HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Minutes 10-14-1998 SpecialADOPTED MINUTES
SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING
OCTOBER 14,1998
A special meeting of the Plymouth City Council was called to order by Mayor Tierney at 7:00
PM in the Public Safety Training Room, 3400 Plymouth Blvd., on October 14, 1998. This
special meeting was called by the City Council to meet with officials from human services
agencies serving Plymouth.
COUNCIL PRESENT: Mayor Tierney; Councilmembers Black, Bildsoe, and Johnson.
ABSENT: Councilmembers Wold, Preus, and Spigner. Councilmember Bildsoe was absent
between 7:55 PM and 8:10 PM.
STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Johnson, Assistant Manager Lueckert, Housing Supervisor Ed
Goldsmith, and Deputy City Clerk Hoffman.
Others: Scott Harstad and Henry Willegalle.
YMCA/Detached Worker Program
Chad Lanners, Community Programs Manager, explained the $5,000 request for the 1999
Plymouth allotment. He said the programs at the Northwest YMCA served 143 youths in
Plymouth in 1998. He said the figure does not include children from the Point Northwest
program, which the Y recently took over.
CONECT Collaborative
Kris Korsmo, Coordinator for the project, said it is requesting $15,000 from the City of
Plymouth for 1999, an increase from last year's City contribution of $7,725. She said the project
serves 425 units at present, and would like to double that figure in the coming year. She said the
project helped coordinate special neighborhood activities at Lakeview Commons during the
National Night Out, for which they received an award.
Teens Alone
Lydia Kihm, Executive Director, said that Teens Alone is requesting a $2,000 contribution from
the City of Plymouth. This is the same amount the program received in 1998, the fifth year of
participation by Plymouth. She said the program has been called upon by Plymouth Police, and
has been used as carrier for youths to The Bridge for Runaway Youth service. She said the
program also handles after -crisis care through formation of support groups. She said the program
would like to rent apartment units in the Teens Alone name, as a closer alternative to The Bridge.
Senior Community Services
Ben Withhart, Executive Director, said the program is asking for $12,500 for 1999, an increase
from $12,200 in 1998. He said occupational therapy and physical therapy services can be
provided upon request. He said the program has 52 contracted services regionally. He said their
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Special Council Meeting
October 14, 1998
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services often amount to communities helping other communities. He said the program does not
offer emergency services. He said there are plans to serve congregate dining in the proposed
activity center.
Councilmember Bildsoe left the meeting at 7:55 PM.
West Suburban Mediation Center
Sue Nelson, Executive Director, said the Center is requesting from Plymouth $4,000 for 1999,
the same amount as it received in 1998. She said 10 cases were closed in 1997, the most recent
figures available. She said within those cases, 27 Plymouth residents were involved. She said
Plymouth representatives on the board are sometimes called upon to actively participate in the
center's work. She said she works with part of the training program, but also depends upon
outside trainers.
Councilmember Bildsoe returned to the meeting at 8:10 PM.
Employment Action Center
Beth Hassel and Vetnita Anderson said the center is asking for $5,000 from the City of
Plymouth, an increase from the $3,000 in 1998. Ms. Hassel said the center has its own computer
database with 3,000 companies for placement. She said the placement process usually involves at
least one counseling session, and often results in referring a person to other services. She said the
closest office site is in St. Louis Park, although the Center can be reached through Interfaith
Outreach, through PRISM, and through CONECT. TRAILS program is a St. Louis Park and
Plymouth -based operation.
Community Action for Suburban Hennepin
Sharon Johnson, explained that the program offers classes for pre -qualifying for first-time
homeowners; education in mortgage applications; counseling for housing rehabilitation projects,
and foreclosure prevention. She said about 600 Plymouth residents are reached each year.
Supervisor Goldsmith said on the November 4 regular Council meeting agenda, staff is
recommending that $10,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds be allocated to the
CASH program. Ms. Johnson said the program does not duplicate Section 8 services, but offers
counseling for renters and landlords to work out housing disputes.
Home Free
Nita Quinn, Development Director of Home Free, said the project is requesting $32,945 for
1999, the same amount contributed by the City in 1998.
Women's Outreach Program
Terry Bateman, Director of the women's outreach program at Vision of Glory, said the program
is asking for $4,000 from the City of Plymouth for 1999. Councilmember Johnson said that even
though no funding from the City is being recommended, this program links with other programs,
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by holding the hand of participants at times when other programs do not cover with guidance or
assistance. She said she advocated a study of future support of such programs.
Communities in Collaboration
Barbara Carlson said the organization is requesting $2,710 in support from the City in 1999. She
said in the past the organization has received a state grant, which will be discontinued. Jim
Brandl, fiscal agent for the group through Wayzata School District 284, said there is a
community -wide effort to gain financial support for the project. He said corporate grants are also
being sought. He said the school district itself does not provide funding for the group, but
provides in-kind contributions and acts as a fiscal agent.
Interfaith Outreach
LaDonna Hoy, Executive Director, came before the Council with a request for $20,000 for the
program.
Family Hope Services
Fred Peterson, Executive Director of Family Hope Services, presented the organization's request
for $3,000.
PRISM
Liz Johnson, Executive Director, outlined the organization's request for $7,000 for 1999.
Assistant Manager Lueckert stated that she had placed a higher level of funding for PRISM in the
previous year's budget, because PRISM represents the eastern portion of the city, and went
through a period of organizational disarray in 1998. Councilmember Johnson said she would
advocate an increase in the amount contributed by the City, to balance the amount contributed to
Interfaith Outreach, and programs based in the western part of the city.
Councilmembers reviewed the funding proposed for the human services agencies.
Councilmember Bildsoe requested a discussion about funding for the Plymouth Civic League.
Manager Johnson said the group will not receive funding without a review by the City Council.
Councilmember Johnson said she supported an increase in contributions for PRISM. She said she
also believes funding for the Women's Outreach Program could be justified since the Home Free
Shelters program is also a Christian -based program. Councilmember Black said the Women's
Outreach Program is sponsored by a single congregation, rather than a multi -denominational
group.
Councilmember Bildsoe stated that if City financial support is opened up to all human service
groups, the work done through the money would be diluted.
Councilmember Johnson recommended changing the practice of not supporting a single
congregational group such as the Women's Outreach Program, and then rotate City funding
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groups. She said at present City policy dictates that the City should not become an automatic
multi-year funding source for groups. She said there is a need to support a group like the
Women's Outreach Program. She said if any group comes into existence to fill a gap in services,
they should be supported.
Mayor Tierney recommended efforts to persuade the Women's Outreach Program to involve
other churches, in order to spread the base of the organization.
Councilmembers discussed the idea of a review of the City's human service organization funding
policy, to study who provides more effectively services in Plymouth.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:44 PM.