Newspaper Clipping - Newspaper Clipping Scan - Pat Geagan Eagan Police Chief and Eagan Mayor -&EPS&fr) 1krR\c&
Pat Bob
Geagan Johnson
• Two departing mayors share
their memories about leading
two of the area's largest cities.
Suburban
mayors
look back
on terms
By SARAH LEMAGIE
slemagie@startribune.com
T1e first week in January will
mean a return to work for
many, but for two south -met-
ro mayors who leave office this week,
the new year brings with it both new-
found free time and a chance to re-
flect on their terms. Bob Johnson of
Lakeville and Eagan Mayor Pat Gea-
gan talked with Star Tribune South
on their successes and the things they
wish they'd done differently.
Questions and answers have been
edited for length and clarity.
Pat Geagan
Geagan served in the Eagan Police
Department for 30 years —10 as chief
— before becoming mayor in 2003.
Q Why didn't you run this year?
A Most of it had to do with health
issues. I was diagnosed with Parkin-
son's in 1997, and when I decided to
run for office, they told me that I
was probably all right for about four
years, which was the term. As it turns
out, they were right.
Q What has been the most chal-
lenging thing about being mayor?
A You can't help everybody. I think
a lot of us come to the job thinking we
want to be problem solvers as mayor,
but there's a lot of them that you just
can't solve.
Q Such as?
A Airport noise. You have peo-
ple that expect you to do something
about the noise, and we belong to the
different noise groups, but the bottom
line is, you're still going to have [the
planes[ going over your house. Plus,
it's a huge employer here for us with
Northwest Airlines and Mesaba.
Q Tell me about your best day as
mayor.
A Calling my mother and telling
her that I had been elected.
Mayors continues: Johnson talks
about transit, senior housing. S9 P.
tile ralcon tUllge iviluure plujca.w Lin
School student has Alstrom a book ont
syndrome, a rare condition that de votee of
leads to early vision loss, col- and music
or blindness, hearing loss and vorite acad
other health complications. In the distinc
Amanda's case, her sight start- she tolerat
ed to fail when she was about 7 the time.
months old and she sees clear- Her be
LETTERS or orgam
check to
Railroad's plan Canterb
threatens Mayo 55379. Cr
can be
I believe that the Dakota 496-2125 (
Minnesota and Eastern Rail- partment
road's plan to increase the fre- CAP Age
quency and speed of its trains ible and
poses a threat to the Rochester the famili
area. The majority of the train
crossings fall within the vicin-
ity of the Mayo Clinic, mak-
ing it highly probable for an
emergency vehicle on its way
to the hospital to get stopped Stop gl
by a mile -long train. Three -
to five-minute delays may not Global
seem like a particularly long problem th
time, but we must think about last centur
the impact this could have on ly change 1
the lives of the many patients wide. Wit
who are in a life -or -death situ- ing, polar
ation and need to make it to the melanom
clinic in the shortest amount of still aren't
time. Even though the DM&E lem must
has been granted permission to curbing
expand and upgrade its track, I instantan
urge all of you to take a stand impatient
against the $2.3 billion feder- In ord
al loan that is in the process of pecially
being granted to the railroad up 5 perce
company. This loan may be ulation
granted by the end of the year, the worl
so you must take action as soon take a ch
as possible. You can do so by ner. We
writing a letter to your govern- itive re'
ment officials and voicing your making
opinion against the DM&E fed-
eral loan.
Hous.
REBECCA KOCH TELL
Northfield We'
like yo
Avoid carbon us. We
of-the-
monoxoide tragedy some
for that
The
Burnsvi
which S
on the s
you're iI
comma:
Hope
A recent news story about
Andy Carlson, the North
Branch teenager who acciden-
tally died of carbon monoxide
poisoning on Dec. 5, is a sad
reminder for all homeowners
and landlords to install carbon
monoxide detectors and make
sure their furnace is working
properly. But for individuals
and families who struggle to
pay their heating bills, these
things are likely far down the
list of necessities like food, rent
and gasoline.
For those who qualify, the
CAP Agency Energy Assis-
tance Program has funds avail-
able to help pay heating bills,
as well as furnace repair or re-
placement costs. Eligibility is
based on income, family size
and household energy costs.
If you or someone you know
is struggling to pay heating
bills or to repair or replace an
aging furnace, please call the
CAP Agency at 952-496-2125
in Scott or Carver County or
651-322-3500 in Dakota Coun-
ty to request an application for
assistance.
You can help people in your
community stay warm this
winter by donating to the CAP
Agency Energy Assistance Pro-
gram. Individuals, businesses
• Hour
• Perso
• Meal
*' WEDN"ESDAY, DECEMBER• 27, 2006 • STAR TRIBUNE • SOUTH' • S9
South -metro mayors look back on their terms.
MAYORS FROM Si.
plans for the golf course to al- ' approved; because that was i service; and the cost per rid
' low homes to be built, there.) . the first major retail develop- er simply does not make any
ment that the city ever got. Be- sense at this point in Lakeville's
Q What about your worst .,Q What are you going to fore that, you had to go up to growth and development:
day? ' miss most about being mayor? Apple: Valley or Burnsville to '
A I, think the worst day A The interaction with the enjoy that.
was probably, when. we were.community. Q Earlier 'this year, ,you
served the Carriage Hills [Golf Qpushed' unsuccessfully to
What about your.. worst . make mayoral terms four year
interactions A you'd say.. g
long time and that I'd
an us complexity of the
known [club owner] Ray: Rahn Johnson,' chief anesthetist at some :time in the mayorship, of running every two years.
for years, , and :Herb Wens- Regions Hospital, is retiring as and. probably\the day' one of We're a small town, but it's still
mann, the developer,' had' built 'mayor of Lakeville: after three the corporations,' said, `,`We're expensive to campaign. I sini
my first house in Apple Valley terms and six years on the City just pulling out of this" ... that ' ply felt that 'we , had reached
I know they didn't'feel very .Council.
Was (jisappointing .._.t__l _ ....
good about it, either Obvious-,
ly, it has cost them an arm and a Q Tell me about your . best
leg — as it has us — as far as lit- day as mayor.
igation fees. (Rahn and Wens- A The.best day would prob-
mane Realty sued Eagan af- `.ably have been when we got
ter the City Council refused, the TimberCrest develop -
to change its long-term zoning ment (where SuperTarget is)',
•
thought
Club[ lawsuit. [The plaintiffs]
were people that I'd known a
were pretty good friends, And
that just changed things. I had
Q How about least?.
A Some of the
with the community' .
Bob Johnson
day?
I don't know if ou'
worst day per se, but I always
wanted to develop senior ho -
ing.I worked. on that for quite
instead of 'two.' -Why did you •
think that was a good idea?
A Simply because of the
comp exi mayoral
position ' and the distraction
54,000. All of our council have
Q What's' an issue' you'vefour year [terms]. Why.shoutfi.,
changed yourmind on? the mayor of Lakeville onlylie
AThe need' at this time for two years?
us to be:part ofthe [mass tran-\
sit] system. I haven't seen the
overwhelming demand for that
Sarah Lemagie `•_612=673-7557,
S10•• SOUTH: • STAR TRIBUNE-. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2006
Unbeatable. Selections on All Sewing,.
Embroidery. Machines S Sergers!
APPLE VALLEY
Centenarian"had •, ..
hard work in
his blood
Even into his 90s, Edward
Ingstad kept a more regular
workout' routine than many
people a quarter his age.
He walked the -halls of Ap-.
ple Valley Vi1= •
la • senior: apart- '
inents for half an
hour• every day.
before - spend-.
ing another half-
hour on an exer-
cise bike. That Edward.
was typical of In- Ingstad
gstad, who lived a •
century and didn't 'spend much
of it sitting down.:. .
"This is a guy , who was
working 'in lumber camps at
•arr. 12 " trr.]TIlcnn VnIth TFIOC-
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In Loving Memory of
Carl F. Goers
Born - April 4,1925
Died - July 24, 2013
Age - 88 Years
Funeral Service
Saint Luke's Lutheran Church
1807 Field Avenue
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Tuesday, July 30, 2013 - 11:00 a.m.
Officiating Clergy
Reverend David Person
Interment
Fort Snelling National Cemetery
Fort Snelling Reservation, Minnesota
-TVUA LU L 1 I - 2 o Z
•
Geagan is Eagan's new mayor
Carlson, Maguire elected to
by Erin Johnson
Staff Writer
As Eagan's current mayor,
Pat Awada, ascends the ranks to
the office of state auditor, she
leaves the city in the hand& of.
former Eagan Police Chief Pat
Geagan.
Geagan defeated Gary
Huusko Tuesday to become the
next mayor of Eagan. Geagan
received 17,677 votes while
Huusko received 7,606 votes.
Geagan was Eagan's police
chief for 10 years and served aw
total of 30 years with the Eagan
Police Department. While he
was police chief, he was elected
president of the Minnesota
Chiefs of Police Association.
Geagan, a veteran, also served
Pat Geagan
as a medic in the U.S. Air Force.
He now works as a private
investigator with Heartland
Business Intelligence.
"It's just really neat," he said
about his new role. "It's excit-
ing. For someone like myself
City Council
that spent so many years with
the city, to have the opportunity
to serve as mayor, what better is
there?"
Geagan said he will be keep-
ing his eye on state finances and
the effect they might have on the
city.
"I think we have to be real
cautious of what's going to hap-
pen as far as the state budget
shortfalls that they're talking
about, the county shortfalls," he
said. "I think we're in pretty
good shape here, but at the same
time we have to be very, very
cautious about what we're
spending. We just don't know
what's out there right now."
His other priority, he said, is
to bring the new council together
See Mayor, 13A
McGinn defeats Wiener
in Senate District 38
by Erin Johnson
Staff Writer
Sen. Deanna Wiener lost her
bid for re-election to the state
Senate Tuesday to Republican
opponent Mike McGinn, ending
the Democrat's 10-year hold on
a seat in a predominantly con-
servative district.
This is the second time
McGinn and Wiener have faced
each other. In 2000, McGinn
was defeated by 529 votes. This
time, he won by a paper -thin
margin of 24 votes, enough to
trigger an automatic recount.
McGinn said that watching
the results come in was a lesson
in patience.
"When you have a whole
bunch of friends, family and
Mike McGinn
supporters gathered together in
a small room watching the
results, by 10 p.m. it's like
watching paint dry," he said.
Wiener, the Senate majority
whip, was first elected to the
seat in 1992 and re-elected in
See McGinn, 12A
Mayor Awada will be Minnesota's auditor
by T.W. Budig
ECM Capitol Reporter
Eagan Mayor Pat Anderson
Awada eked out a narrow vic-
tory Tuesday night, slipping
by DFL state treasurer Carol
Johnson to win the state audi-
tor's race.
Awada, who did not have a
chance to celebrate victory
Election Day because of the
tightness of the race — only
about a single point separates
Awada and Johnson — later
Pat Awada
appeared at a Republican vic-
tory celebration at the Capitol
See Awada, 12A
Awada reflects on time as
mayor, her new state office
by Erin Johnson Eagan in local government: I
Staff Writer know local government
finances. I know the players.
Mayor Pat Awada said she This is a perfect fit for me."
will really miss being part of Having Tim Pawlenty at the
politics in Eagan, but she is - helm as governor will make the
looking forward to her new transition easier, she said. Both
role as state auditor. Awada and Pawlenty got their
"I'm ready. I'm very ready," start in politics serving on the
she said about serving the Eagan City Council together.
state. "I've served 11 years in See Reflect, 14A
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From Page 1A
He cited Eagan's success in
attracting Ecolab to move more
than, 700 jobs to Eagan and
Wells Fargo to locate 500 jobs in
the city.
In addition, he referenced
the city's Technology Task
Force's effort, which has so far
resulted in a strengthened part-
nership between the city and its
businesses and a first of its
kind map.
Eagan became the first city
in Minnesota to graphically
map where its Internet access
gaps are and where its
strengths are.
"We're now using that map
to attract new companies to lo-
cate in Eagan and we're pursu-
ing a variety of strategies to in-
crease competition and high
speed Internet service to Eagan
residents and businesses," Gea-
gan said.
Another big success is the co-
operative effort to preserve the
city's open and green space,
Geagan said.
Working with the citizen's
group Friends of the Eagan
Core Greenway and other
groups, such as the non-profit
Trust for Public Land, Dakota
County and the state, Eagan has
preserved land abutting Patrick
Eagan Park.
One of the biggest advances
in that area happened only two
days before Geagan's speech.
On March 15, a sale that will
forever preserve Caponi Art
Park was finalized. -
The city is not without its
challenges though, Geagan
said. Among them is the likely
retirement of administrative
leaders in the city, fighting
Dutch Elm disease, and contin-
uing to keep taxes low while
giving Eagan residents high-
quality services.
In addition, the city faces
challenges in transportation
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that can only be solved by work-
ing as partners with other gov-
ernmental bodies, he said. Gea-
gan said transportation issues
"won't be solved in one year" ei-
ther.
"The state of our city is
strong," Geagan said. "But only
in partnership will success be
found."
Among the City Council
goals over the next year are con-
tinuing to educate residents
about an expected increase in
airport noise when a new run-
way opens next fall and redevel-
oping the Cedar Grove and
highways 149/55 areas.
The city will also find itself
hiring a new Parks and Recre
ation director in 2005 to replace
Ken Vraa, who: served in the po-
sition for nearly 24 years before
retiring last. year.
The city's agenda, Geagan
summarized, is "maintaining
and improving Eagan as a great
place to live, work, and enjoy"
He called on residents and busi-
ness leaders to continue to get
involved in the city.
"Civic involvement, you see,
is the cement that builds
dernocracy and holds democra-
cy 1igether," he said. "Working
together as one on blueprints
for'ithie future; xt' oan make a
huge difference for the Eagan of
today, and tomorrow. We can
build on our success."
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Submin . photo
Eagan Mayor Pat Geagan delivers the annual State of the City
address.
`Building on success'
State. of the City address highlights Eagan's
successes, challenges
by Erin Johnson
THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
The state of the city is strong,
said Eagan Mayor Pat Geagan,
and getting stronger.
"Our foundation is solid,
Eagan's future is bright," he
said.
Geagan delivered the annu-
al state of the city address on
March 17, highlighting the
city's recent successes and out-
lining its future challenges.
The theme of the address
was "Building on Success."
Eagan has been very success-
ful at attracting and retaining
businesses, he said. Last year,
Ecolab expanded and moved
more than 700 jobs to Eagan
and expects to add about • 100
more jobs a year over the next
five years.
Wells Fargo moved 500 jobs
to Eagan, and Thomson West
See City, 6A
City/from 1A
constructed two new data cen-
ters in the city. In addition,
small businesses like Viva Italia
Restaurant and Tandem Printing
also opened in Eagan.
Geagan said that technology
and transportation are critical to
Eagan's future success. The city
is working to improve its tech-
nology infrastructure, but it will
face a $40 million gap in trans-
portation funding over the next
decade.
"Figuring out how to solve
those funding challenges is one
of the top goals of the Eagan
City Council," he said.
The city did, however, secure
$1 million in federal funding for
an eventual ring road to relieve
congestion at the intersection of
Pilot Knob and Yankee Doodle
roads.
Another key infrastructure
improvement is a new water
treatment facility that will open
later this year and provide 10
million additional gallons of
water capacity per day.
The water treatment plant is
the largest single construction
project ever undertaken by the
city, Geagan said.
Preserving open space is a
council priority, he said, and the
city recently reached its long-
term goal of protecting the Ca-
poni Art Park. More than $2.2
million in public financing was
used to secure the property.
"But we believe there is more
to do," he said. "And figuring
out how to fund open space ac-
quisition in the future will be a
major challenge."
Other future challenges in-
clude the hiring of a Parks and
Recreation director and evaluat-
ing the future needs of the park
system.
The City Council will also
look at how to position the city
for the next 10 to 15 years in
terms of service delivery and
examine what it will mean to
be a maturing city. And it will
need to prepare for the eventual
retirements of at least three ad-
ministration members, who have
more than 90 years of combined
experience.
"That's hard to replace,"
Geagan said.
Eagan has always been a
leader in fostering partnerships
to reach city goals, he said, and
he stressed that civic involve-
ment is "the cement that builds
democracy."
"The challenges we face,
we will face together," he said.
"Working together as one on
blueprints for the future, we can
make a huge difference for the
Eagan of today and tomorrow.
We can build on our success"
Erin Johnson is at eagan.
thisweek@ ecm-inc.com.
Geagan
From Page lA
During the Jan. 7 listening session,
the council decided that before deciding
whether to amend that condition perma-
nently, it would like to have a public hear-
ing and allow neighbors to comment.
However, to help the golf course com-
bat potential vandals in the meantime,
the council decided to discuss temporar-
ily allowing the lights to remain on
longer.
Council members discussed several
new times for allowing the lights to re-
main on, ranging from midnight to 2 a.m.
However, Carlson said that the time did-
n't really matter to vandals.
"Lights can help, but if kids are going
to do it, they are going to do it," Carlson
said. "If they have serious vandalism,
they need to keep the lights on to be ef-
fective."
A motion to extend the time to 1 a.m.
failed with only Councilmember Meg
Tilley supporting it. A later motion al-
lowing the lights to stay on from dusk
until dawn until a hearing at the coun-
cil's Tuesday, Jan. 21, meeting was
passed on a 3-2 vote with Maguire and
Tilley voting against it.
However, Carlson cautioned that she.
would not be voting to continue allowing
the lights to stay on all night permanent-
ly and that another long-term solution
will have to be discussed at that meeting.
In other business:
• The council approved a contract
with a consultant to help shape a master
plan for Holz Farm Park, a rustic farm
and park owned by the city in the south-
eastern corner of Eagan.
The council had previously approved
city staff to proceed -with developing the
master plan during a September meet-
ing. After interviewing several firms
`You're not going to find a
more dedicated group of
people. They work very hard
to make our job go -
smoothly.'
— Mayor Pat Geagan
submitting proposals, an interview
panel recommended Brauer and Associ-
ates from Hopkins.
