Mr. Zimmerman argues that it would not be possible combine the Park Police
and City Police because teams need to be formed to address park events. The
City police are assigned to special events all the time (Aquatennial, Aids
Walk, etc). If the current police structure can handle this working with
other organizations, I am unclear why park events would be any different.
I would argue that the assumption should be that the local units of
government in this city can work together effectively to meet the needs of
citizens.
Carol Becker
Longfellow
Original Message -----
From: Dean Zimmermann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: wizardmarks <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Barbara Nelson
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: Carol Becker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Minneapolis Issues <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2001 12:41 AM
Subject: RE: Strib not Covering Park Board FT was [Mpls] Full time Park
Board
> Barbara:
>
> In fact, the Park Board and Public Works did come to an agreement last
year
> or the year before whereby Public Works does maintenance on Parkways and
the
> Park Board does maintenance on certain green spaces owned by Public Works.
> Also, the few sewers that are below parkways are now maintained by Public
> Works. There are a few other details to the agreement. However, the
Park
> Board has absolutely no intention of giving up its police. In our
> management system, teams are formed from various departments. So, for
> instance, when putting together an event like the 4th of July celebration
in
> Powderhorn Park, a team will be assembled including people from
Recreation,
> Maintenance, Permits, and Police. Such team work would just not be
possible
> if the PB had to work with police that were not under its control. While
it
> may appear to a casual observer that there is duplication by having two
> police departments, in fact the two departments play significantly
different
> roles.
>
> Dean Zimmermann
> Commissioner District 3
> Mpls Park and Recreation Board
>
> Candidate for Mpls City Council, Ward 6
> 612-722-8768
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of
> wizardmarks
> Sent: Sunday, April 29, 2001 1:40 PM
> To: Barbara Nelson
> Cc: Carol Becker; Minneapolis Issues
> Subject: Re: Strib not Covering Park Board FT was [Mpls] Full time Park
> Board
>
>
>
>
> Barbara Nelson wrote:
>
> > I'd like to question Carol Becker's assumption that Minneapolitan's
don't
> know
> > that there is a Park Board (another government as so many have put it)
> > operating.
> > They are supposed to be the Fourth Estate.
>
> Estate is the operative word here, what does it conger up?
>
> > The reason we buy newspapers is for NEWS
> > (and the comics and Ann Landers)
>
> AND Ms. Manners, she cracks me up!
>
> Carol Becker's assertion that there are duplicative services is the real
> issue. Is
> it possible to combine the duplicative efforts without removing the Park
> Board? For
> example, can payroll be handled by the city payroll office?
> I'd hesitate about the police because the city police department is almost
> always
> operating from a shortage of staff power, so were they to staff the parks,
> would
> officers be pulled out of the parks for street duty?
>
> Could public works take over the roadways and not cause a dysfunction in
> getting the
> work done?
> Annie, Dean, got any thoughts on this one?
> WizardMarks, Central
>
> >
> >
> > Barbara Nelson
> > Seward
> >
> > >
> > > I also would argue that many people in Minneapolis (the vast number of
> > > people who don't do things like post to public policy lists) don't
> > > understand that there is a second city government (the Park Board)
> making
> > > policy on streets, police, garbage, etc. Accountability for the Park
> Board
> > > is difficult when no one knows that the Park Board exists.
> Accountability
> > > may actually increase if the City Council took over some of the Park's
> > > functions because visibility of those actions would increase. I think
> that
> > > the Star Tribune's decision to not spend a lot of time covering the
Park
> > > Board speaks volumes to this part of the question.
> > >
> > > Carol Becker
> > > Longfellow
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Minneapolis Issues Forum - Minnesota E-Democracy
> > Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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> > http://e-democracy.org/mpls
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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