations at Mendota Heights parks, for events taking place August through November of this year, are due on June 1, 2021, for first consideration. Reservations received after the deadline will be handled on a first-come, first serve basis. For more information and to download forms visit mendota-heights.com/parksrecreation.
 Officer Scott Patrick Memorial 5K Walk/Run
Saturday, June 5 | 9 a.m. at Market Square Park
Participate in the Officer Scott Patrick Memorial 5K Walk/Run to benefit Special Olympics of Minnesota. Registration is $25 before June 5 or $30 on the day of the event. Register online under Special Events or use the registration form. Registration forms are also available at City Hall during business hours.
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