"They really seemed to understand
who the stakeholders are," said Dorothy
Peterson, a parks commissioner and
member of the Friends of the Farm, a
group that oversees the park. "They also
recognized that the Advisory Parks Com-
mission and the community would play
a part in shaping the plan."
Putting together the plan was includ-
ed as part of the city's 2002 parks capital
improvement plan with an estimated
cost of no more than $30,000. Brauer was
the only firm interviewed that met that
criteria, Peterson said.
Peterson said Brauer has done previ-
ous master plan work with Lebanon
Hills Regional Park as well as some sim-
ilar work in Bloomington, Anoka and
Burnsville.
Parks and Recreation Director Ken
Vraa said the city would be providing
much of the baseline information neces-
Sary to run the process, such as topo-
graphical maps and other geographical
information already collected about the
site.
"This is really more of a process than
a drawing," Vraa said. "This is a process
of walking the community, Friends of
the Farm and the city through the
process and -looking at what the options
are for the area."
Joshua Nichols/Sun Newspapers
City Administrator Tom Hedges (right) administers the oath of mayor to Pat Geagan.
Joshua Nichols/Sun Newspapers
City Administrator Tom Hedges (right) administers the oath of office to new council
member Mike Maguire
Joshua Nichols/Sun Newspapers
Eagan Mayor Pat Geagan says a
few words after being sworn in as
the city's new elected leader.
Pat Geagan era begins in Eagan
Council kicks off new year
with changes, driving range
issues
BY JOSHUA NICHOLS
Sun Newspapers
A new chapter in Eagan city
government opened Jan. 7 amid
flashbulbs, smiles, handshakes
and raised right hands.
Before getting down to the
business of deciding variances
and discussing other plans, the
council welcomed its new mem-
bers at its first meeting of 2003.
Speaking about city staff,
newly elected Mayor Pat Geagan
said after being sworn in by City
Administrator Tom Hedges:
"You're not going to find a more
dedicated group of people. They
work very hard to make our job go
smoothly."
Councilmember Peggy Carl-
son, who was re-elected to the
council in November, called being
a member of the council a "fami-
ly affair."
Newly elected Councilmember
Mike Maguire, who won election
to the council along with Carlson,
echoed her comments after he
took the oath of office.
"I'm never going to be able to
thank Janelle or Ian enough for
their support," Maguire said, re-
ferring to his wife and their new-
born son. "They helped me get
through some of the more anxi-
ety -ridden times. You become
kind of a fragile person when you
run for public office."
To greet the new mayor and -
council member was a light agen-
da featuring only a handful of
items. One of the items discussed
the longest was an issue that was
originally not on the agenda and
arose out of the council's listen-
ing session before the meeting. t
The owners of Parkview Golf
Course came before the council to
ask it to consider extending the
limitation on lighting its new dri-
ving range because of vandalism
it has been experiencing since it
opened late last year.
When the development plan
for the driving range came before
the council last summer, council
members allowed the lights to
stay on until 10:30 p.m.
GEAGAN: To Page 13A
6A January 11, 2003 THISWEEK
Council/from 1A
parts that our city council mem-
bers take part in," said City
Administrator Tom Hedges.
After taking the oath, the
three elected officials were
given a chance to say a few
words to the audience before
resuming the meeting.
Geagan, the former police
chief of Eagan, thanked his fam-
ily, as well as the police officers
that were there to show support.
He also acknowledged the cur-
rent and past council members.
"I don't think you're ever
going to find a more dedicated
group of people," he said. "They
really care about the community
and I am looking very much for-
EG
ward to working with them. The
staff here is special, and Tom
Hedges, under his leadership,
we're very, very fortunate to
have him with us. I look forward
to working with everybody here
in the future."
Carlson, now the most sea-
soned member of the council,
introduced and thanked her fam-
ily, husband, Jay, daughter
Shelby, 15, and son Eric, 13, for
their support.
"A council member — it's a
family affair," she said. "They
put up with your leaving at all
hours and the phone calls and
everything else."
Maguire thanked the citizens
of Eagan for allowing him into
their homes while he was cam -
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paigning and for "being courte-
ous enough to wait to throw the
literature away until I was out of
sight."
He also thanked his col-
leagues on the council for help-
ing him through the transition,
as well as his wife and son.
"Peggy is absolutely right —
there is not just one person who
runs for any office, and I'll
never thank Janelle and Ian
enough for all they did to help
me to run and coach me through
some of the anxiety -ridden
times during the campaign," he
said.
The meeting was relatively
brief and the agenda decidedly
modest, allowing the newcom-
ers to adjust to their positions
and learn the ropes.
"Mayor Geagan and I had
nothing to do with setting up the
agenda, but Tom Hedges had
told me that it would be a fairly
light one," said Maguire.
As for his feelings on finally
taking office, Maguire said it
feels good to finally drop the
"elect" part of his new title.
"It felt good to get down to
business," he said. "I was sur-
prised at how anxious I was
going into the meeting. The
light agenda gave me a chance
to get my feet wet in what
almost felt like a dry run."
What surprised him the most,
he said, is how much faster the
pace is from behind the council
Photo by Rick Orndo,f
Council Member Peggy Carlson, far left, and Council Member
Mike Maguire, far right, are joined by their families as they are
sworn into office by City Administrator Tom Hedges.
dais. It's a very different experi-
ence than when he attended
meetings as an audience mem-
ber, he said.
"Some things on the agenda
move pretty quickly," he said.
"There was a time there when I
really wanted more time to think
about an item. But we'll start
seeing items that we've devel-
oped a relationship with in time.
When you don't have that histo-
ry, you're a little tentative with
it.
"We'll get more and more
comfortable until we're in there
mixing it up just as well as
council members Carlson,
Tilley and Fields."
Geagan could not be reached
for comment before this issue
went to press. But as the meet-
ing drew to a close Tuesday, he
addressed a troop of fourth -
grade Eagan Boy Scouts that
attended the meeting.
"Come back in a couple of
weeks," he said. "It will go a
whole lot smoother."
Erin Johnson is at
eagan. thisweek@ ecm-inc. com.
Akt...akk.) Q 1- 1\-
Eagangets firstglimpse of
g
new niaY or, council in action
Geagan, Maguire and re-elected Carlson take oath of office
by Erin Johnson
THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
The first Eagan City Council
meeting with new Mayor Pat
Geagan and Council Member
Mike Maguire was not without
its bumps, but a smiling Geagan
assured the audience, "We'll
figure this out, folks."
Geagan, who was elected to a
four-year term as mayor, and
Maguire, elected to a four-year
term as a city council member,
joined re-elected Council
Member Peggy Carlson for the
official swearing in at Tuesday's
council meeting. Each took the
oath of office, in which they
promised to uphold the U.S. and
state constitutions and faithfully
New Eagan Mayor Pat Geagan
after taking the oath of office.
and impartially discharge the
duties of their office for the city
of Eagan..
says a few words to the audience
"The oath of office is proba-
bly one of the most important
See Council, 6A
ECVB hopes to
make Eagan a
tourist destination
`Candy -wrapped' van is
crux of new campaign
by Erin Johnson
THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
The Eagan Convention and
Visitors Bureau (ECVB)
launched an ambitious cam-
paign last week that it hopes
will draw tourists to Eagan.
The campaign incorporates
M&M's turned sideways to
look like "E&E's" and a
candy -wrapped van to send its
message.
The ECVB has decorated a
van in what .looks like large
M&M's candies, but in fact
they are turned sideways to
read "E&E's." Each candy
shape uses a different "E"
See ECVB, 10A
R.,c n., P(&o - 1 z-RJ.3 0 2
Web site posts inaccurate res
Glitch misrepresents municipal voting
BY AMY SHERMAN
Pioneer Press
At one point on primary
night, Eagan mayoral candidate
Pat Geagan gave new meaning
to the term landslide when a
state Web site posting partial
results showed he had 600-
�. some votes while his opponents
easier for voters to access info
mation about a variety of race
from one source.
A coding problem occurre
as counties tried to electronical
ly send data about municipal
races. In other words, countie
had accurate information, bu
the numbers were messed up
had zero. once transmitted.:When
realized th
Geagan did come in first with goof, the r results estatewe were pulled,
a sizable margin, but not that said Kent Kaiser, spokesman for
sizable. He got about 59 percent the secretary of state.
of the vote compared to 18 per- The problem will be fixed for
cent for Gary Huusko. the general election, Kaiser
A computer glitch caused the said. About 12 counties are
Secretary of State Web site to interested in sending municipal
post inaccurate numbers . for results in November.
municipal races from Dakota "That's why we do a pilot, to
and Anoka counties. see what kinks there are and fix
In the past, only county and it," Kaiser said.
legislative race results have
been sent to the state on elec-
tion night. In this election a few
counties, including Dakota and
.'Anoka, participated in a pilot
_'program to send municipal
results to the state — making it
oar -
The state Web site,
ww*sos.state.mn.us, didn't
appear to create much of a prob-
lem for candidates because
many got their results directly
from cities or the county, said
election officials in Dakota and
tZ — ?.00
Anoka counties.
Geagan„ said .he obtained 'his
results .froirititV Hall and was
r- unaware of the Web site woes,
s though he didn't mind hearing
Wednesday that he had • an
d alleged 600-0lead at one point:
- Huusko, who is now Gea-
gan's general election opponent,
s heard rumors of similar .riuiii=
t bers Tuesday night but .digs
counted ! them ; because :he was;
getting ..information' from the i
'City and'local cable
"Soineone called.:my wife
and said, `Pat Geagan had 800'
votes and nobody' else hadc.
any,' " Huusko said:
Dakota and Anoka counties:
plan to= post general election
results on their. own Web sites;,.
co.dakota.mri.us`''and co.anoka.
mn.us, on 'Nov '5 as :Well as the
state Web site.
Amy Sherman covers Ddkota
County public safetyan''d govern-
ment. She can be,reached at
asherman@pioneerpress.com or.
(651) 228-2174. Nancy Ngo
contributed to this:article.
iv
ii vl,G--rre ,t I) -N. - zocD
www.mnSun.com
Eagan
From Page 1A
"The city isn't as reliant on state aid
as some cities and we've already tight-
ened our belt so that it won't affect us
that much. But the state's finances will
certainly have an impact on the commu-
nity"
Another: issue that will be important
for Geagan .is addressing how the: city
can -preserve green space: He said
came olear.to'him that voters were inter-
estedin the' issue while he was knocking:
t . on doors during his campaign.
'Weare going to: have; to look at how
we want to go about.it:and who .paysfor .
Geagan= said : "I. knowit's important;
to thee:people of Eagan because I heard it.
so often while -I .was out campaigning." =
Part of his role as mayor will be.bring-
ing the,members of 'the council together
and easing ;the transition, he said., .,
"We will need to build a relationship..
on the counciland; that's going to, take
some time;;' he said. "That's part of wha
I .think -my role would be to bring th
members•of the old council and the new
council together." •
Geagan said Eagan residents can ex
pect him to be a very openand accessible
"T consider myself pretty open and I
. like to:listento both sides of an issue be-
fore making my mind up,". he. said. "I
spent so much of my life being a police
t,
e.
officer and that's something you have to
do as a police officer because both sides
usually have something valid to say."
Council member races
In the Eagan City Council election
voters retained incumbent Peggy Carl-
son and elected newcomer Mike
Maguire.
Carlson received 14,272 votes and
Maguire received 12,069 votes. Runners
up Gregory Wilkinsand Duey Bendt re-
ceived 9,216 and 6,809 votes respectively.
"My reaction is 14,272 thank-yous,".
Carlson said. "Other than:that,iriy,Ireac.-
tion was that I was pleasantly surprised
and happy and yippee."
Maguire said ,he kept his. eye on the ,+
results:as they slowly came in the night :
of the election and was overwhelmed by .-
the support he received. .
"I was.obviously pleased with the re
sults; "- Maguire said: "I am humbled by
the support the voters gave me. It's an
overwhelming experience:" : ,°,a
Incumbent Paul Bakken,.:the:other,,
council member whose seat was up for:
election .did not seek. re-election: Carl ,.
son and Maguire will join Cyndee Fields
and Meg Tilley on the council.
Carlson saidthe number of votes she
• received was especially surprising for
- her becauseshe said incumbents don't
have a good track record of getting re-
elected
in Eagan. Carlson was first elect-
ed to the council in 1998 after serving on :7
the. Eagan Advisory Planning Commis-
sion,
"Incumbents in Eagan don't specifi.
Apple Valley/Rosemount, Eagan Sun•Current/Thursday,.Nov. 14, 2002
cally have an easy time getting re-elect-
ed," she said. "So we got to work hard and
did our best and I think the results show
that."
Maguire said that as a council mem-
ber Eagan residents can expect him to
place priority on themessages he pre-
sented during his campaign.
"I want to thoughtfully and objective-
ly look at the challenges that come before:
us," he said. "For me it has always been
personally about involving citizens and
neighborhoods in the debate and making
sure they are included 0, the informa-
1
4
13A
tion process."
Carlson said she expects the new
council to face :several challenges over
the next year, including dealing with po-
tential cutbacks in state aid and preserv-
ing open space in the city
"How much the state is going to start
looking to take. away from ;the cities is
going to be a ver.•y big issue," she said.
"Other than that:with the county's open
space referendum passing and the.green-
way concept -I would also like to see the
council,start looking at addressingthose
issues soon."
ciu.Jrc.eu\na.Ara 1\—
n t`
-o(D2,
Eagan voters pick Geagan as next mayor
Carlson, Maguire elected
Carlson, Maguire elected
to City Council .
"It's ��u„n..
"It's really been
a part of me and I
didn't realize that
BY Josxua NICHOLSuntil I drove up to
City Hall the
Sun Newspapers morning after the
It didn't hit Patrick Geagan election.Geagan, who
how much he missed being a part retired as Eagan's
of city government until he was police chief in
elected Eagan mayor this past 1999 and now
week
"I was telling my wife the
other day that I hadn't realized
how much I missed it," said Gea-
gan, who served as Eagan's police
chief for a decade and in the Po-
lice Department for 30 years.
Geagan
works as a private investigator
with Heartland Powers Business
Intelligence, defeated Eagan Ad-
visory Planning Commission
Chairperson Gary Huusko in the
Nov 5 election.
Geagan took nearly 70 percent
of the vote in win-
ning the election
with 17,677 votes.
Huusko received
7,606 votes. In Jan-
uary, he will re-
place outgoing
Mayor Pat Awada,
who was elected
as state auditor. Carlson
"It's pretty ex-
citing," Geagan said. "It's really a
privilege and an honor and I
know people are pretty loose with
those words, but it really means a
lot to me. I've been involved in the
city for so long and it really is im-
portant to me to see Eagan do
well."
Although some
cities are con-
cerned with what
the state will do
regarding its bud-
get shortfall, in-
cluding possibly
reducing state aid
to cities, Geagan Maguire
said Eagan has
less to worry about.
"We don't have to worry about
that for this year and we are in
pretty good shape for 2003," he
said.
EAGAN: To Page 13A
FOUR
SECTIONS
News • Sports
General Section
Burnet Realty Section
Real Estate Section
Classified Section
68 pages
1
Eagan
THISWEEK
Your Community Newspaper
Volume 21, No. 3
http://www.thisweek-online.com
March 14, 1999
Visit us online at:
http://www.
thisweek-online.com
Eagan police chief will announce his retirement March 16
By SARA THOMALLA-BLOOD
During his 30-year career
with the Eagan Police Depart-
ment, Patrick Geagan has wit-
nessed radical changes that
have taken place both within
the department and the city
limits.
Geagan saw the city grow
from a small rural locale to a
bustling metropolitan commu-
nity of 60,000-plus. He saw the
Police Department grow from
eight sworn officers to 65
sworn officers and 28 civilians.
As chief, he played an instru-
mental role in Minnesota's first
sex offender community notifi-
cation meeting, and in the
construction of a new police
building.
Now Geagan is about to em-
bark on the next chapter of his
life. At the March 16 City
Council meeting, Geagan will
formally announce his retire-
ment in August, the month of
his 55th birthday.
"I've always wanted to go
out while I was still feeling
good about it, while I still like
the job. I still do, but it just
feels like the right time," said
Geagan.
Geagan sat down earlier this
month for a two-day interview
to reflect on his law enforce-
ment career with the city of
Eagan. He admits the switch to
retired life will be difficult.
City officials admit the task of
finding a new chief will be
just as tough.
"The council is tempted not
to accept (Geagan's resigna-
tion)," joked Mayor Pat
Awada. "He's been the chief
for forever and he'll be really
difficult to replace. It will be a
great loss."
Life before law
enforcement
Geagan was born in the
western Minnesota town of
Graceville in 1944 to an Irish
farming family. In the 1950s,
Geagan's family left the farm
and moved to Mound. His fa-
ther died of leukemia when
Geagan was 13.
"It was sudden. Fortunately
we weren't on the farm," he
said.
Geagan attended Catholic
school and graduated from
Mound High School. A week
out of school, he joined the Air
Force where he would serve as
a medic in England. He would
leave the Air Force in 1965,
about the time people in the
service were first being called
over to Vietnam.
Geagan returned to Minne-
sota and searched for a job. He
chose a job as a circulation
manager for what is now
known as the Minneapolis Star
Tribune over a meter -reading
position.
"Both called me for the job. I
had no idea I would chose that
life, which has been a series of
accidents — choices — that
would turn out very good for
me," he said.
Life -changing
advertisement
In 1968, Geagan saw an ad-
vertisement for a part-time of-
ficer in Eagan Township. Gea-
gan applied for the position.
"They decide to hire another
person. A year later, (Police
Chief Martin DesLauriers)
called me back, and I told him
I wasn't interested.... 1 told him
to go with another person,"
said Geagan.
DesLauriers would call Gea-
gan again to offer him the posi-
tion, and this time he took it.
"I worked on a part-time ba-
sis, and the rest is history. I
wound up in this place of work,
and it sure has been good to
me," he said.
The early, years
Geagan laughed as he re-
called the testing process he
underwent to become an offi-
cer, which pales in comparison
to the battery of tests and re-
quirements men and women
must undergo today.
"I found the test I took,
which was a series of essay
questions, something to the
effect of, `If your neighbor had
a dog complaint, how would
you handle it?' It was eight to
10 questions, and that was it.
