Town square: Two top officials depart

Mendota Heights's public works superintendent will retire at the end of May.

Tom Olund has worked with the city in some capacity since 1974, when Mendota Heights was about a third of the size it is now, officials said.

Olund's retirement was announced at the May 6 City Council meeting, during which he was recognized for his four decades of service.

Dakota County's Community Development Agency has awarded about $900,000 to help revitalize five cities.

The recipients:

Burnsville: $250,000 to complete an expansion of the Heart of the City parking ramp, adding 40 to 45 parking stalls to the existing deck built in 2009.

Eagan: $90,000 for interior trails and signage in the Cedar Grove redevelopment area., including nicer, lit-up entrance monuments.

South St. Paul: $114,000 to redevelop a former gas and service station, constructed in 1956 and was vacated in 2013. It js now dilapidated. A proposed redevelopment includes 5,500 square feet of retail space and off street parking.

West St. Paul: $250,000 to help buy and demolish a building at 81 E. Wentworth. The city has a plan to redevelop a 4.2 acre area at Robert Street and Wentworth.

Eric Werner, Rosemount's police chief the last two years, is leaving to take the same position in Maple Grove.

The Maple Grove City Council approved Werner's appointment as the city's new top cop at its May 5 meeting.

Werner, whose annual salary will be $115,945, will be sworn in at the June 16 City Council meeting, according to city minutes.

He will take over for the departing chief, Dave Jess, who will retire at the end of the month.

Details are emerging on the shift to a new hauler for Shakopee. June 1 is the date when a five-year contract with Republic Services begins for single-family dwellings, duplexes, triplexes and townhouses in Shakopee getting city water and sewer and with individual cart service.

Each will have delivered two new carts: one for garbage and one for recycling.

That happens between May 19 and 30. Use them for the week of June 1. Old carts will be picked up after final collection the last week of May.

Single-sort recycling is part of the new contract. Place all of their recyclables (paper, plastic, glass, cardboard, tin, aluminum, etc.) in one yellow-lidded, wheeled cart. No need to sort or bundle.

Residents should have their carts to the curb by 7 a.m. and leave space

between the carts for the automated trucks to grasp individual carts.

Households will receive the same size garbage cart they now use. Please try the cart for 90 days before requesting a different size.

More information is available at www.ShakopeeMN.gov/haulertransition.

Or you can contact Republic Services Customer Service Center at (952) 941-5174 or visit www.republicservices.com/site/minnesota.

Subject to weather, of course -- which has already interfered with earlier forecasts.

That won't be the end of it, however. In mid-May through early June, the state says both directions of I-35 on that same streetch, between 50 and 70, will see some "temporary lane closures outside of rush hour."