RE: [TCMetro] Merger of Minneapolis and Hennepin County Services

[Ann Treacy]

It probably makes a lot of sense to merge some departments – although that’s easier for me to say when we’re talking about potentially reducing services west of the river. :-)   It appears as if the Hennepin County Library system is wary of merging with the Minneapolis Library System just as Minneapolis is hoping to start on a brand new downtown library. I can’t say that I blame them there. Does anyone have any news about what is happening with the downtown library? Are they seeing any traffic in the new temporary location? Is anyone on this list using it? I used to use the downtown library a lot – but I’m just no longer in that area. I visited the temporary location just as it was opening but I don’t think I got a good picture of what it must be like now.    Ann   -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Josh Kroll Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 9:08 PM To: TC Metro Subject: [TCMetro] Merger of Minneapolis and Hennepin County Services   Since I mentioned the idea of a regional library the other day.  I thought this was an interesting article (beginning included) on merger talks between Minneapolis and Hennepin.   http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/3797778.html   Minneapolis, Hennepin merger talks heat up Rochelle Olson Star Tribune Published 04/02/2003 As Minneapolis approved laying off nearly 200 workers and Hennepin County trimmed $27 million from this year's budget, talks aimed at merging services such as public health and public works also gathered steam. Mayor R.T. Rybak and County Board Chairman Mike Opat scheduled a news conference at 11 a.m. today to announce their hopes that some departments could be consolidated by year's end. Potential mergers have been on the minds of city and county officials for at least a year and were propelled by recent city and county budget cuts. City Council Ways and Means Chairwoman Barbara Johnson and Council Public Works Chairwoman Sandy Colvin Roy talked mergers with Opat late last week in what Johnson called an attempt to "oomph it up." Opat was receptive. "It's clearly time we accelerate our talks and see some results by the end of the year," Opat said Tuesday. "It's not necessarily going to be easy because some of these things are complicated by federal rules and state law. It may take some time." Today's announcement follows by a day the City Council's cutting of 378..................   So does anyone have thoughts of combining the services that these two government entities provide?   Josh Kroll