(See Geagan, p.10A)
AFTER SERVING the Eagan Police Department for 30
years, Chief Pat Geagan is planning to retire in August.
Geagan will announce his retirement during the March 16
City Council meeting. Photo by Sara Thomalla-Blood
Geagan
(Continued from front page)
No physical. The most they
required was a high school. di-
ploma. I don't even remember
a background check. They
called the newspaper. It's so
different. It's amazing how dif-
ferent it is," he said.
Geagan would work on a
part-time basis and would con-
tinue his job at the newspaper
until he was promoted to a full-
time officer in 1970.
"There were eight of us, and
I was badge number 8," he
said. "I knew everybody, and I
knew their families, and their
children's names. Ifthere was
anything I miss, it's that," he
said.
"He's still good at knowing
who's married to who, and the
names of kids," said Sgt. Steve
Anselment, now in his 12th
year of service at the depart-
ment.
Geagan recalled the events
that took place on his first day
alone on the job. He had to re-
spond to an accident on old
Cedar Avenue and Cliff Road.
While working on the acci-
dent, he was called to a do-
mestic dispute.
"I told the people I have to
go to an emergency. I still had
their licenses in my pocket.
Jeez, it was so embarrassing,"
said Geagan.
Officers- also served as volun-
teer firefighters and as medics
at the scenes of accidents. The
back seat of the squad car
doubled as an ambulance when
serious cases were transported
to hospitals.
Each officer was given a
squad. car to take home and a
radio. Whenever there were
more serious calls, off -duty of-
ficers drove out to assist.
"Sometimes, for seven nights
in a row, I'd never get a call. It
was boring. I drove and drove
and drove. If cows got out, I
would have something to do.
Many times I knew where they
belonged," said Geagan.
The majority of calls came
on Friday nights: Domestics
and drunk drivers were the
most common types of calls.
"If we had a drunk driver,
we'd take them home. We
weren't doing them any good,"
said Geagan.
In 1972, Eagan became a vil-
lage. Geagan was promoted to
sergeant in 1973, and Eagan
became a city in 1974. Geagan
said Eagan remained relatively
unchanged during this period
because there was a morato-
rium on gas hook-ups.
In 1975, Geagan would marry
his wife, Sue. Between the two
of them, they have a blended
family of five children. They
also have four grandchildren.
Geagan's stepson Michael
has a career in law enforce-
ment in Richfield. Was Gea-
gan an influence?
"Totally," said Sue. "It was
something Pat enjoyed, and it
probably carried over to Mi-
chael."
During this time, the City
Council experimented with
ways to economize on gaso-
„ABB ■-- ,
line. One idea was to equip the
Police Department with diesel.
cars.
"They liked to experiment. It
was a cost -saving (tool) be-
cause we'd get better gas
mileage. It was just awful. I'm
not exaggerating. -When we
had medical emergencies, we
would go the speed limit, pure
and simple, because they
didn't go any faster. If you
stepped on the gas, it didn't go
any faster. Cars just flew right
by you," Geagan said.
He would go on to become
police captain. DesLauriers
would go on to retire, and Jay
Berthe would be the Eagan po-
lice chief from 1984 to 1989.
During this period, Eagan
would see its greatest growth.
Hail to the chief
In 1989, Geagan was ap-
pointed police chief.
"I was nervous because I
wanted to be police chief. I
enjoyed the growth (of the de-
partment), and the responsibil-
ity of public safety," said Gea-
gan. "(City Administrator)
Tom Hedges was really suppor-
tive. If it wasn't for Tom, I
wouldn't be sitting here today."
"He is a good administrator
and his personal goal was to be
chief," said Hedges. "I had ex-
perienced and watched him
handle a number of issues, and
I felt he had good methods. He
fit all the credentials and abili-
ties to be police chief."
During his time as chief,
Geagan would see the depart-
ment move into a new building
a process he believes all
police chiefs should experi-
ence. He"{saw the department
reorganize and bring forth new
programs, such as the Crime
Free Multi -Housing program
and the chaplains program. His
department would also provide
additional. security for the vis-
its of two vice presidents.
Over the years, he handled a
wide array of incidents, from
headline grabbers to the un-
usual.
"There is more going on than
people realize," he said.
As the city's population be-
gan to diversify, Geagan said
he worked to have the depart-
ment's staff reflect these
changes by recruiting women
and minorities.
"I was the first woman here,"
said Detective Lori Tripp, who
has been on the force more
than 19 years. "He's been pro-
gressive about everything, in-
cluding employment issues and
community issues. I think the
world of him."
One of the incidents that
grabbed the state's attention
was when Eagan held the' first
sex offender community notifi-
cation hearing. The city would
be home to the first level three
offender released in the state
after the passage of the com-
munity notification act, a law
permitting law enforcement to
share information with the pub-
lic about the offender.
"I remember I was with a
group of colleagues, and we
were laughing over who would
be the first (department to hold
a notification meeting). I was
probably laughing the hardest,
and God got me," said Geagan.
The department held the
meeting March 6, 1997, before
a 1,200-member audience at
St. John Neumann Catholic
Church.
"Pat was responsible for co-
ordinating that event, which
had the potential of being an
absolute donnybrook. But they
did -a professional job. It was a
real tribute to the city of Ea-
gan. It made me feel very
proud," said former Mayor
Tom Egan.
"Pat and I talked at length
about it," said Hedges. " W e
were not only under the neigh-
borhood's microscope, but the
metro, state microscope and
possibly national, had we not
done a good job. He did a tre-
mendous amount of prepara-
tion. Pat was the person in the
trenches and had the tremen-
dous sensitivity to do ;it right.
He almost created a model of
how type three individuals are
introduced into a community."
Geagan credits the meeting's
success to help from members
in his department, as well as
other departments. He also said
the appearance by Patty Wet-
terling played an integral part.
She is the founder of the Jacob
Wetterling Foundation, one of
the organizations that lobbied
heavily for the notification law.
"Sex offenders and diesel.
cars — the highlights of my
career," Geagan said with a
laugh. "Of course there are
other things that happened in
those 30 years."
The toughest part of his ca-
reer, said Geagan, was giving
death notices, in particular
when officer Louis Jeska died
in a three -vehicle crash while
on duty in 1993.
But Geagan said there is
nothing in his career he would
do over.
"I would not change any-
thing. I have been so blessed. I
wouldn't have imagined be-
coming police chief, let alone
be here. Besides, it's not
healthy to think about what
you'd do differently," he said.
He is most proud of how he is
leaving the department.
"I'm leaving it a little better
than when I got here. It wasn't
too many years ago when we
went to Bloomington and St.
Paul for advice. Now this de-
partment is approached fre-
'quently by other departments,"
said Geagan.
Finding a new
police chief
The City Council will offi-
cially accept Geagan's resig-
nation during the March 16
meeting, and Hedges predicts
it will approve a hiring search
firm sometime in April to help
find a new chief.
It is likely She city will hire
someone who is not currently
employed by the Eagan Police
Department. Rick Swanson,
the senior captain on the force,
stated he is not interested in
taking over as chief.
Hedges would not say
whether the position will be
filled internally.
"Obviously, I can't say. I
know Rick (Swanson) has
made statements that he's not
interested in applying. It will
be a thorough process. We will
search for the very best be-
cause we have some large
shoes to fill now than Pat is
leaving. We want to involve
the police, and we want to in-
volve other stakeholders in that
process," said Hedges.
The idea of bringing an out-
sider in as chief is a cause for
concern for many officers.
"A new chief — that's good
and bad. There is always a
comfort zone in knowing what
you're going to get. A new
chief brings a fear of the un-
known. But the changes... can
be beneficial," said Swanson.
"We've only had three police
chiefs," said Tripp. "We're not
used to transitions in leader-
ship. But we'll handle it just
fine. Any chief who walks in
here will be lucky because of
the good condition the depart-
ment will be left in when Pat
leaves."
Officers interviewed for this
piece all noted they have
learned much from Geagan.
They commented on how he
has taught them to see the big-
ger picture regarding issues,
and how his strong social skills
are worth imitating.
"He's always had an open-
door policy and has remained
accessible to people. In my
experience, he's always been
fair and would listen and help
rationalize things. If you
screwed up, he'd tell you... but
he wouldn't let it hang over
your head for the rest of your
life or career," said Detective
Roger New, who is also a
school resource officer. "I am
truly, truly going to miss him."
In addition to his work in the
department, Geagan has served
on the Board of Directors and
is past president of the Dakota
County Police Chiefs Associa-
tion and the Minnesota Chiefs
of Police Association. He is
also a charter member of the
Eagan Rotary Club and a
member of the Lions Club.
He also was the grand mar-
shal during this weekend's
"Eagan Go Bragh" parade.
During his retirement, Gea-
gan plans to stay in Eagan, to
travel, and to do some studying
on his genealogy.
- post Geata,n. i
Foy -DER
ENZS
w 0 5 '
EAGAN MAYOR RETIRES, 3B.
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--CONTINUED •FR O M P A G E
to
z
br
z
H c.
Eagan mayor retires
. (continued)
"As many of ,you know, the
- last four years have not been
:easy for my family," he said,
fighting tears. 'Tve struggled
kwith Parkinson's and the deep
;;brain • stimulation surgery that
_goes along', with' it. Everyone
with Parkinson's knows that you
!get a bit emotional, and you have
-,to bear with me, here. Thank you
ivery much for recognition."
�• City . Administrator Tom
,Hedges, who has known Geagan
,since , the two first worked
itogether in the 1970s, noted no
;eyes were dry when the mayor
deft the podium. •
Geagan, has undergone a
;handful of:surgeries smce.June
to treat symptoms that medics-:'`
ton no longer controlled as 'his
disease advanced.
"He's been an 'inspiration to'
4everyone. This is something
ithat the public .needed to know.
I> -so-proud that he stood there
and - shared it," Hedges said:
dIth� kitallowedhimalit-
tle bit of closure as to why he is
stepping down."
Standing with a cane and a
shaved head, Geagan said the
surgeries have been more suc-
cessful than they look.
"I need a bit more tweaking
on the right side`and I'm having
that done shortly," he said.
Geagan went out of his way
to avoid letting his illness inter-
fere with his term in office.
"He tried very hard to sched-
ule his surgeries so it wouldn't
interrupt council duties,"
Hedges said.
"He might be so tired and so
weak, but he won't say that. He
will still come in and sign docu-
ments and meet with con-
stituents."
Geagan said his most gratify-
`: ing work .in office was on an
:',issue he never expected to tack-
: le' when he ran for mayor: pre-
serving green space in the city..
Specifically, he worked to add a
10-acre parcel to Patrick Eagan
Park in 2004 and to preserve
Caponi Art Park in 2005.
"You have a lot to be proud
of," Friends of the Eagan Core
Greenway co-chair Jack Conrad
told him.
"Without his dedication,
diplomacy and leadership, it is
unlikely• that projects ... that
our group helped preserve
would have succeeded," Conrad
wrote to residents.
Geagan's e ff orts were clearly
appreciated last week as well-
wishers came to the city's open
house.
Hedges recalled when he and
, Geagan — at 5:30 am. and 'atthe
mayor's request — went to
check out flooding in a resi-
dent's basement. Geagan often
inspected situations himself and
went to people's homes to hear
concerns, likely a carryover
from his decades of police work.
"He's been here to serve the
public," Hedges said. "Whether
it's at the grocery store, church
or at a restaurant, he wants to
hear concerns and talk to peo-
ple."
Most at the open house cred-
ited Geagan with repairing
what was once a fractured and
divisive city council.
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0
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egt Al; c=kg
7 m
con at.
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Pi can
itz omit p:
el I—ft 8"--*,p,
"Our city four years ago was
far more dysfunctional than it is
now," resident Clyde Thurston
said. "He brought order and
calm to the council and brought
them together to Work as a unit.
What a wonderful legacy."
Geagan said he felt better
about leaving his post because
of the council's ability to work
together. He' supported Council
Member Mike Maguire's'bid.for
mayor and said he has confi-
dence in his abilities.
In return; .Maguire called
Geagan a. "good friend and a
good mentor."
Geagan said that leaving his
city position will leave a void in
his life. He hopes to focus on his
health, his family and squeeze
in some travel. And he'admitted
he's happy to pass a few city
headaches to Maguire. •
But will he watch any of the
hourslong. council meetings he
used to preside over?
"No," he said with a laugh. "I
don't think I will."
Meggen Lindsay can be reached
at mlindsay@pioneerpress.com
or 651-228-5260. ,
Experience
Cascade Bay's 1st
Summer a Splash
Cover
Safe Gun Storage
Saves Lives
Page 2
Water Utilities are
Top Quality
Page 3
City in Good
Financial Health
Pages 10 to 11
Forever Green
Order Form!
Page 15
Opening Day at Cascade Bay
offered many Eagan residents a
chance to kick up their heels --
and more! Here, young George
Awada made a big splash on his
first run down the "Typhoon" slide.
State law doesn't allow us to print
photos of public officials in our
City newsletters, but check out
cable channel 16 for replays of
the grand opening celebration
where the Mayor and Council
members took the inaugural
plunges. More photos and story
on page 8.
This official city publication is
distributed four times a year as a
public service by the Eagan City
Council. This publication is
prepared by Joanna Foote,
Communications Coordinator,
under the direction of Tom Hedges,
City Administrator.
We invite comments or suggestions
either in person or by calling (651)
681-4600 or TDD#
(651) 454-8535 for the hearing
impaired
City of Eagan
Municipal Center
3830 Pilot Knob Road
Eagan, MN 55122
Mayor:
Pat Awada
Councilmembers:
Paul Bakken
Bea Blomquist
Peggy Carlson
Sandra Masin
The Lone Oak Tree...
symbol of strength &
ornwth •in our community.
Fall
1999
Safe Gun Storage Saves Lives
Because there's no sympathy card
sympathetic enough
bicycle helmets and locking
take now to reduce the risk
very day, at least one
Minnesotan is treated in the
hospital or emergency room
because he/she was injured with a
firearm. Don't let this happen to your
family.
Whether you have an infant, teenager
or grandchild, keeping a gun at home
poses a very real danger to your family.
As a parent, you are already familiar
with safety measures such as seat belts,
up medicines. Below are easy steps you can
of gun injury —steps that can save lives.
You are responsible for your gun storage.
The safest thing is to not have a gun in your home, especially a handgun.
However statistics show that 48% of Minnesotans keep a firearm in
their home. If you already own a gun or plan to keep one in your home,
please read this with care. It may be vital to your family's health and
safety.
A couple minutes of prevention can save a lifetime of regrets.
Many parents feel their children know they should not play with a gun.
However, before the age of eight, few children can tell a toy gun from a
real one. Don't take the chance.
Take 5 minutes now and do the
••-+ Keep your gun unloaded when not in use.
••-+ Lock ammunition in a separate location.
---+ Use trigger lock or cable lock (available from
stores for about $$ 10).
---+ OR place the gun in a safe or lock box.
following:
sporting goods
Even if you don't own a gun...
---+ Talk with your children about the risk of gun injury outside the
home in places where they may visit and play.
•- 4 Speak with the parents of your children's friends to find out if
they keep a gun at home.
If they do, urge them to empty it out and lock it up.
Show this article to them.
For information on safe gun storage, contact your local police
department.
HELP STOP GUN INJURIES & DEATH!
Fall
1999
We All Benefit
From Citizen
Involvement
by Detective Sergeant Linda Myhre,
n early June, Detective Stefanie Bolks and I had the insightful opportunity
to work on the Carlton County Task Force, working the case of the girl
abducted from the convenience store in Moose Lake on May 26. As most of
you are aware, a suspect has been arrested in connection with that case. Some of the
information obtained about that person was received from the public through tip
calls. To date, the Task Force has received over 2,000 such tip calls from the public.
It is essential for the police to receive tip calls in a case of such an extreme
magnitude, but we also appreciate and look into tips called in for other cases, as
well. With a police force of just over 60 personnel (from the chief on down) and
with a population in excess of 60,000, we can't be everywhere. We need people to
report to us what they see, what they hear, and what they suspect.
If you have information about a crime that has been committed, you may call the
Eagan Police Department at (651) 681-4700. You will probably be put into contact
with a police officer or a detective who will ask you for your name, address, phone
number and what information you have. Many people hesitate giving out personal
information because they fear retaliation or they don't want to go to court. Police
like to have your full name and call back number in case they need to get more
information from you. We have had instances where people call in and refuse to
give their name, but they give some information on a crime. If we don't have
sufficient information to develop probable cause, we might not be able to proceed.
If only the caller would have left a name, we could have perhaps called them back
and gotten more information enough to go forward with an investigation. If you ask
to remain anonymous, we try to honor that request, but sometimes a judge may
require you to appear in court and testify that the information you have is believed
by you to be accurate.
The other option that you have if you have information for the police is to call the
Eagan Police TIPLINE. The phone number for the TIPLINE is (651) 686-1111.
This line is a voice mail system and it is only checked once per day. This means
that if you have an emergency, you should NOT call the TIPLINE. If you call the
TIPLINE, you will not talk to a dispatcher or officer, it is just a recorded message
line. You may, again, remain anonymous, but we prefer that you leave a name and
call back number. Leave any information that you have regarding any crimes that
have occurred or that you suspect are occurring and we will check into them.
Remember, the police need your help. Don't hesitate to call us with any
information that you may have. Don't worry that you think it might be
insignificant. Remember, tip calls help to identify suspects in many high profile
cases. Please help us to keep the City of Eagan a great place to live and work by
sharing any information you have about lawbreakers.
Increase in Safety
Restraint Enforcement
--For All It's Worth
M any of you who went through
our 25`h Anniversary Open
House in May saw our safety
display for the Safe and Sober Campaign.
In addition, we held a clinic to inspect
child safety seats. In conjunction with
the Minnesota Department of Public
Safety and the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration, The Eagan Police
Department is working to educate the
public on the necessity of buckling up.
Even though Eagan residents typically
have a higher rate of compliance than the
state average (71 percent vs. 65 percent),
we are still below the national average of
79 percent for states with primary seat
belt laws. Studies have shown that fines
and tickets, though not the preferred
method of gaining compliance, are very
effective.
