Dakota County briefs: Watch out for discolored tap water in Burnsville

Burnsville's utilities department will be flushing all city-owned fire hydrants until May 30.

Crews will open hydrants from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Flushing may also take place on weekends, weather permitting. City hydrants are flushed on a regular basis to ensure they are working properly and to remove mineral deposits.

The city says the change in water flow may stir up mineral deposits, and it is not unusual to periodically experience discolored water, pressure changes or an increased chlorine odor. Visible iron coloration in the water is not a health threat. To get rid of discolored water, open all cold water faucets at the same time until the water runs clear.

During the hydrant flushing period, residents are also encouraged to check the color of their water before doing laundry. Discolored water may stain clothes. Rust remover is available from the Burnsville Maintenance Facility, 13713 Frontier Court, for residents whose laundry has become discolored as a result of hydrant flushing.

For more information, call 952-895-4550 or see www.burnsville.org/hydrants.

Rosemount residents can pick up a free tree during the city's 22nd Arbor Day celebration on May 3.

The first 180 residents — proof of residency is required — can select from a variety of bare-root trees, each six to eight feet tall. There's a limit one tree per household. The trees will need to be planted within 24 hours.

The 2008 parking deck in Burnsville's Heart of the City will be enlarged this year by either 44 stalls, at a cost of $1.4 million, or 88 stalls, at a cost of $2.4 million. The size of the addition depends on whether a hotel is built next to the parking deck as anticipated.

Both additions would include a lower slab of concrete, streetscape improvements and improvements to the facade of the garage. The city has hired Bolton and Menk consultants for about $179,000 to plan and design the deck improvements.

The Apple Valley City Council has set five prime goals for 2014.

They are: to keep the city financially stable and maintain its AAA bond rating; to advocate for the construction of a third lane on Cedar Avenue from 138th Street to Diffley Road; to improve pedestrian safety on Cedar Avenue in downtown Apple Valley and advocate for installation of a pedestrian skyway at the 147th Street Station; to market land in the downtown Central Village area and use available grant funds to help create jobs; and to maintain and improve property conditions.

Working in conjunction with the Dakota County Sheriff's Office, the Eagan Police Department is receiving grant funding to participate in a national program known as Data-Driven Approaches to Crime and Traffic Safety (DDACTS).

The grant will fund extra traffic enforcement by Eagan patrol officers, initially in previously identified target areas and later in other target areas identified on a monthly basis. The program will run through Aug. 31, at which time collected data will be analyzed to determine if the targeted enforcement has significantly lowered the number of criminal incidents and traffic crashes.

Dakota County approved a 2 percent pay increase for 2014 and 2015 for county law enforcement personnel in the deputies unit.

The county also authorized 1 to 3 percent lump sums to be paid for outstanding performance.