Metro briefs: Dakota County sheriff-elect chooses chief deputy

Dakota County Sheriff-Elect Joe Leko has picked Capt. Dan Bianconi to serve as chief deputy starting Jan. 2.

Bianconi, who has a master's degree in criminal justice leadership from Concordia University, joined the sheriff's office as a deputy in 2001. In 2009, he was promoted to the sergeant rank and spent time in patrol, investigations and as commander of the county's Drug Task Force. In 2014, he was promoted to captain and given assignments in patrol, investigations, detention services and administration.

In a statement, Leko said Bianconi had been "instrumental in the development of our personnel and operations" and that he has the "utmost confidence" in Bianconi's abilities.

Leko was elected sheriff in November, replacing Sheriff Tim Leslie, who had held the position since 2015.

Erin Adler

Bayport City Administrator Adam Bell will join the city of Crystal on Jan. 17, filling the opening created when Anne Norris retired after 22 years in the city manager role.

Bell has served as Bayport city administrator for the past six years. Before that, he worked as assistant city administrator and clerk in Lake Elmo and as a department supervisor in the Denton County Clerk's Office in Texas. He will earn $170,000 annually in Crystal.

Bell holds a bachelor's degree in history from Gustavus Adolphus College and earned a juris doctor degree from the University of St. Thomas School of Law.

Tim Harlow

Scott County is moving forward with building camper cabins in Cedar Lake Farm Regional Park, using funds from the federal American Rescue Plan.

The county on Dec. 8 approved entering into a contract with two high schools to build the cabins and allotted up to $600,000 to buy building materials. Students from Jordan and Shakopee high schools will each build two cabins, said Scott County Commissioner Barb Weckman Brekke. That includes wiring for electricity, with some supervision.

"Both teachers [involved] indicated that the students will do all of it," she said.

The cabins are modest — they have just one room, like many state park cabins — and don't have running water; the County Board also approved building a restroom structure nearby.

Three Rivers Park District, a county partner, will handle booking, Brekke said.

The county is still figuring out the best way for visitors to access the cabins, she said, and whether that will include a new entrance.

Erin Adler

Excelsior residents will celebrate the restoration of the arbor at the intersection of Water and Oak streets with a lighting ceremony at 5 p.m. on Monday.

The arbor honors Dr. Hugh Custer Arey, who worked as a physician in Excelsior from 1904 until his death in 1934. A flagpole was erected soon after Arey's death, and the city added the wooden arbor in 1991.

After more than 30 years, the arbor was in rough shape, and this spring the Excelsior City Council considered tearing it down. Instead, a group of Excelsior residents pushed to restore the arbor. Bolles Construction, owned by Excelsior residents Bob and Diane Bolles, provided the materials and labor to repair the arbor this fall.

Josie Albertson-Grove