If you think that getting a ticket is
expensive ($55.00 in Dakota County),
consider this. In 1998 it cost Minnesota
taxpayers $375,571,400 for injuries
incurred that could have been prevented
by wearing seat belts. Perhaps Lee
Iococco said it best, "Not wearing seat
belts raises taxes, increases insurance rates
and harms our loved ones. If that's not
an intrusion of my freedom, I don't know
what is." So use your seat belt --there's
just too much to lose!
Chief Retires
After 30 Years of Service
F
ollowing a rather bad day at his job at the Minneapolis
Star & Tribune in 1968, Pat Geagan decided to apply
for a position he'd seen advertised with the Eagan
Township Police Department. Then Police Chief Martin
DesLauriers hired someone else for that particular opening, but
about six months later, when faced with another officer
position to fill, he remembered Geagan and called to offer him
the spot. This time Geagan turned DesLauriers down. Finally
in November of 1969, DesLauriers called Geagan again
offering a position and Geagan accepted.
Now, nearly 30 years and numerous promotions later, Pat
Geagan is facing retirment from his position as Chief of the
Eagan Police Department.
Geagan began as a part time Patrol Officer, one of eight
officers then serving Eagan. Officers worked between the hours
of 6 a.m. and 2 a.m. and took the squads home when they
were done for the evening where they were called to respond
from, as necessary. In 1969 and the early 70's Eagan was a
small, primarily agricultural community. Geagan jokes that,
"Not much happened back then. Sometimes our biggest
excitement was when a cow broke loose from its pasture. We
knew the community so well that we often knew where the
animals belonged and were able to return them."
Many of the roads were gravel then and the primary residential
developments were in the Cedar Grove neighborhoods in
southwest Eagan and Mckee and Highview neighborhoods in
the northern part of the city. "It was sort of a tangle -town and
a bit tough to get around in, so when you did get a call you
had to be prepared to handle it on your own --at least for a
while until your back-up could find you," said Geagan.
"People traveled pretty fast on the gravel roads then. Roads
were dark and curvey so the accidents we had were often
severe."
As the community grew, so did the police force, and, with it,
Geagan's career. In 1970 Geagan began full time and by 1973
he was promoted to Sergeant. At that time he helped to
develop a number of programs still in effect today including
Operation Identification. Geagan's Chief at the time, Martin
Deslauriers, recalls that, "Pat was always willing to take the
lead, whether it was with a new program, SWAT teams or in
investigative team training, often in addition to his work, Pat
went to school to continue learning more --I think he always
had a desire to improve his skills and prepare for bigger
things." In 1983, the year DesLauriers retired, Geagan was
again promoted to Captain. By 1989, following the retirement
of Chief Jay Berthe, Geagan became Eagan's third Police
Chief.
Geagan has become a highly
respected member of the broader
police community and has served
as President of the Minnesota
Chiefs of Police Association and
the Dakota County Chiefs
Association. He has also been
involved in numerous community
and non-profit associations.
Eagan and Chief Geagan achieved notoriety on a number of
occasions over the years, with high profile cases solved by the
Drug Task Force and in a case which ended in landmark
legislation being written involving an infant who had been
shaken. Eagan also ,set the standard of how public notification
can happen successfully when it hosted the first ever sex
offender notification meeting in the state.
Geagan has also worked hard at building a department that
reflects the diversity of the community. "We're not quite
there yet, but we were among the first communities to hire a
number of female officers and have hired many very qualified
individuals of color. I feel it's important that the department
reflect the make-up of the community it serves, whenever
possible." It is difficult to get Geagan to speak about the
things he is most proud of in his career, but he says if he has to
take credit, "It's for hiring good people and empowering them
to do thier jobs --and they have done them well. It's a
department I am proud to be a part of."
City Administrator Hedges notes that, "Pat Geagan has
provided great leadership while directing our Police
Department through many years of rapid growth. He has
shown the highest level of integrity and dedication and has
been a tremendous asset to our management team. His
contributions will be missed."
Search for New Chief Underway
I
n May, the City of Eagan hired two consulting firms
to assist in the recruitment and selection process for a
new Police Chief.
The search focused primarily in the Midwest area. Approx-
imately 40 applications were received. An interview .panel
consisting of City staff, representatives of the Police Chaplains'
Group and the Crime Prevention Commission will interview
approximately 10 candidates. A number of these candidates
will also undergo a skills/aptitude test, followed by a final
interview selection process conducted by the City Council. It is
anticipated that the last round of interviews will take place near
Labor Day so that a new Chief can be in place in October.
Fall
1999
The Great
Escape
re you ready for Fire
Prevention Week?
This year's theme, the
same as last year, is "Fire
Drills: The Great Escape!"
It is an opportunity for the
Fire Department to involve
the entire community in fire
safety, particularly home
escape planning. There are a
number of ways for you and
your family to become
involved in planning and
learning how to make your
home safer including
attending one of several Eagan Fire Station Open Houses or participating
in the North American fire drill and home fire escape contest. Residents
will submit their home escape plans to the Fire Department. One entry
will be selected and sent in to the NFDA headquarters, and they will
select an overall winner from all entries received. The winner will receive
a trip for four to Walt Disney World and their fire department will
receive $1,000 worth of NFDA educational materials. On October 7 at
6:00 p.m., fire departments from around the country and Canada will
simultaneously lead families in practicing their home escape plans.
Other events in Eagan include Open Houses at fire stations #1, #3, #4
and #5 on Tuesday through Thursday, October 5, 6 and 7 from 6 to 9
p.m. In addition, firefighters will make school visits every day of the
week and numerous fire prevention visits throughout the City.
A poster contest will also be open to students in grades Kindergarten
through 5 with prizes awarded at the end for the winners and a chance to
have their poster sent on to the county level and maybe on to the state
competition! For more information about Fire Prevention Week
activities, planning your home fire escape routes or other fire prevention
tips or issues, call the Fire Prevention Officer at 681-4625, ext. 814, and
leave a detailed message.
Auxiliary aids for persons with disabilities participating
in City activities will be provided upon advance notice
of at least 96 hours. If less notice is received, the City
will attempt to provide such aid.
air ort
A
number of Eagan residents have contacted
City Hall about the increase in aircraft
noise this summer. If you've been to the
airport lately, you know there is a lot of
construction out there. One of the major projects is
continued reconstruction of the south parallel
runway (12R/30L). That runway has been shortened
to roughly 6,000 feet, which doesn't provide enough
length for large aircraft taking off — especially in hot
and humid weather. Consequently, many more
departures are using Runway 4/22 over the area near
the Mall of America in Bloomington. These
takeoffs often track south across the river into west
and southwest Eagan — prompting the noise
complaint calls to City Hall. So when is it going to
end?
The construction on the south parallel is scheduled
to be complete by Labor Day. Until then, expect
more flights in west, southwest and central Eagan
than usual.
❑ A bill passed by the Legislature and signed
into law by Governor Ventura this year creates a
special task force to study possible funding sources
for airport noise mitigation. The task force, under
the direction of the Department of Trade and
Economic Development, will review federal, state,
Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC), and
local sources of money to provide mitigation
funding to impacted communities.
The City of Eagan will be represented on the task
force, as will the communities of Bloomington,
Minneapolis, and Richfield. Our community is
going to experience new noise impacts in the year
2003 when the new north -south runway becomes
operational. The impacted area will be very similar
to the 1999 construction impacts discussed above.
The task force is required to conclude their analysis
by the end of this year and report its findings to the
2000 legislature.
❑ Remember that the Eagan Airport Relations
Commission meets on the second Tuesday evening
of every month at Eagan City Hall. Their meetings
are also telecast live on local cable access channel
16. As always, residents with airport concerns are
encouraged to call Assistant City Administrator
Jamie Verbrugge at 651-681-4603. Residents
wishing to register a noise complaint can call the
MAC Noise Complaint Hotline at 612-726-9411.
Eagan's State of the Art
Pavement Management System
Age of Streets by Year
ince 1989, all City of Eagan
street segments have been part
i00% of a Computerized Pavement
80% Management System which helps staff
keep track of statistics like roadway age,
60%
condition and maintenance measures
40% performed on each City street.
❑ 11-20
20% ■ 0-10 Maintenance technicians "survey" each
o9a9 road at least once every three years.
Pavement conditions and distresses are
catalogued and each street segment
receives a PCI (pavement condition
index) rating between zero and 100, which helps track structural performance and
condition. The system is based on the newest technology and incorporates predicted
life cycle performance information provided by the federal government, local and
regional agencies and various universities into real life, practical maintenance
strategies. Maintenance managers use the system as one of several tools to help
consolidate resources, extend life cycles, and stabilize workloads, predicting
maintenance options for the most economical long-term benefit.
nIllflll11
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1996
Yea r
...and Program
Maintenance Strategies
for Life Cycle Extension
20
40
Yrt M 11'wl
. per. •.weeny .. .+u+r
Age in
Years
■ 20+
S
T
he City's Pavement Management
Program establishes uniform
procedures for field application
of the various life extending maintenance
strategies. General patching and
crackseal operations are performed prior
to each sealcoat which is typically
applied to new City streets after 4-6
years. A second sealcoat is considered
after years 12-14 and extensive repair
occurs prior to the first overlay at
approximately year 20. Utility castings
and concrete curbs are repaired,
settlements are corrected, and the old street surface is "milled" to make the new
surface match the existing curb and gutter prior to the new blacktop overlay. The
original street under the overlay has served approximately 67% of its life cycle and is
now protected with new additional structural strength. Engineering studies have
shown that, by applying the appropriate maintenance strategies at the right time
using this 20 year renewal cycle, properly constructed City streets should be able to
provide residents with approximately 60 years of good service before full
reconstruction is needed. The Pavement Management Program is a great tool to
maximize maintenance tax dollars, yielding higher levels of service delivery on City
roadways for our residents and traveling public.
66
Fall
1999
Incorporating
Technology
T
he goal of the City's Pavement
Management Program is to
continuously maintain the City's
transportation infrastructure system in a
safe and fiscally responsible manner. The
City of Eagan Public Works Department
Street Maintenance Division has been a
leader in the Midwest implementing the
best recommended and documented
engineering and maintenance strategies
using new methods and materials. New
technologies are constantly being
researched, experimented with and
implemented by a professional and
dedicated
staff. For
example,
our
computerized
pavement
management
system
allows for
cataloguing
of
information about roadway conditions,
lifespan, etc., which can then be
incorporated into the ARC VIEW
computerized mapping system. Once
this infomation is available in an
electronic format, the staff can
customize valuable information to create
planning documents for budgeting,
maintenance workload planning, snow
plowing and street sweeping route maps
and much more.
We firmly believe that the overall
program goals, objectives and related
strategies of our Pavement Management
Program will provide the best roadway
service delivery available to our citizens
and to the traveling public.
Fall
1999
It's time for a paint job
The City of Eagan is asking residents and businesses in the area south of Difey Road
to restrict their water usage during the peak usage hours of 4 to 8 p.m. daily. These
restrictions are in addition to the City's permanent odd/even watering restriction
system and are in effect from August 1 through October 15 while the Safari Reservoir
is taken out of service for structural maintenance and repainting.
Commercial irrigation systems including the City park operations are also being asked
to reduce water usage by at least 20% and landscaping of new construction is strongly
discouraged until after October 1. These measures are authorized by City Code 3.20,
Subd. 5 and are required in order to safeguard the City's water supply for fire safety
and customer demand. Notices with more specific detail have been sent to all area
property owners. For further information please contact the City's Utility Division at
651-681-4300.
Eagan's Drinking Water
Quality Rated Excellent
Later this month the City of Eagan Utility Division will be
mailing its Water Quality Report to all Eagan residents
and businesses who utilize the Eagan water utility service.
This report is required by Minnesota state law.
The report outlines the measures taken to ensure that the
highest possible quality of drinking water is maintained. These
measures include the regular monitoring and mitigation of
bacteria levels, testing and removal of several nuisance minerals
which are naturally found in drinking water, addition of fluoride
and chlorine as necessary or mandated and the measures which
ensure that the City's supply is readily available for its
customers.
The report also provides information about the City's 19 wells
in the three underground aquifers which supply the three billion
gallons of water used by Eagan water utility customers each
year. Also included is information about the division staff and
the high level of training received on an annual and ongoing
basis.
The Eagan utility staff takes pride in meeting and exceeding
federal and state standards for safe water. The division works
closely with the Minnesota Department of Health, which
monitors and regulates drinking water systems. The division
strives to provide a high level of customer service for the
community by ensuring that each utility employee is highly
skilled and knowledgeable about the operations of the City
utility system.
If you do not receive this report, or have questions about the
Eagan Utility Division, please call the City Maintenance
Facility at 651-681-4300.
"The Best!"
Cascade Bay Opens to
High Praise & High Numbers
0 n June 18, 1999 the City of Eagan opened its Cascade
Bay Aquatic Facility to a crowd of approximately 400
people with a dedication celebration. By the end of
the first month, more than 55,000 people had visited the
facility and expressed many enthusiastic and positive remarks.
Not only community attention, but media attention was also
focused on the facility as it opened, including a group from
WCCO television's "Dimension" segment. WCCO brought
five youngsters to Cascade Bay, as well as to Apple Valley's
and Hasting's new aquatic facilities, to rate them on a scale of
"Never Again," "It's O.K.," "Pretty Cool" and "The Best."
After testing the water slides, the zero depth entry, fountains,
play structures, lazy river and sand play areas, the kids
unanimously agreed that Eagan's Cascade Bay was "The Best."
From the comments we've heard, the attendance numbers and
the 8,000 season passes sold, we think the WCCO-kids are not
the only ones who think Cascade Bay is "The Best!"
Fall
1999
Gascao/e :Bay
`.wed ca/ed,9;rne 18, 1999
_Way /f s`ao li/y 6rtny
e_rci/emen/, Joy andfaayli/er /o
al%mfio ender i/s mailers.
MAYOR PATRICIA E. AWADA
COUNCILMEMBER PAUL BAKKEN
COUNCILMEMBER PEA BLOMQUIST
COUNCILMEMBER PEGGY CARLSON
COUNCILMEMBER SANDY MASIN
SPECIAL RECOGNrnoN TO
FORMER MAYOR THOMAS EGAN
AND COUNCILMEMBER TED WACHTER
FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT
THOMAS L. HEDGES, CITY ADMINISTRATOR
KENNETH L. VRAA, DIRECTOR PARK AND RECREATION
Fall
1999
raseinating & Eun racts About
CASCADE BAY:
• The Leisure Pool is approximately 19,000 square feet and holds
323,650 gallons of water.
• The Lazy River is 700 feet long, has a "zero depth entry" and a tube slide entry. It
contains 260,000 gallons of water. (The Fire Department filled it in one hour and
27 minutes.)
• The large slide tower is 40 feet tall and has 62 steps to the top.
• Hurricane (green slide) and Typhoon (white slide) are the tallest and longest slides
in a municipal facility in Minnesota. Hurricane is 203 feet long, Typhoon is 289.7
feet in length, and each ride lasts from 9 to 11 seconds!
The water in the Leisure Pool is filtered through a high rate sand filter at the rate
of 2,677 gallons per minute. The water is filtered (turned over) once every two
hours.
• The Leisure Pool is heated by two 1.8 million BTU boilers capable of maintaining
water temperatures at a comfortable 82 to 86 degrees. The Lazy River has two 1.4
million BTU boilers capable of raising the temperature one degree every hour.
• There are six turbine pumps that circulate water to the slides and
propel the Lazy River.
• If you add up the length of all the pipe for the pools and the conduit
for the electrical and the utilities, it would be over ten miles!
There are 5,500 feet of rope barriers.
• The Lazy River walls are 8" of reinforced concrete covered by
z inch of Diamond Brite.
• The Leisure Pool has 200 feet of zero depth entry. The
deepest water is beneath the Twin Falls at six feet.
The Crew at Cascade Bay suggests that you know how
to swim before trying these slides.
• Combined with the plantings of the Civic Arena
addition, there are nearly 10,000 trees, shrubs
and perennials on the site.
• An estimated 5,000 cubic yards of concrete were
used to build the pool vessels,the deck, and
foundation piers for the slide towers.
• All of the staff at Cascade Bay have
received training in CPR.
Harvesting
Our Roots
MultiCultural
Festival
Sunday,
September 12
1 to p.m.
at the Eagan Civic Arena
Artisans, Musicians, Ethnic
Food, Games &
Multi -Cultural Displays
Call 651-681-4660
for information.
$5 per family
$2 per individual
Hands-on workshop available
for an additional charge.
The City of Eagan is committed to the policy
that all persons have equal access to
programs, services, activities, facilities and
employment without regard to race, color,
creed, religion, national origin, sex, disability,
age, marital status, sexual orientation or status
with regard to public assistance.
Live In Eagan?
That's Money In Your Pocket
Have you ever wondered how your
property taxes (City portion) compare
to those in other Twin Cities suburbs?
We sampled 10 Dakota County cities
and eight other Metro area suburbs
similar in size and demographics to
Eagan. We found that Eagan's tax
rate is 26% below the 18-city average!
The average homeowner in Eagan
pays barely more than a dollar a day
for City services —that includes Police
and Fire protection, snowplowing,
parks maintenance and much more!
The average value of a house in
Eagan in 1998 was $135,967 . 1999
City taxes on that average house are
$384.
1 00%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
1 0%
0%
Fall
1999
City Portion of Property Taxes
Eagan
1&City Average
Apple Valley
Burnsville
)-stings
Inver Grove Heights
Lakeville
Mendota bights
Rosemount
South St. Paul
West St. Paul
Bloomington
Brooklyn Park
Coon Rapids
Eden Prairie
Maple trove
Moody's Bond Ratings
(all rated US cities)
Aaa 2°'
Aa3 8%
Aa to Aal 4%
A3
13%
A2
15%
A to Al
25%
Baa3 and below
27%
Minnetonka
Plymouth
Woodbury
1999 Truth in Taxation Estimates
S135,000 Homestead
$0 $200 $400 $600 $800 $1,000
Enjoying Strong Bond Ratings
A standard measure of a public entitys
financial health is its general obligation
bond rating. The City of Eagan enjoys a
bond rating from Moodys of Aa2, the
third highest level in their rating scale.
