I cannot attend tonight's City Council meeting that seeks public input on 2002 budget matters. I offer the following input and suggestions to all CC members, and the public via this list, concerning the city's community development agenda:
First, I recommend that NRP be fully funded over an extended period of time in order to reduce yearly cash flow requirements by approximately 30-35 percent. Place increased emphasis on affordable housing and mixed-use development initiatives along transit corridors in all Phase II work plans. Secondly, I recommend that no HRA levy be approved for MCDA. I suggest that MCDA and City Planning activities be much better coordinated/merged and that administrative overhead be greatly reduced between them. In addition, I feel that MCDA's commercial/residential property inventory should be dramatically liquidated over the next three-four years in an effort to foster private development and bolster programmatic and operating revenues. Further, MCDA's mission and goals should be revisited and reprioritized in an effort to 1)reduce unnecessary loan and grant making programs (given current market interest rates), 2)reduce or eliminate MCDA discretionary programs other than those dealing with affordable housing, mixed-use and transist-oriented programs, and 3)establish a 'near-defacto' moratorium on large subsidies for private downtown development, beyond those already planned and committed to, over a 5-10 year period. Maintain the affordable housing component (per city policy) in all housing developments that receive city subsidies, citywide, without exception. City Planning should lead the effort to reduce red-tape associated with mixed-use redevelopment throughout Minneapolis. Third, establish and maintain effective work-out strategies for current account deficits including internal services, public works and public safety, which currently exceed $100 million in the aggregate. Work closely with state legislators and county/neighbor-city officials to achieve support for sound public policy development initiatives in Mpls. Thank you. Michael Hohmann 13th Ward www.mahohmannbizplans.com Also sent electronically to all City Council members, Ms. O'Brien, and R.T. Rybak under separate cover. Please forward as appropriate. This list places limits on #'s of allowable addressees. _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
