Regarding Barbara's suggestion "to see what list members think should be the city's priorities in the upcoming year, in the form of New Years Resolutions, maybe one for the City and one for the Parks,"
Here's my short list of recommendations (not too short a list, however)- several for the City, Library Board and Park Board, all aimed at city elected officials, department heads and voters: City: 1)Limit the scale of involvement in downtown TIF projects... focus efforts to leverage private development in areas near new Central Library and toward the river. Explore limited TIF involvement and leverage with private development in the neighborhoods. Reduce/eliminate 'social service-oriented' programs funded by various city agencies, MCDA, etc., that are better addressed by the County and the private sector. 2)Establish and maintain workout plans to reduce/balance current deficits in areas of Public Works infrastructure gap, internal services and public safety within a reasonable period of time. This will necessitate REDUCED spending on added new projects over the next decade and beyond... a 'bite-the-bullet' approach aimed at improved fiscal responsibility in City Hall. 3)Require that any multi-family housing projects receiving city funds incorporate an 'affordable' component without exception, including the units planned as part of the Central Library project; reduce red-tape associated with getting affordable housing on the street and operational, and 4)Solicit bids on the City trash hauling contract-- for both the current MRI portion and for the entire city- an all-inclusive look at collection, tipping fees, customer billing, overhead, etc. Make final decision based on better information and sound economics. Total costs are currently projected at $25 million-plus, annually, over the next few years (more than a quarter billion dollars over the next decade-- a 10-20% savings would be some REAL money!). Library: 1)Build new Central Library on North Block; incorporate underground/above ground parking on-site (North and/or South blocks); leverage private development on adjacent lot east of current library with joint parking/skyway connections (TIF); include 'affordable' housing component in proposed 200+ unit development planned as part of new library project (TIF). 2)Identify operational/programmatic needs and establish operational funding goals for all new and expanded city library facilities (referendum projects); make library foundation operational, seek increased levels of outside grant funds on a regular basis, and coordinate with Friends of MPL, to maintain requisite operational funding levels, while reducing operational costs through ongoing process efficiency improvements, design innovation, etc. 3)Increase program coordination, management and cost sharing with the Hennepin County Library system. 4)Work more closely with MPS to get students and their families using the public libraries on a regular basis to help improve educational outcomes while providing added lifelong learning resources/opportunities to the educational mix. Explore joint funding (capital and operating) possibilities that leverage positive outcomes through reduced overall public spending. Parks: 1)Maintain existing park lands and infrastructure via both operating and capital budgets. Expanding real estate holdings does not make sense when current property is ill maintained and programmatic funding is questionable. 2)Consolidate funding and make the Park Board totally responsible for all capital and operating revenues/expenses through their own authority. Make all MPRB actions more transparent to the voting public. Without question, Mayor-elect Rybak's appointment of John Moir as City Coordinator should help focus municipal attention on many of the above issues. An excellent choice, R.T.! Michael Hohmann 13th www.mahohmannbizplans.com > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of > Barbara L. Nelson > Sent: Friday, December 28, 2001 11:32 AM > To: Minneapolis Issues > Subject: [Mpls] New Year's Resolutions > > > I'd like to see what list members think should be the city's priorities > in the upcoming year, in the form of New Years Resolutions, maybe one > for the City and one for the Parks. > > Here are mine: > City: > I resolve to stick to a healthy diet of development projects. I will > only take sensible portions in TIF projects -- no more bingeing on > corporations. > > Parks: > I'll work to ban phosphorous fertilizers in the City, and to institute a > region-wide ban. > > What do the rest of you think should be front and center? > > Barbara Nelson > Burnsville > formerly Seward > snip _______________________________________ 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