Only 10% of U.S. cities have a higher
rating than Eagan.
What does a high bond rating mean to
you? When the City borrows money
through issuance of bonds, the interest
rate on the bonds is dictated in part by
the bond rating. The higher the rating,
the lower the interest rate, and the less
the City and its taxpayers have to pay in
interest costs.
Fall
1999
Eagan In Good Financial. Health
In June, the Citys outside auditors presented the
1998 annual financial report to the City Council.
The accounting firm Kern, DeWenter, Viere, Ltd.
performed the "annual checkup" and
pronounced the City in good health financially.
Bolstered by significant building permit and other
fees related to the strong commercial/industrial
growth Eagan experienced in 1998, the Citys
General Fund revenues exceeded expectations
by $1.7 million. At the same time, expenditures
were held to $ .8 million under budget.
$1,220,667
$1,463,773
$1,994,757
$2,925,625
$11,252,504
Revenues
$18,857,326
Program Income
I ntergovermental
Property
Taxes
1998
$512,255
$2,491,774
$3,503,470
$6,964,054
Expenditures
$16,330,447
JJUV1 oUIUII
Parks & Recreation
Public Works
General Gov't
Public Safety
Can You Hear the
Prairie from Here?
undreds of thousands of square miles of prairie once
covered the midwest. Now after close to a century
of plowing, overgrazing, and urban development,
there is little prairie left. The prairies that do remain are
small fragments of a once vast prairie landscape. The City of
Eagan is fortunate to have one of these prairie fragments at
Thomas Lake Park. Through the efforts of the City, this
prairie land is being restored to its original state. To
accomplish this restoration, an intensive management plan
must be carried out which simulates environmental conditions
similar to what occurred during pre -settlement (those being
large grass fires and massive grazing).
For the past twenty years some form of prairie management
has occurred at Thomas Lake, but it has not been intense
enough to completely keep out invasive exotic plants. To keep
these unwanted plants out of the prairie, a system of
prescribed burning is used which favors the cooler season
prairie vegetation. However, burning isn't
always enough; selective removal of exotic
plants must also be accomplished. In 1995
an intensive four-year management plan was
devised. With assistance from Prairie
Restoration Inc., this plan has now been
If you would like to receive this newsletter in an
alternate format such as large print, braille,
audio tape, etc., please call the City of
Eagan at 651-681-4600 (TDD 651-454-8535).
accomplished.
What you now
see in the prairie
at Thomas Lake
Park is much
more similar to
what our
forefathers
experienced as
they traveled over the vast miles and miles of prairies.
But, the story doesn't end here. The prairie will continue to
be managed by removing non -prairie plants and introducing
more plant species. To date about 75 different prairie forbes
(flowers) and grasses have been identified here at Thomas
Lake. Our goal is to provide for conditions that will allow
these plants to continue to flourish, and to also add to this
long list of prairie plants. We also want the public to be able
to enjoy this native prairie, not just to see it from a distance,
but to see, feel, smell, and listen to the prairie up close.
With that goal in mind, a new "foot path" trail system has
been designed and will soon be incorporated into this twenty -
acre prairie. Once established this trail system will wind its
way through some of the most unique areas of this remnant
prairie with many stations set up providing trail users to
witness prairie highlights first hand. Stops will be located
near some of the five prairie ponds, in the small oak
woodlands, on top of the highest hill in the prairie, and in
strategically located places to provide for awesome prairie
views. An educational self -guided trail brochure will be
available at trailheads, providing information on prairie
history, management activities, and plant identification.
Written visual aids will also be located at each field station.
Enjoy your prairie and listen to its wonders!
Each year, the
Forestry Division
and the Fire
Department work
together to burn -off
a portion of the
prairie to promote
new growth and to
"weed out" invasive
varieties of plants.
Name
FAV4h...FD)eVe) €,ctiJ
Address Zip
Phone (day) (evening)
Trees are $30 each. These are 8'-10' in height and are potted in five gallon containers. Retail price averages $85.
Mark the most convenient location for tree pickup:
A
Bur Oak
B C D E
Maple Crab Apple Linden Ash
Circle your first and second choices of tree species:
First Choice Second Choice
First Tree AB/C/D/E/F AB/C/D/E/F
Second Tree AB/C/D/E/F AB/C/D/E/F
Extra Tree AB/C/D/E/F A/B/C/D/E/F
Eagan Civic Arena , September 25, 9 a.m.to 3 p.m.
Trapp Farm Park, September 25, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Will you need assistance because you are physically unable to plant your tree? Yes_ No_
Would you be willing to provide assistance for someone who is physically unable to plant their tree? Yes No_
Please complete and return this form NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER 3,1999 to:
Eagan Forever Green,
P.O. Box 21199,
Eagan, MN 55122
or bring it to the Eagan Municipal Center.
City of Eagan
3830 Pilot Knob Road
Eagan, MN 55122
ECRWSS
Postal Patron
Bulk Rate
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No.
4902
St. Paul, MN
Printed on 30%Post Consumer
RECYCLED PAPER
Using Soy Based Ink for Easier Recyclability
of CW0o'f`*,1
`Eyou S��e oura ors
oQ�`e aeC�
a\\G of `'� eoof
(neve) 4)€€h!
A collaborative effort
of the Eagan Foundation,
City of Eagan, Eagan
Healthy Community
Initiative and the Eagan
Chamber
Eagan... Forever Green! is having its final tree distribution this fall, with 1,700 large trees to be made available to
residents and local businesses. Begun in the wake ofthe 1998 severe wind storms that hit our community, Eagan...
Forever Green! will result in the planting of 10,000 trees overall, 5,000 large ones and 5,000 seedlings. This
application is for use with the upcoming distribution oflarge trees in September.
Trees are $30 each and are available to Eagan residents and businesses ( if applying for a tree to plant at an
apart►iientortownhome,please obtain owner/manager or association approval before applying). Trees are being
sold at this reduced rate through the generous donations of individuals, community organizations and businesses,
combined with funding from the City ofEagan.
Please complete and return this form by September 3, 1999 to: Eagan Forever Green, P.O. Box 21199, Eagan,
MN 55121 or bring it to the Eagan Municipal Center. Application submission does not ensure a tree will be
awarded to you. Notices will be mailed the week of September 13 with information regarding time and location of
tree pickup. Payment is due at the time of pickup. DO NOT SEND PAYMENT WITH THIS FORM! You must
be an Eagan resident or business to apply. For further information call 651-681-4600.
A Bur Oak:
60-80' height, 60-80'
width at maturity.
Coarse branches,
extremely adaptable
to a wide range of
environmental
conditions. A large
tree that is very
pollution tolerant.
Adapts to a broad
range of soil
conditions.
B Maple:
40-70' height, 30-50'
width at maturity.
autumn blaze variety
has a broad, oval
crown and is orange -
red in the fall. A red
and silver maple
hybrid that has a rapid
growth rate and is
drought resistant.
C Crabapple:
15-20' height, 15-20'
width at maturity.
Red splendor variety
has rose -red buds
that open to single
pink flowers fol-
lowed by persistent
red fruit.
Thunderchild variety
has striking purple
foliage. Both are
upright, spreading
trees
D Linden:
40-75' height, 30-40'
width at maturity.
Redmond variety has
a dense pyramidal
growth habit and
creamy -yellow
colored flowers.
American variety has
fragrant flowers and
prefers a rich, well -
drained soil.
E Ash:
50-60' height, 20-35'
width at maturity.
Patmore variety has
attractive, glossy dark
green foliage and a
symmetrical growth
pattern. Fallgold
variety has bright
golden -yellow foliage
in the fall. Both adapt
to a broad range of
soil conditions.
Please fill out and return the form included on the reverse of this page
and return it by September 3, 1999 if you wish to apply.
v
LL
The creen
.See It
Save RL
Use ft
Ci uide is Coming!
packaging that eventually needs disposal,
the guide gives advice on buying with less
or reusible/recyclable packaging. Ideas
include buying from the produce or bulk
sections at the grocery store to choose
only the amount of product you will use
or purchasing durable goods that need
replacement less often. Watch for the
Green Guide this October and save it for
use, and useful tips, all year long!
•••••.••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.•••••••.••••••••••••••••••••••
The Green Guide, a booklet produced
every two years by the environmental staff
at Dakota County, will be available in
mid -October. The guide is filled with
useful information about how to recycle,
reuse and dispose of products you no longer
use. In addition to disposal tips, this year's
guide focuses on "buying just right."
Rather than buying products with excess
"Community Clean-up Days"
heLd weekly in Lagan
Each year the Recycling Division gets hundreds of calls
from residents wondering how to dispose of items they no
longer need. We also answer numerous inquiries about
"Community Clean-up Days" and why Eagan doesn't hold
one, although many neighboring communities do.
Our answer: "Its simple --Eagan doesn't need one!"
Now it's not that Eaganites are such a tidy bunch that
they just don't require cleaning -up after. Nor are they
such pack -rats that they never dispose of anything. It's
merly that Eagan is fortunate enough to have all of the
"Clean-up Day" elements in, or very near, our
community on a weekly, if not daily basis.
Let me start by explaining that a "Clean-up Day" is an
event, generally sponsored and staffed by a City, at which
residents, for a fee, can drop-off a variety of materials for
disposal. Items accepted generally include household
hazardous wastes like motor oil and filters, batteries,
tires, fluorescent light tubes, paint, solvents, sealers, weed
killers and other flamable, poisonous or corrosive
materials. Other items such as appliances, electronics,
yard waste, mattresses, scrap metal and construction
debris are also often accepted.
The system we have in Eagan is better than a structured
"Clean-up Day" of this nature because disposal options for
these materials are available on a regular basis, year-
round, right here in our community (or very nearby) so
you don't have to wait for the specific day. These sites are
also generally privately owned (or operated under a
County contract) so City tax dollars and staff are not
utilized toward these efforts which helps keep our taxes
low.
The Eco-Site, located on Highway 149, just north of
Yankee Doodle Road (in eastern Eagan), accepts all of the
household hazardous materials listed previously. The
• •
site also accepts household scrap metal and recyclables.
The Eco-Site also offers aluminum can redemption and a
re -use site at which they set out (free of charge) usable
items accepted through its collection program such as
fertilizer, weed killer, usable paint, cleaners and other
miscellaneous items. The site is open every Saturday,
plus several other weekdays for your convenience. Call
them at 651-905-4520.
Just down the road on Yankee Doodle and Elrene Roads
is the SMC Compost Site which accepts grass, leaves
tree trimmings and other yardwaste. The site is open
daily from April to November. Call them at 651-683-
9020.
Appliances can be accommodated by either J.R.
Appliances on Highway 149 (651-454-9215) or
Bloomington/Lakeville Appliance (612-469-2435). Both
companies accept drop-off, as well as weekly scheduled
routes in Eagan.
Electronics, including televisions and computers, can be
taken to Materials Processing Corporation, located on
the West Service Road near 494 and 35E. This company
specializes in electronics recycling and will accept drop-
offs with notice and can be reached at 651-681-8099.
Construction materials can often be accommodated by
your garbage hauler, or can be brought to the SKB
Demolition (651-224-6329) or Pine Bend Landfills (651-
457-2778) in Inver Grove Heights near Highway 52 and
117`h Avenue or to the Burnsville Landfill (612-894-
4807) near 35W and Cliff Roads.
So now the only question left is when to schedule that
garage, basement or yard clean-up you've been putting
off. The great news is you don't have to take it all in
one trip and you can schedule it almost any week of the
year! Happy Clean-up Day!
LeaVe Leaves (E crass) Out!
•State law prohibits disposing of yard waste in a landfill or mixing it with garbage.
Yard waste includes grass, weeds, leaves, sod, brush, and green garden waste. So w
should you do with these materials?
Options for Managing Yard \Vaste
•The best and easiest option is to leave grass clipping and leaves on the lawn by using a mulchiA •wer.
• Another option is to practice backyard composti or a packet of information including
City ordinances, please call the Recycling Division :651-681-4600.
• Place it in a compostable bag or reusable bin to be piked up by your waste hauler.
• Bring your yard waste to an area compost site.
Compost .5i tes 4 vaiL abL e in the Eagan Area
Sayan: Burnsville:
.St.0 Compost -5ervices
an Yankee Poole toad at ELrene toad
K2 mite west ofLIwy. 1Q9
65/-683-9020
• Accepts, for a fee, yard waste (unbagged only),
brush, trees, and stumps.
• Landscape mulch and compost
are available for sale.
VVraemer's's Comp
I MiLe \V/est of
612-890-324
Cliff toad
wf.
•Accepts, fo a fee, yard waste unbagged or in
compostab bags up to 8" in diameter,
No stum
• Woodchif s and compost are available for sale.
cet Out c'etNight Organized
at National Out
National Night Out is an excellent time to talk to your neighbors about area issues. Although garbage
collection may not seem to be a great conversational topic, discussing it with your neighbors can
make your neighborhood quieter and safer and maybe even save you some money! As you organize
your garbage collection by consolidating your hauler choices. you will see less truck traffic, be able to
enjoy the peace and quiet of your neighborhood and reduce wear and tear on your streets.
Benefits of Neighborhood Organization:
1) Increased levels of safety due to less traffic and congestion
2) Decreased noise levels
3) Less wear and tear on City streets
4) Less potential for air and noise pollution
5) Possible lower prices
You can start by simply asking your neighbors if they are interested in having organized collection.
Then call us at the City Recycling Division to receive a "how-to packet." It will give you sample letters
to send out to those neighbors not in attendance at National Night Out or other neighborhood get-
togethers throughout the summer, a sample question list to use when contacting different hauling
companies to find the collection system and price range that will best suit your neighborhood's
needs. Even if you reduce the number of haulers operating in your neighborhood by one, the benefits
will be noticeable!
To receive a packet of information to assist you in the process of organizing your neighborhood, call the
City of Eagan Recycling Division at 651-681-4611
sated uaa.� 4j ue6F]
FOUR
SECTIONS
News • Sports
General Section
Burnet Realty Section
Real Estate Section
Classified Section
72 pages
Eagan
THISWEEK
Your Community Newspaper
Volume 21, No. 27
http://www.thisweek-online.com
A clean finish
EAGAN POLICE Chief Patrick Geagan shows off his clean desk Aug. 26 dur-
ing his next to last day of work. After 30 years of service with the Eagan Po-
lice Department, Geagan is retiring. Photo by Rick Orndorf
Local girl lops off locks for charity
By SARA THOMALLA-BLOOD
A local girl used her head —
and then her hair — to help a
good cause.
Christine Loher of Eagan re-
cently cut more than 10 inches
of her brown hair and donated
it to Locks of Love, a Palm
Springs -based charity that pro-
vides hairpieces to financially
disadvantaged children under
18 who experience medical
hair loss.
Loher, 10, said she learned
about the charity from reading
an article in "American Girl"
magazine. A couple of weeks
after reading the article, Loher
said she approached her par-
ents about donating her waist -
length hair, which she had
been growing since she was in
kindergarten.
Loher said her grandmother
Doris, who lives in Florida,
inspired her to make the re-
quest.
"My grandma, she got cancer
and all her hair fell out so she
had to wear a wig. I knew how
she felt, and then I started to
think about those kids," she
said, adding that her grand-
mother now has a clean bill of
health.
Loher's father, Ken, said he
felt a mix of emotions when
Christine made the request.
"We were a little surprised
and kind of proud of her to
think about that," said Ken.
Loher's mother, Lisa, re-
quested information from the
company. Soon the Loher fam-
ily learned all sorts of tidbits of
information, from how to mail
in hair to how it is used. Ac-
cording to the Locks of Love
Web site, 75 percent of the
charity's donors are children.
Lisa and Christine arrived
(See Hair, p.7A)
August 28, 1999
Visit us online at:
http://www.
thisweek-online.com
Police will query
doctor in Eagan
road -rage assault
By SARA THOMALLA-BLOOD
A corporal from the Minne-
sota State Patrol believes his
office may have a suspect in
an Aug. 11 road -rage incident
in Eagan.
Based on information from
the incident's victim, wit-
nesses at the scene and more
than 200 phoned in tips gar-
nered since the State Patrol
went public on this case, Cpl.
Paul Gorski said his office
plans to question a Twin Cities
area doctor when he returns
from an overseas trip.
According to Gorski, Virginia
Hendrickson of Burnsville
made a right-hand turn toward
the southbound ramp of Cedar
Avenue from Cliff Road. A
white BMW Z-3 ' Roadster
stopped and blocked the road-
way approximately 100 feet
down the ramp, he said.
Gorski said a man exited the
convertible sports car and
walked up to Hendrickson's
vehicle.
"She assumed he was going
to tell her not to go down the
roadway or something, so she
rolled down her window," said
Gorski.
Hendrickson, who recently
turned 70, could not be
reached for comment.
According to witness reports,
the man stuck his head through
the opening between the win-
dow and the door frame of
Hendrickson's vehicle, "yelled
profanities at her and basically
told her to get off of the road,"
said Gorski.
Gorski said the man struck
District 196 superintendent reveals bond, levy
By SARA THOMALLA-BLOOD
Superintendent John Haro
introduced a bond and levy
referendum to District 196
staff, School Board members
and the public during an Aug.
23 workshop and board meet-
ing.
The proposed bond referen-
dum has an estimated cost of
$89.925 million. The proposed
levy referendum would gener-
ate nearly $13.1 million per
year for 10 years.
Residents will have an oppor-
tunity to express their opinions
on these proposals when the
School Board holds a public
New school, athletic facilities included in pitch
hearing Sept. 7 at Dakota
Ridge School in Apple Valley.
The meeting will begin at 7
p.m.
The School Board will then
vote on the proposals following
a second reading of the issues
Sept. 13 during a regular board
meeting. The meeting will be-
gin at 7:30 p.m. and will also
be held at Dakota Ridge
School.
If both pieces are passed by
the School Board, the bond
and levy referendum are ex-
pected to appear on the Nov. 2
ballot, where voters will have
the final say on the fate of the
referendums.
Haro said the levy and bond,
which address widespread im-
provements — from removing
portable classrooms and build-
ing a new elementary school to
adding or updating media cen-
ters, beefing up security and
adding new sport facilities —
result from three issues that
surfaced recently:
• State legislation and fund-
ing to reduce class sizes in the
early grades;
• An increasingly competi-
tive market for hiring and re-
taining quality teachers and
other employees, and
• Student violence and the
need to provide a safe learning
environment for children.
Haro further broke down
those needs into five catego-
ries — safety and security,
class size, school equity,
community involvement, and
retention of employees and
programs known for excel-
lence.
"Part of the reasoning
(behind this) is we've learned
that, in this school district,
parents expect a lot, and we
the woman's face twice. He
then either pulled Hendrick-
son's glasses off her face and
threw them onto the street or
they fell off her face during the
attack, Gorski said.
The man walked to his vehi-
cle and drove off. Hendrickson
then left her vehicle to retrieve
her damaged glasses. A wit-
ness offered to call the police
and described Hendrickson as
shook up.
Hendrickson was able to pro-
vide a description of the man
who struck her, along with a
partial license plate number.
Witnesses filled in other de-
tails, but Hendrickson could
not provide the State Patrol
with a motive for the man's
actions, Gorski said.
The man is described as
white, in his late 30s, 5 feet 10
inches, with "professional
looking" brownish blond hair,
and an average build.
Gorski said information from
Hendrickson and witness, plus
the fact that the sports car is
uncommon in Minnesota
helped in narrow the field of
suspects.
Gorski said the State Patrol
plans to interview its suspect
when he returns from an over-
seas trip early next month. If a
suspect is caught, he could
face fifth -degree assault
charges, a misdemeanor, "but
that's up to the attorney," Gor-
ski said.
Dakota County Attorney
James Backstrom indicated
that his office most likely will
(See Assault, p.8A)
proposal
expect a lot of ourselves," said
Haro. "Many, many people
move to this district to receive
a quality education. In order to
keep reaching our potential,
our focus must be on needs this
next school year."
Safety
and security
Haro proposed three im-
provements amounting to ap-
proximately $1.5 million to
help tighten security at District
196 schools:
• Add a full-time staff mem-
ber at the entrance to every
(See Referendums, p.18A)
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Chief Retires
After 30 Years of Service
F ollowing a rather bad day at his job at the Minneapolis
Star & Tribune in 1968, Pat Geagan decided to apply
for a position he'd seen advertised with the Eagan
Township Police Department. Then Police Chief Martin
DesLauriers hired someone else for that particular opening, but
about six months later, when faced with another officer
position to fill, he remembered Geagan and called to offer him
the spot. This time Geagan turned DesLauriers down. Finally
in November of 1969, DesLauriers called Geagan again
offering a position and Geagan accepted.
Now, nearly 30 years and numerous promotions later, Pat
Geagan is facing retirment from his position as Chief of the
Eagan Police Department.
Geagan began as a part time Patrol Officer, one of eight
officers then serving Eagan. Officers worked between the hours
of 6 a.m. and 2 a.m. and took the squads home when they
were done for the evening where they were called to respond
from, as necessary. In 1969 and the early 70's Eagan was a
small, primarily agricultural community. Geagan jokes that,
"Not much happened back then. Sometimes our biggest
excitement was when a cow broke loose from its pasture. We
knew the community so well that we often knew where the
animals belonged and were able to return them."
Many of the roads were gravel then and the primary residential
developments were in the Cedar Grove neighborhoods in
southwest Eagan and Mckee and Highview neighborhoods in
the northern part of the city. "It was sort of a tangle -town and
a bit tough to get around in, so when you did get a call you
had to be prepared to handle it on your own --at least for a
while until your back-up could find you," said Geagan.
"People traveled pretty fast on the gravel roads then. Roads
were dark and curvey so the accidents we had were often
severe."
As the community grew, so did the police force, and, with it,
Geagan's career. In 1970 Geagan began full time and by 1973
he was promoted to Sergeant. At that time he helped to
develop a number of programs still in effect today including
Operation Identification. Geagan's Chief at the time, Martin
Deslauriers, recalls that, "Pat was always willing to take the
lead, whether it was with a new program, SWAT teams or in
investigative team training, often in addition to his work, Pat
went to school to continue learning more --I think he always
had a desire to improve his skills and prepare for bigger
things." In 1983, the year DesLauriers retired, Geagan was
again promoted to Captain. By 1989, following the retirement
of Chief Jay Berthe, Geagan became Eagan's third Police
Chief.
Fall
1999
Geagan has become a highly
respected member of the broader
police community and has served
as President of the Minnesota
Chiefs of Police Association and
the Dakota County Chief s
Association. He has also been
involved in numerous community
and non-profit associations.
Eagan and Chief Geagan achieved notoriety on a number of
occasions over the years, with high profile cases solved by the
Drug Task Force and in a case which ended in landmark
legislation being written involving an infant who had been
shaken. Eagan also set the standard of how public notification
can happen successfully when it hosted the first ever sex
offender notification meeting in the state.
Geagan has also worked hard at building a department that
reflects the diversity of the community. "We're not quite
there yet, but we were among the first communities to hire a
number of female officers and have hired many very qualified
individuals of color. I feel it's important that the department
reflect the make-up of the community it serves, whenever
possible." It is difficult to get Geagan to speak about the
things he is most proud of in his career, but he says if he has to
take credit, "It's for hiring good people and empowering them
to do thier jobs --and they have done them well. It's a
department I am proud to be a part of."
City Administrator Hedges notes that, "Pat Geagan has
provided great leadership while directing our Police
Department through many years of rapid growth. He has
shown the highest level of integrity and dedication and has
been a tremendous asset to our management team. His
contributions will be missed."
Search for New Chief Underway
I
n May, the City of Eagan hired two consulting firms
to assist in the recruitment and selection process for a
new Police Chief.
The search focused primarily in the Midwest area. Approx-
imately 40 applications were received. An interview panel
consisting of City staff, representatives of the Police Chaplains'
Group and the Crime Prevention Commission will interview
approximately 10 candidates. A number of these candidates
will also undergo a skills/aptitude test, followed by a final
interview selection process conducted by the City Council. It is
anticipated that the last round of interviews will take place near
Labor Day so that a new Chief can be in place in October.
Chief Retires
After 30 Years of Service
F ollowing a rather bad day at his job at the Minneapolis
Star & Tribune in 1968, Pat Geagan decided to apply
for a position he'd seen advertised with the Eagan
Township Police Department. Then Police Chief Martin
DesLauriers hired someone else for that particular opening, but
about six months later, when faced with another officer
position to fill, he remembered Geagan and called to offer him
the spot. This time Geagan turned DesLauriers down. Finally
in November of 1969, DesLauriers called Geagan again
offering a position and Geagan accepted.
Now, nearly 30 years and numerous promotions later, Pat
Geagan is facing retirment from his position as Chief of the
Eagan Police Department.
Geagan began as a part time Patrol Officer, one of eight
officers then serving Eagan. Officers worked between the hours
of 6 a.m. and 2 a.m. and took the squads home when they
were done for the evening where they were called to respond
from, as necessary. In 1969 and the early 70's Eagan was a
small, primarily agricultural community. Geagan jokes that,
"Not much happened back then. Sometimes our biggest
excitement was when a cow broke loose from its pasture. We
knew the community so well that we often knew where the
animals belonged and were able to return them."
Many of the roads were gravel then and the primary residential
developments were in the Cedar Grove neighborhoods in
southwest Eagan and Mckee and Highview neighborhoods in
the northern part of the city. "It was sort of a tangle -town and
a bit tough to get around in, so when you did get a call you
had to be prepared to handle it on your own --at least for a
while until your back-up could find you," said Geagan.
"People traveled pretty fast on the gravel roads then. Roads
were dark and curvey so the accidents we had were often
severe."
As the community grew, so did the police force, and, with it,
Geagan's career. In 1970 Geagan began full time and by 1973
he was promoted to Sergeant. At that time he helped to
develop a number of programs still in effect today including
Operation Identification. Geagan's Chief at the time, Martin
Deslauriers, recalls that, "Pat was always willing to take the
lead, whether it was with a new program, SWAT teams or in
investigative team training, often in addition to his work, Pat
went to school to continue learning more --I think he always
had a desire to improve his skills and prepare for bigger
things." In 1983, the year DesLauriers retired, Geagan was
again promoted to Captain. By 1989, following the retirement
of Chief Jay Berthe, Geagan became Eagan's third Police
Chief.
Fall
1999
Geagan has become a highly
respected member of the broader
police community and has served
as President of the Minnesota
Chiefs of Police Association and
the Dakota County Chiefs
Association. He has also been
involved in numerous community
and non-profit associations.
Eagan and Chief Geagan achieved notoriety on a number of
occasions over the years, with high profile cases solved by the
Drug Task Force and in a case which ended in landmark
legislation being written involving an infant who had been
shaken. Eagan also set the standard of how public notification
can happen successfully when it hosted the first ever sex
offender notification meeting in the state.
Geagan has also worked hard at building a department that
reflects the diversity of the community. "We're not quite
there yet, but we were among the first communities to hire a
number of female officers and have hired many very qualified
individuals of color. I feel it's important that the department
reflect the make-up of the community it serves, whenever
possible." It is difficult to get Geagan to speak about the
things he is most proud of in his career, but he says if he has to
take credit, "Its for hiring good people and empowering them
to do thier jobs --and they have done them well. It's a
department I am proud to be a part of."
City Administrator Hedges notes that, "Pat Geagan has
provided great leadership while directing our Police
Department through many years of rapid growth. He has
shown the highest level of integrity and dedication and has
been a tremendous asset to our management team. His
contributions will be missed."
Search for New Chief Underway
I
n May, the City of Eagan hired two consulting firms
to assist in the recruitment and selection process for a
new Police Chief.
The search focused primarily in the Midwest area. Approx-
imately 40 applications were received. An interview panel
consisting of City staff, representatives of the Police Chaplains'
Group and the Crime Prevention Commission will interview
approximately 10 candidates. A number of these candidates
will also undergo a skills/aptitude test, followed by a final
interview selection process conducted by the City Council. It is
anticipated that the last round of interviews will take place near
Labor Day so that a new Chief can be in place in October.
I
Fall
1999
We All Benefit
From Citizen
Involvement
by Detective Sergeant Linda Myhre,
n early June, Detective Stefanie Bolks and I had the insightful opportunity
to work on the Carlton County Task Force, working the case of the girl
abducted from the convenience store in Moose Lake on May 26. As most of
you are aware, a suspect has been arrested in connection with that case. Some of the
information obtained about that person was received from the public through tip
calls. To date, the Task Force has received over 2,000 such tip calls from the public.
It is essential for the police to receive tip calls in a case of such an extreme
magnitude, but we also appreciate and look into tips called in for other cases, as
well. With a police force of just over 60 personnel (from the chief on down) and
with a population in excess of 60,000, we can't be everywhere. We need people to
report to us what they see, what they hear, and what they suspect.
If you have information about a crime that has been committed, you may call the
Eagan Police Department at (651) 681-4700. You will probably be put into contact
with a police officer or a detective who will ask you for your name, address, phone
number and what information you have. Many people hesitate giving out personal
information because they fear retaliation or they don't want to go to court. Police
like to have your full name and call back number in case they need to get more
information from you. We have had instances where people call in and refuse to
give their name, but they give some information on a crime. If we don't have
sufficient information to develop probable cause, we might not be able to proceed.
If only the caller would have left a name, we could have perhaps called them back
and gotten more information enough to go forward with an investigation. If you ask
to remain anonymous, we try to honor that request, but sometimes a judge may
require you to appear in court and testify that the information you have is believed
by you to be accurate.
The other option that you have if you have information for the police is to call the
Eagan Police TIPLINE. The phone number for the TIPLINE is (651) 686-1111.
This line is a voice mail system and it is only checked once per day. This means
that if you have an emergency, you should NOT call the TIPLINE. If you call the
TIPLINE, you will not talk to a dispatcher or officer, it is just a recorded message
line. You may, again, remain anonymous, but we prefer that you leave a name and
call back number. Leave any information that you have regarding any crimes that
have occurred or that you suspect are occurring and we will check into them.
Remember, the police need your help. Don't hesitate to call us with any
information that you may have. Don't worry that you think it might be
insignificant. Remember, tip calls help to identify suspects in many high profile
cases. Please help us to keep the City of Eagan a great place to live and work by
sharing any information you have about lawbreakers.
I
Increase in Safety
Restraint Enforcement
--For All It's Worth
M any of you who went through
our 25' Anniversary Open
House in May saw our safety
display for the Safe and Sober Campaign.
In addition, we held a clinic to inspect
child safety seats. In conjunction with
the Minnesota Department of Public
Safety and the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration, The Eagan Police
Department is working to educate the
public on the necessity of buckling up.
Even though Eagan residents typically
have a higher rate of compliance than the
state average (71 percent vs. 65 percent),
we are still below the national average of
79 percent for states with primary seat
belt laws. Studies have shown that fines
and tickets, though not the preferred
method of gaining compliance, are very
effective.
If you think that getting a ticket is
expensive ($55.00 in Dakota County),
consider this. In 1998 it cost Minnesota
taxpayers $375,571,400 for injuries
incurred that could have been prevented
by wearing seat belts. Perhaps Lee
Iococco said it best, "Not wearing seat
belts raises taxes, increases insurance rates
and harms our loved ones. If that's not
an intrusion of my freedom, I don't know
what is." So use your seat belt --there's
just too much to lose!
4A Ante Vallev/Qnsemount Faaan Sun•Current/Wednesdav Au❑ 25 1999
OPINION
Eagan will miss Geagan after 30 years as a police officer
Geagan through the years
1944 Born in Graceville, Minn.
1950s Moved to Mound'
1957 Father died, leaving Geagan the
oldest of five children, including 2-year-
old twin sisters
1962 Graduated from Mound High School
1962-1965 Airforce Medic
1965-1969 Minneapolis Star -Tribune Cir-
culation Manager
Nov. 1, 1969 -March 31, 1970 Eagan pa-
trol officer part time, Security guard, Dis-
trict bus driver in Rosemount, Volunteer
Eagan firefighter
April 1,1970 - Aug. 31, 1973 Eagan Pa-
trol Officer full-time
Early to mid 1970s Started the SWAT
tactical team with Mike Garity
Sept. 1, 1973 - Aug. 31, 1983 Sergeant
Team leader "Geagan's Goons"
January 1975 married Sue Flaherty
1975 Graduated from Inver Hills Commu-
nity College
Sept. 1, 1983 - Jan. 19, 1989 Eagan Po-
lice Captain
1984-1999 Minnesota State Chiefs Asso-
ciation
1984-1987 Taught police administration
in Inver Hills Community College and
Metro State University
1985 Started Citizens Crime Prevention
1987 Graduated from Metro State Univer-
sity, Cnminal'Justice
1987 FBI Academy in Ouantico, Virginia
1987 Charter Member Eagan Rotary Club
1989-1999 Dakota County Chiefs Associ-
ation
Jan. 20, 1989 - Aug. 27, 1999 Chief
1989-90 Started South Metro Task Force
with other area chiefs
Early 1990s-1997 Board of Directors,
Linden Center
Early 1990s Started the Chaplains Core,
Community Orientated Policing
1997 President, Minnesota Chiefs of Po-
lice Association
March 6, 1997 First state sexual offender
notification meeting
Aug. 27, 1999 Retirement
"It's been a tough week for
many of us at the police depart-
ment," Linda Bendt said. As Po-
lice Chief Patrick J. Geagan's
secretary for the past 16 years,
she has worked closely with him
through thick and thin.
Geagan officially retires from
30 years on the Eagan Police
force this week, after starting
his job as a part-time patrol offi-
cer in the late '60s and worked
his way through the ranks to the
pinnacle of his profession.
For many in the community,
saying good-bye will be hard.
Geagan has taken a keen inter-
est in the lives of not only his fel-
low officers and their families,
but also the families he has
served in the community as well.
When he started off in the early
days before Eagan was even a
township, he knew where to take
the local livestock back to their
pens simply by recognizing them.
As Eagan became a village, and
then a city, Geagan's role and re-
sponsibilities grew along with it.
But, in talking with his friends, co-
workers, companions and family
members, it is apparent that Gea-
gan never lost that desire to know
with whom he worked, and those
for whom he worked.
Sensing the need for the police
force to reflect the diversity in the
community, he has tried hard to re-
tain minorities on the force. With
nine women and three officers of
color, Geagan still realizes there is
more to be done. Although mainly
white and affluent, Geagan has
recognized that Eagan is a also
subject to the scourges of drugs
and gangs. He has been instru-
mental in starting the South
Metro Task Fore, a collaboration of
law enforcement offices through
the southern suburbs to conduct
surveillance and sting operations.
He started the Citizen's Crime
Prevention group to try to raise
funds for reward money in large
cases. Taking policing back to the
grass roots level, Geagan
strengthened and encouraged a
Community Oriented Policing
policy. His desire for communica-
tion with the community has
earned him a reputation for hav-
ing an open door policy for both his
staff and the residents of Eagan.
His sense of humor and his
willingness to both take a joke
and to make one showed
through in three hours of good-
natured roasting and toasting
held in his honor on Aug 19.
With family and friends by his
side, he took all of it in stride,
and dished out a little, too.
In three days of interviews,
no one had anything but a kind
word, respect for him and sad-
ness about his departure to tell.
In discovering how much of
the town will miss you, Pat, I feel
short-changed that I have only
now gotten to start to know you.
He heads to Maine after re-
tirement to visit his daughter.
With his four grandchildren to
keep him young, he said he will
be able to enjoy his grandchil-
dren in a way time did not allow
for him to enjoy his own chil-
dren.
Family, always the glue that
binds, will keep him occupied in
other ways as he traces his fam-
ily history while researching his
genealogy. While he will be
missed, the rapier wit of those in
his office and the constant com-
rade of his peers will be missed
by him as well.
If you find yourself missing
him too badly, get a bag of golf
clubs and look on the links;
you'll be likely to find him there
as he tries to improve his golf
game before the snows.
And if you really need him, I
have the feeling he will still be
around.
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http://www.thisweek-online.com
Volume 21, No. 27
A clean finish
EAGAN POLICE Chief Patrick Geagan shows off his clean desk Aug. 26 dur-
ing his next to last day of work. After 30 years of service with the Eagan Po-
lice Department, Geagan is retiring. Photo by Rick Orndorf
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Eagan edition
NEWS 2.
NOTES VI
jan. 16, 2003
Program
underway
The Dakota County
Library Wescott is
sponsoring its third an-
nual adult reading pro-
gram, a free activity of-
fering prizes and incen-
tives just for reading.
There are no meetings,
no committees and no
required reading. The
Hot Reads for Cold
Nights" program runs
through Feb. 28.
Information: 651-
688-1500.
Open houses
offered
CURRENT
SPORTS
AV depleted
with injuries
PAGE 16A
Joshua Nichols/Sun Newspapers
Eagan Mayor Pat Geagan says a
few words after being sworn in as
the city's new elected leader.
Pat Geagan era begins in Eagan
Council kicks off new year
with changes, driving range
issues
BY JOSHUA NICHOLS
Sun Newspapers
A new chapter in Eagan city
government opened Jan. 7 amid
flashbulbs, smiles, handshakes
and raised right hands.
Before getting down to the
business of deciding variances
and discussing other plans, the
council welcomed its new mem-
bers at its first meeting of 2003.
Speaking about city staff,
newly elected Mayor Pat Geagan
said after being sworn in by City
Administrator Tom Hedges:
"You're not going to find a more
dedicated group of people. They
work very hard to make our job go
smoothly"
Councilmember Peggy Carl-
son, who was re-elected to the
council in November, called being
a member of the council a "fami-
ly affair "
Newly elected Councilmember
Mike Maguire, who won election
to the council along with Carlson,
echoed her comments after he
took the oath of office.
"I'm never going to be able to
thank Janelle or Ian enough for
their support," Maguire said, re-
ferring to his wife and their new-
born son. "They helped me get
through some of the more anxi-
ety -ridden times. You become
kind of a fragile person when you
run for public office."
To greet the new mayor and
council member was a light agen-
da featuring only a handful of
items. One of the items discussed
the longest was an issue that was
originally not on the agenda and
arose out of the council's listen-
ing session before the meeting.
The owners of Parkview Golf
Course came before the council to
ask it to consider extending the
limitation on lighting its new dri-
ving range because of vandalism
it has been experiencing since it
opened late last year.
When the development plan
for the driving range came before
the council last summer, council
members allowed the lights to
stay on until 10-30 p.m.
GEAGAN: To Page 13A
www.mnSun.com
Geagan
From Page 1A
During the Jan. 7 listening session,
the council decided that before deciding
whether to amend that condition perma-
nently, it would like to have a public hear-
ing and allow neighbors to comment.
However, to help the golf course com-
bat potential vandals in the meantime,
the council decided to discuss temporar-
ily allowing the lights to remain on
longer.
Council members discussed several
new times for allowing the lights to re-
main on, ranging from midnight to 2 a.m.
However, Carlson said that the time did-
n't really matter to vandals.
"Lights can help, but if kids are going
to do it, they are going to do it," Carlson
said. "If they have serious vandalism,
they need to keep the lights on to be ef-
fective."
A motion to extend the time to 1 a.m.
failed with only Councilmember Meg
Tilley supporting it. A later motion al-
lowing the lights to stay on from dusk
until dawn until a hearing at the coun-
cil's Tuesday, Jan. 21, meeting was
passed on a 3-2 vote with Maguire and
Tilley voting against it.
However, Carlson cautioned that fie
would not be voting to continue allowmg
the lights to stay on all night permanent-
ly and that another long-term solution
will have to be discussed at that meeting.
In other business:
• The council approved a contract
with a consultant to help shape.a master
plan for Holz Fartia Park, a rustic farm
and park owned by thspeity in the south-
eastern corner of Eagan".
The council had previously approved
city staff to proceed with developing the
master plan during a September meet-
ing. After interviewing several firms
`You're not going to find a
more dedicated group of
people. They work very hard
to make our job go
smoothly.'
— Mayor Pat Geagan
submitting proposals, an interview
panel recommended Brauer and Associ-
ates from Hopkins.
"They really seemed to understand
who the stakeholders are," said Dorothy
Peterson, a parks commissioner and
member of the Friends of the Farm, a
group that oversees the park. "They also
recognized that the Advisory Parks Com-
mission and the community would play
a part in shaping the plan."
Putting together the plan was includ-
ed as part of the city's 2002 parks capital
improvement plan with an estimated
cost of no more than $30,000. Brauer was
the only firm interviewed that met that
criteria, Petersbn said.
Peterson said Brauer has done previ-
ous master plan work with Lebanon
Hills Regional Park as well as some sim-
ilar work in Bloomington, Anoka and
Burnsville.
Parks and Recreation Director Ken
Vraa said the city would be providing
much of the baseline information neces-
sary to run the process, such as topo-
graphical maps and other geographical
information already collected about the
site.
`'This is really more of a process than
a drawing," Vraa said. `This is a process
of walking the community, Friends of
the Farm and the city through the
process and looking at what the options
are for the area."
Apple Valley/Rosemount, Eagan Sun•Current/Thursday, Jan. 16, 2003 13A
Joshua Nichols/Sun Newspapers
City Administrator Tom Hedges (right) administers the oath of mayor to Pat Geagan.
Joshua Nichols/Sun Newspapers
City Administrator Tom Hedges (right) administers the oath of office to new council
member Mike Maguire
" `He's a warm human being who makes you feel very comfortable.
u always get the impression that he's there for you.... We're going to miss him a lot.'
THE REV. BOB SCHWARTZ, ST. JOHN NEUMANN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF RETIRING POLICE CHIEF PAT GEAGAN
BILL ALKOFER/PIONEER PRESS
Pat Geagan and his wife, Sue, attended a banquet honoring the chief on his retirement. Geagan became chief in 1989. He worked to get 24-
;anized the much -publicized first community sex -offender notification meeting.
Parting is Sweet Sorrow
ice chief, known
npassion, retires
FF WRITER
in nabbed plenty of bad guys,
offender notification meeting in
sed an uproar when he tried to
t his staff may best remember
k about monkeys.
y monkey to answer the tele-
chief blurted out at a staff
ecalled he was responding to an
I answering the telephone.
gan almost immediately. Toy
on his chair. His birthday cards
featured monkeys. Bananas frequently appeared on
his desk.
At Geagan's retirement party last week, the
community had its last chance to play monkey
jokes on its beloved chief. He received plenty of
monkey stuffed animals, but the most laughs came
from a video of the "chief" — City Administrator
Tom Hedges — in a full -body monkey costume
acting out Geagan's typical day.
For more than two hours, police officers and
community members shared stories about Geagan.
Some were teary -eyed as they talked about how
much he cared for employees and the way he
knew the names of all of his officers' spouses.
Others told funny anecdotes, such as the time
police were surprised to find part of Geagan's uni-
form in a drug dealer's closet. The criminal had
lifted it from the dry cleaners.
"I enjoy this job today as much as I did when I
put on my badge 30 years ago," Geagan told the
crowd. But today, it will be time for the 55-year-
old to take off his badge. Geagan plans to stay in
Eagan and will spend his time traveling and play-
ing golf. City leaders say his replacement, who
will be chosen within the next few weeks, will
have tough shoes to fill.
Geagan will be remembered for the sensitivity
he showed toward people going through tough
times, such as sitting with the wife of an officer
who was dying in the hospital. Professionally, he
made his mark by recruiting minorities, starting
the police chaplain program and guiding the
department during a time of rapid growth. And
although his last name is pronounced "gaygen," he
will be known as the chief with a name similar to
the city he serves.
GEAGAN CONTINUED ON 2B
"He's a warm human being who makes you feel very comfortable.
You always get the impression that he's there for you.... We're going to miss him
THE REV. BOB SCHWARTZ, ST. JOHN NEUMANN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF RETIRIP
Eagan Pollee Chief Pat Geagan and his wife, Sue, attended a banquet honoring the chief on his retirement. Geagan became chief in 19
hour patrol and organized the much -publicized first community sex -offender notification meeting.
Parting is Sweet Sono
Eagan police chief, known
for his compassion, retires
AMY SHERMAN STAFF WRITER
Chief Pat Geagan nabbed plenty of bad guys,
held the first sex offender notification meeting in
Minnesota and caused an uproar when he tried to
limit picketing, but his staff may best remember
him for a wisecrack about monkeys.
"I can train any monkey to answer the tele-
phone," the police chief blurted out at a staff
meeting. Geagan recalled he was responding to an
officer who avoided answering the telephone.
The teasing began almost immediately. Toy
monkeys appeared on his chair. His birthday cards
featured monkeys. Bananas frequently appeared on
his desk.
At Geagan's retirement party last week, the
community had its last chance to play monkey
jokes on its beloved chief. He received plenty of
monkey stuffed animals, but the most laughs came
from a video of the "chief" — City Administrator
Tom Hedges — in a full -body monkey costume
acting out Geagan's typical day.
For more than two hours, police officers and
community members shared stories about Geagan.
Some were teary -eyed as they talked about how
much he cared for employees and the way he
knew the names of all of his officers' spouses.
Others told funny anecdotes, such as the time
police were surprised to find part of Geagan's uni-
form in a drug dealer's closet. The criminal had
lifted it from the dry cleaners.
"I enjoy this job today as much as I did when I
put on my badge 30 yea
crowd. But today, it will
old to take off his badge.
Eagan and will spend his
ing golf. City leaders s(
will be chosen within tl
have tough shoes to fill.
Geagan will be remen
he showed toward peof
times, such as sitting wi
who was dying in the hi
made his mark by recrt
the police chaplain pri
department during a tin
although his last name is
will be known as the chi(
the city he serves.
Eagan gets first glimpse of
new mayor, council in action
Geagan, Maguire and re-elected Carlson take oath of office
by Erin Johnson
THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
The first Eagan City Council
meeting with new Mayor Pat
Geagan and Council Member
Mike Maguire was not without
its bumps, but a smiling Geagan
assured the audience, "We'll
figure this out, folks"
Geagan, who was elected to a
four-year term as mayor, and
Maguire, elected to a four-year
term as a city council member,
joined re-elected Council
Member Peggy Carlson for the
official swearing in at Tuesday's
council meeting. Each took the
oath of office, in which they
promised to uphold the U.S. and
state constitutions and faithfully
• r a,. .. .mod
New Eagan Mayor Pat Geagan says a few words to the audience
after taking the oath of office.
and impartially discharge the "The oath of office is proba-
duties of their office for the city bly one of the most important
of Eagan. See Council, 6A
6A January 11, 2003 THISWEEK
Council/from 1A
parts that our city council mem-
bers take part in," said City
Administrator Toni Hedges.
After taking the oath, the
three elected officials were
given a chance to say a few
words to the audience before
resuming the meeting.
Geagan, the former police.
chief of Eagan, thanked his fam-
ily, as well as the police officers
that were there to show support.
He also acknowledged the cur-
rent and past council members.
"I don't think you're ever
going to find a more dedicated
group of people," he said. "They
really care about the community
and I am looking very much for-
EG
ward to working with them. The
staff here is special, and Tom
Hedges, under his leadership,
we're very, very fortunate to
have him with us. I look forward
to working with everybody here
in the future."
Carlson, now the most sea-
soned member of the council,
introduced and thanked her fam-
ily, husband, Jay, daughter
Shelby, 15, and son Eric, 13, for
their support.
"A council member — it's a
family affair," she said. "They
put up with your leaving at all
hours and the phone calls and
everything else."
Maguire thanked the citizens
of Eagan for allowing him into
their homes while he was cam -
Another bright idea?
Let us "spark" your imagination!
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paigning and for "being courte-
ous enough to wait to throw the
literature away until I was out of
sight."
He also thanked his col-
leagues on the council for help-
ing him through the transition,
as well as his wife and son.
"Peggy is absolutely right —
there is not just one person who
runs for any office, and I'll
never thank Janelle and Ian
enough for all they did to help
me to run and coach me through
some of the anxiety -ridden
times during the campaign," he
said.
The meeting was relatively
brief and the agenda decidedly
modest, allowing the newcom-
ers to adjust to their positions
and learn the ropes.
"Mayor Geagan and I had
nothing to do with setting up the
agenda, but Tom Hedges had
told me that it would be a fairly
light one," said Maguire.
As for his feelings on finally
taking office, Maguire said it
feels good to finally drop the
"elect" part of his new title.
"It felt good to get down to
business," he said. "I was sur-
prised at how anxious I was
going into the meeting. The
light agenda gave me a chance
to get my feet wet in what
almost felt like a dry run."
What surprised him the most,
he said, is how much faster the
pace is from behind the council
Photo by Rick Orndorf
Council Member Peggy Carlson, far left, and Council Member
Mike Maguire, far right, are joined by their families as they are
sworn into office by City Administrator Tom Hedges.
dais. It's a very different experi-
ence than when he attended
meetings as an audience mem-
ber, he said.
"Some things on the agenda
move pretty quickly," he said.
"There was a time there when I
really wanted more time to think
about an item. But we'll start
seeing items that we've devel-
oped a relationship with in time.
When you don't have that histo-
ry, you're a little tentative with
it.
"We'll get more and more
comfortable until we're in there
mixing it up just as well as
council members Carlson,
Tilley and Fields."
Geagan could not be reached
for comment before this issue
went to press. But as the meet-
ing drew to a close Tuesday, he
addressed a troop of fourth -
grade Eagan Boy Scouts that
attended the meeting.
"Come back in a couple of
weeks," he said. "It will go a
whole lot smoother."
Erin Johnson is at
eagan.thisweek@ecm-inc.com.
-1101111111.11.
Eagan
State of the City Address
Thursday, March zo, 2003
at the Eagan City Hall
Council Chambers
8:oo a.m.
registration & refreshments at 7:3o a.m.
Mayor Pat Geagan
presents 2002 accomplishments
& 2.003 City Counci[ goals
Watch it live on City Cable 16 or
in replay on March it, at
5:00 p.m. & 9:3o p.m.
Call 651-675-Soon
4400.
for information
city of ecigan o3"`s
E#330350
Pat Geagan
Pat Geagan,
57, said his years
as Eagan Police
chief gives him
the required ex-
perience to do a
good job as Eagan
mayor. Geagan
spent 30 years
with the Eagan
Police Depart-
ment, 10 of those
as chief.
"I have man-
agement experi-
ence of working with a large organization
and I think that makes me different from
the other candidates," Geagan said. "I
have dealt with crisis situations and I am
familiar with city government because I
worked in it for some time."
Geagan, who has lived in Dakota
County for 35 years, 20 of those years in
Eagan, said if voters elect him they will
get a mayor who will work hard and have
an open-door policy.
"I will always work hard and be faith-
ful to the citizens of Eagan," Geagan said.
"I like an open environment and I don't
think secrets are a good thing. I like to in-
volve as many people as possible in deci-
sion making."
Geagan
ITETiion while being unbiased is one of v
he reasons she should be re-elected.
"I am very willing to work with other 1
people and I am able to work with any- e
pody and everybody," she said. "I believe s
n researching all the issues before mak- t
ng a decision." I
s
Margo Danner
Margo Danner
pas lived in the
iedar Grove
ieighborhood of
Eagan for nearly
10 years. She said
ier involvement
n community is-
;ues, such as the
Eagan Communi- 1
;y Center, the
Eagan Lionesses
ind being a mem-
Der of the Eagan Danner
Parks Commis-
sion, makes her a good candidate for the
ouncil.
"I've been so involved in the city with
many issues," Danner said. "I don't see
Eagan as a city with a lot of big problems. 1
Dne of the ones I would like to address is
what I see as a lack of communication,
both internally and with citizens."
Danner said she is willing to work to
make sure the concerns of residents are
Pa/
GEAGA
N
FOR
EAGAN MAYOR
"Eagan is a great place to live and raise
children. I want to keep it that way."
Pat Geagan
www.geaganformayor.com
PEOPLE KNOW PAT GEAGAN:
■ "He is a man of principle and integrity, a true
leader and a first-rate administrator. He will
make a wonderful mayor for the city of Eagan."
DUN GUDMUNDSON, Dakota County Sheriff
■ "Pat reminds me of the Lone Oak Tree, a
symbol of strength and maturity. I highly
endorse him." TED WACHTER, Past Councilmember
• "Pat Geagan's strong leadership with the very
first community notification meeting in
Minnesota was a model for other communities.
As police chief, he set the tone for respectful,
educational meetings that create a safer world
for all of us." PATTY WETTERLING, Jacob Wetterling
Foundation
• -1 have always had the highest esteem for Pat
Geagan, both as a person and as a public
official. Pat's dedication to the city of Eagan,
including most recently as police chief,
demonstrates his strong character and
integrity." Tom EGAN, Past Eagan Mayor
• "Pat Geagan knows how to build successful
relationships and partnerships...' Tom WILsoN,
Eagan High School
• "Pat's character, leadership, and experience
make him my clear choice for mayor." CLYDE
THURSTON, Eagan resident
CONTACT PAT
www. geaganformayor. com
651-452-7215
Prepared and paid for by Geagan for Mayor, Paul Jaeb, Treasurer,
3440 Federal Drive, Suite 130, Eagan, MN 55122
Vot 1
Taesday
Pat Geagan
Eagan Mayor
"There is a Cot of Eagan in me and
big part of me in Eagan. "
PAT GEAGAN, FORMER EAGAN CHIEF of POLICE
www.geaganformavor.com CaII - 651-452-7215
PAT GEAGAN
EAGAN
"I have always had the highest esteem for Pat
Geagan, both as a person and as a public
official. Pat's dedication to the city of Eagan,
including most recently as police chief,
demonstrates his strong character and
integrity." Tom EGAN, Past Eagan Mayor
❑ Understands that residents and businesses need taxes to stay low
❑ Understands that residents want safe and secure neighborhoods
❑ Understands that Eagan families put a high priority on good
communication and responsive service from City staff and police
PAT GEAGAN HAS EXPERIENCE
"Pat reminds me of the Lone Oak Tree, a
symbol of strength and maturity. I highly
endorse him." TED WACHTER, Past Councilmember
• Experience managing large budgets, and a
100 employee, 24/7 department
❑ Experience in emergency planning and responding to Eagan and
Dakota County crises
❑ Experience with city codes, interacting with city residents and
making city history
PAT GEAGAN HAS SENSIBLE VALUES AND
IS NOT AFRAID TO ACT
"Pat Geagan knows how to build successful relationships and
partnerships..." Tone WILSON, Eagan High School
❑ Values sound communica-
tion and building bridges
between the city and its
neighborhoods and
organizations
❑ Values common sense
solutions that benefit all
citizens, rather than robbing City funds for single causes
❑ Values integrity, mutual respect and a problem solving approach
on the council
Prepared and paid for by Geagan for Mayor, Paul Jaeb, Treasurer, 3440 Federal Drive, Suite 130, Eagan, MN 55122
a
Going roundabout/2A
Eagan and Dakota County plan to use an
increasingly popular intersection alternative
called a roundabout at Diffley and Rahn.
Man charged/2A
A Shakopee man has been charged in connec-
tion with two armed robberies and a burglary in
three area communities, including Eagan.
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-THIRD YEAR
DAKOTA COUNTY
rib
un e
III,IuhuIl''illlululflhuls,slllultt'II.Iu'uIuIiIIIltIIlt''ll
*****AUTO**SCH 5-D1GIT 55120
Eagan City of
3830 PILOT KNOB RD
EAGAN MN 55122-1897
Thursday Morning, January 4, 2007
BURNSVILLE, MINNESOTA
Council Member Peggy Carlson presents Mayor Pat Geagan with a plaque of appreciation for his
leadership as mayor for the past four years.
Mayor's fond farewell
Pat Geagan says goodbye as he passes the torch to new mayor
by Erin Johnson
DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Pat Geagan said an emo-
tional farewell to the city and
his council colleagues during
his final meeting as mayor of
Eagan on Dec. 19.
Geagan did not seek re-
election to the post he has held
since 2002. He will be succeed-
ed by Council Member Mike
Maguire in January.
"I just want to say thank
you for everything and for the
overwhelming support we had
during the last four years," he
said. "This is certainly a job
that no one person does, it's a
council effort, and I just have
to say how much I appreciate
everybody's assistance."
See Geagan, 6A
Photo In ROE Orndor]
Geagan said an emotional farewell to the city he has led since 2002
at his last city council meeting on Dec. 19. Sitting behind him is
his successor, Mayor -elect Mike Maguire.
147240
50 CENTS
NUMBER FORTY-FIVE
2A January 4, 2007 DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
DAKOTA COUNTY
ri6.une
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-THIRD YEAR
BURNSVILLE, MINNESOTA
147240
Artist at her apogee
Local photographer
receives Kodak
award
Photo by Jessica Harpe
Jen Hillenga has been named Kodak's 2006 Photographer to
Watch, one of two such honorees nationwide. Hillenga plies her
trade at Momento Images in Savage.
INSIDE
FRONT
Arts groups
eye future
center warily
by John Gessner
DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Leaders of local arts groups
didn't get too excited when the
City Council and a private de-
veloper agreed to build a per-
forming -arts center in Burns-
ville.
Performing and visual arts
groups have wanted a cen-
ter for years, and were on the
ground floor of planning that
began in 2000.
But the groups wonder if a
new center — even a publicly
owned one — will have a place
for them.
Some arts leaders are al-
ready exploring plans. to buy
the Minnesota River School
of Fine Art and maintain it as
a nonprofit music and visual
arts school.
And performance groups
that have scrambled for the-
ater space worry that the new
center may be too expensive to
rent anyway.
The city's contract with
M.A. Mortenson Co. requires
the developer to build a center
for a private third party or,
failing that, to act as construc-
tion manager for a city -built
center. It also requires the
company to build a Sheraton
See Arts Center, 28A
inci al
d Gideon Pond
Man charged in
by Erin Johnson
DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
A Shakopee man has been
charged in connection with
two armed robberies and a
burglary in three area commu-
nities, including Eagan, and is
suspected of several burglaries
and another armed robbery
around the metro area.
Dannie Rambahal, 21, has
been charged with two counts
of aggravated robbery and
second-degree assault, both
felonies, in connection with
armed robberies in Eagan and
West St. Paul.
The Eagan incident oc-
curred at the Oasis Market on
Coachman Road around 1:40
a m nn Tlar• 11 A rrnrrlinn 4n
armed robbery
like a semi -automatic hand-
gun.
Rambahal, who was one of
the rear passengers, admitted
that he had robbed the conve-
nience store moments before,
but claimed the other occu-
pants in the vehicle had no
knowledge of the crime, police
said.
Rambahal was later identi-
fied by the store clerk.
Rambahal is also accused
of the armed robbery of a
Game Stop store in West St.
Paul on Dec. 15, during which
two suspects carrying guns
fled with more than $11,000 in
cash and electronic games.
In addition, he is charged
suitl, tl, i rrl_rlanraa h„ rnl ar., onri
)UNTY TRIBUNE
Geagan/from 1A
Geagan praised the council for
coming together over the last
four years and. doing "some
good things."
He became especially P emo-
tional when thanking his wife
and family for supporting him
during the . past four years,
which "have been tough ones,"
he said.
"As many .of you know ...
I've struggled with Parkin-
son's disease, and the deep
brain stimulation surgery that
has gone along with that;" he
said. "I'd like to report that
although it doesn't look like it
tonight, the surgery was suc-
cessful."
Geagan has undergone
five surgeries since June to
help control. disabling motor
symptoms of the disease such
as tremors. As he stood at the
podium in the council cham-
bers, his right arm was visibly
shaking.
"It needs. to be tweaked a
bit on the right side," he said.
The scars on his shaved
head were also visible, but he
jokingly blamed his lack of
hair on the stress of the job.
"My wife wanted me to
make sure to share with you
that• the fact that I have no
hair is not due to my family,
but. it has more to do with my
colleagues here," he said.
Geagan has served the city
• in some capacity for 34 of the
last 37 years.. He first joined the
Eagan Police Department as a
part-time officer in 1969 and
was appointed police chief in
1989. He retired from the de-
partment in 1999 and ran for
mayor three years later.
He will be missed by the
community, said City Admin-
istrator Tom Hedges, a close
friend who has known Geagan
since 1976. -
"Pat Geagan is all about
relationships.. He's not afraid
to go out and talk to people,"
Hedges said. "That's one,
the -reasons he's 'excelled
leadership."
"Geagan said he believes
made good on his promise
make the council more incl
sive, and said he is proud
his interaction .with the bu
ness community over the,pa
four years.,.. •
He is also proud of his e
forts to protect. green • spac
',During his tenure, the ci
helped- preserve the Capo
• Art. Park fore future gener
tions and added.a9-acre parc
to Patrick Eagan Park. He wa
also.part of the city's decisio
to fight proposed housing o
Carriage Hills Golf Course..
Maguire said Geagan _ha
been a valued friend and men
tor over the past four years
and he will enjoy looking a
the picture .of Geagan tha
now hangs alongside' photos
of Eagan's past- mayors in the
council chambers.
"I've learned, a number of
of things from you, but three of
at them are to be patient„listen,
and try , always to smile," he
he said. "My smile won't be any -
to where near as electric as yours
u- is, but I will, try to carry those
of . lessons as I look back at that
si- picture in the coming years."
st When asked what his plans
are now, Geagan said he will
f- continue to work as a private
• investigator for Heartland.
Business Intelligence, and he
looks forward to spending
more time with his family.
"Right now I'm on my way
to pick- up my wife, and we're
going 'to take the grandkids to
the movie's,°' he said:
The amount of -time re-
quired to be Eagan's mayor re-
ally surprised him, he'said, but
he will -miss it.
e.
ty
ni
a -
el
s,
n
n
s
t "It's going to be an empty
t spot to fill, that's for sure,". he.
said.
Erin Johnson is ut Eagan.
thi.siveek@ecm-inc. coin.
DAKOTA COUNT
Whittling away at the demand
Agency's 16th workforce housing development won't be ready for residents until 2008
by Tad Johnson
THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
In Dakota County, families
looking to move into one of
the Community Development
Agency's (CDA) 14 workforce
housing developments have
to wait at least six and up to
18 months before they rise to
the top of a list that stretches
1,000 applicants long.
"The honest situation is
that there aren't enough re-
sources out there," said Mark
Ulfers, CDA director. "We
are lucky in any given year
to complete one or two proj-
ects."
One of those projects
— the Rosemount Family
Townhomes — likely will have
construction start on it in Au-
gust and it won't be ready for
occupancy until spring 2008.
It's hardly the timeline the
s!atlR>`iS,;: ih ' li i•
�,.�', ■
Graphic submitted
The Rosemount Family Townhomes located northwest of the
Highway 3 and Connemara Trail intersection likely will have
construction start on it in August and it won't be ready for
occupancy until spring 2008.
"That is surprising to peo-
ple that the wait is that long,"
Ulfers said. "We tell people
right up front. We don't want
to create a false expectation."
CDA's workforce hous-
ing projects charge less than
market rate rent to qualified
Ulfers.
Through their homebuyer
education classes and home
ownership counselors, CDA
assures that people who move
into a home can afford the
costs going forward.
"This gives people an op-
ment. Neighbors raised con-
cerns about increased traffic
volumes and the CDA pur-
chased additional land and set
aside about $330,000 in total
costs for the additional work.
The only other change
from prior approvals to the
eight, two-story buildings was
using different materials on
the most visible side facing
Highway 3.
Ulfers said typically the
CDA uses five to seven differ-
ent sources of funding for each
project. This project will be 99
percent owned by a private
partner who provides about
60 percent of the financing.
U.S. Bancorp has been a
private partner in 13 of the
CDA's 15 workforce housing
projects. Although there is a
private owner, CDA remains
the general partner and is re-
GEAGAN
SAGA
N
M
AYOR
Dear Neighbor,
After years of growth, our city is
almost fully developed. Eagan is moving
into a challenging phase. It is a
maintenance phase, maintaining our low
taxes, maintaining our quality parks and
way of life, and maintaining our safe and
secure neighborhoods.
My years of service in the Eagan
police force and as Chief of Police, together
with my leadership in a host of charitable
and civic organizations, have given me the
management experience and leadership
skills that Eagan will need in the coming
years.
I am asking for your vote on
September 10 and November 5. Your vote is
a vote for a healthy, wholesome and
successful city.
Pat Geagan
A VISIONARY LEADER WHO KNOWS EAGAN
www.gtaganformayor.com
Pat Geagan's Priorities
Communication
After such rapid growth, the City of Eagan will
need to adjust to being a mature city. We will need to
put a high priority on communication. This means
that citizens should be encouraged to talk about what
they want their community to be, and elected officials and city staff will need to listen.
Communication is the key.
Communication is an active dialogue. In the coming years, together we will need to find ways to utilize resources to
retain our low tax status and to continue to provide the highest quality of services. We certainly can better utilize the
Internet, cable television and old fashioned, face-to-face community meetings to improve our understanding of each
other- elected officials, citizens and city staff. Together we will need to figure out how to do the same good job with
fewer resources.
Wise Financial Planning
I am proud that this is a city that has always been frugal and
maintained one of the lowest tax rates in the Twin Cities metropolitan
area. We have carefully considered
how to use the taxpayers money in the
flush times of the housing boom and
those same skills will need to be applied as the economy slows and as there are fewer new
developments to add to city revenues.
We might have to reduce some services or eliminate others that people do not think
are of high priority. These are tough decisions to snake and I am prepared to face them.
It is in the best interest of all of us that we do not use taxpayers money to do that which
is best left for businesses and non-profit organizations. I believe that the people of Eagan are fiscally conservative. They
save for what they want, and they cut back when the budget gets tight. The city should do the same.
Safe and Secure City
As a former policeman and chief, I know
there is nothing more valuable to a family
than feeling safe in your home and your
neighborhood. From nationwide acts of
terrorism to children disappearing from their
own bedrooms at night, we are ever mindful of the importance of a safe community. These
new circumstances recognize the need for new attention to safety by all citizens.
As Eagan's mayor, I would make sure that safety and security of our neighborhoods and
parks will remain a top priority. High standards require sensible, efficient and thorough
procedures, and close cooperation with county, state and federal authorities. Often the
common sense solution can be found when right-minded people take on the complex
problems together.
/11
"Eagan is a great pace to five and raise chi&dren. 1
want to keep it that way." Pat Geagan
An Interview with Pat Geagan
Why are you running for Mayor?
My experience in managing budgets and people enable me to be a leader on city issues and
ensure that our government reflects the intent of all citizens. I feel like I am a part of Eagan
and Eagan is a part of me. I care about the community and I know it will face many chal-
lenges iii the near future. I want to guide Eagan through these challenging times.
What are the three most important issues facing Eagan in the next four years?
Taxation and financial management, transportation gridlock and the new runway bringing airplanes over Cedar Grove in
2005 are issues that will need to be addressed. Focusing on these complex issues early will be important.
In each of these areas a well planned, strategic approach will help us use tax money wisely, benefit from citizen, business
and government agency cooperation, and keep Eagan citizens well informed at each step along the way. Those are the
challenges facing Eagan.
What is your leadership style and how will you use that as mayor?
I listen. I like to hear what others think, and consider that when making a decision. Soon after the elections the new
city council and mayor will need to take time to get to know each other to begin to act as a team. The council needs to
develop a mutual respect for each others' point of view. This gives a good foundation to rely on when making important
decisions for a city of this size. We will have to agree to disagree, to respect opposing votes and be good students of the
question, "What is in the best interest of our city?" We cannot be good representatives when narrowly focused on per-
sonal agendas.
Get to Know Pat
■ Pat, the oldest of five siblings, was
born in Graceville, Minnesota and raised in
Mound. "We were so poor we didn't have
two nickels to rub together," remembers Pat.
Family was all important to the Geagans. At
age 15 Pat assumed serious family
responsibilities due to the untimely death of
his father.
IN "The paper route was my first job,"
said Pat. "I started the route when I was
10 and had the route for three years. It
helped me buy school clothes and other
basic things that were needed."
■ Pat's career in law enforcement
began in Eagan, Minnesota in 1969. At that
time, Eagan had 13 police officers and a
population of 8,000. Pat worked in the
evening patrolling near the Cedar River Bridge
for teen parties.
■ When Pat was sworn in as Chief of
Police and Eagan had grown to a population of
45,000. When Pat retired ten years later,
Eagan's population was 65,000, with a 100-
person police department and more than 60
sworn officers.
• Pat attended the two management
training programs at the FBI Academy in
Washington, D.C. After one program
the certificate was presented by the
director of the FBI, Louis Freeh.
• After 5 years on the board of the
Minnesota Association of Police Chiefs, Pat
served as president.
• Pictured in his first uniform as a
proud boy scout at age 12, Pat remains
involved in scouting today as Chair of the
Black Dog District of the Boy Scouts of
America. His wife, Sue, wasn't the first to
note that he always looked good in uniform!
• Continuing his attraction to wearing a
uniform, Pat started a three -and -a -half year
military career by starting his training as a
medic at an army base in Greenville,
Mississippi.
■ Pat and Sue Geagan have been
married for 27 years and have five children
and six grand children. Together they enjoy
golf, Twins baseball and camping with
their grandchildren.
• For the past 2 years Pat has applied
his investigative skills as a senior
investigator. He works for
Heartland Business Intelligence,
a Minneapolis based
investigation business.
■ Pat recently had the
honor of throwing out the first
ball at an August Eagan Family
night at the Twins attended by
500 Eagan baseball fans.
When to Vote?
You can IegaHv vote for Pat twice
September 10- Primary Election 7:oo a.m. to 8:00 mm.
The primary election allows voters to reduce the number of candidates
vying for each open seat. There is no party affiliation in the mayor or city
council races. Currently four Eagan citizens are interested in being our city's
mayor. Vote Geagan.
November 5- General Election 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The November general election is when we make our selection for
mayor, city council and a number of state and national offices. With a record
number of positions on the ballot in November, don't overlook our local
elections. The mayor and city council members make decisions about your
street, your neighborhood and your community. Vote Geagan.
Where to note?
Geagan
Geagan
Information from the City of Eagan's Internet page, www.cityofeagan.com. For more details in the location of your polling location based on your address go to
the Secretary of States office's on the Internet at www.sos.state.mn.us.
Precinct ---location-- Address Precinct ---Location— Address
1. Pilot Knob Elementary — 1436 Lone Oak Road
2. Oak Hills Church * — 1570 Yankee Doodle Road
3. Trinity Lone Oak Lutheran Church —
2950 Highway 55
4. Cedar Elementary School —
2140 Diffley Road
5. Mount Calvary Lutheran Church —
3930 Rahn Road
6. Deerwood Elementary * —
1480 Deerwood Drive
7. Eagan Fire Administration
Building —
3795 Pilot Knob Road
8. Eagan Municipal Center —
Council Chambers —
3830 Pilot Knob Road
9. Woodland School —
945 Wescott Road
10. St. John Neumann Church
4030 Pilot Knob Road
11. Northview Elementary School — 965 Diffley Road
12. Living Word Lutheran Church* — 4300 Nicols Road
Nbndota Height 13. Rahn Elementary School —
4424 Sandstone Drive
14. Christ Lutheran Church —
1930 Diffley Road
15. Thomas Lake Elementary-
4350 Thomas Lake Road
16. Easter Lutheran Church —
4200 Pilot Knob Road
17. St. Thomas Becket Church
4455 South Robert Trail
18. Fire Station No. 5 —
4701 Galaxie Avenue
19. Chapel Hill Church —
4888 Pilot Knob Road
20. Red Pine Elementary —
530 Red Pine Lane
21. Pinewood Elementary —
4300 Dodd Road
* Indicates a polling location
change
Taik to Pat-- 651-452-1215 or send an e-mail
pat@9eaganformayor.com
Prepared and paid for by Geagan for Mayor, Paul Jaeb, treasurer, 3440 Federal Drive, Suite 130, Eagan, MN 55122