HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Information Memorandum 06-13-2003179)
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JUNE 139 2003
�I�COM�ING M.EE�T7NGS AND�EYE�NTS
Planning Commission June 18 meeting agenda............................................................................... Page 3
Housing & Redevelopment Authority (HRA) June 19 meeting agenda .......................................... Page 4
Official Meeting Calendars for June, July, and August 2003........................................................... Page 5
Tentative list of agenda items for future City Council meetings ..................................................... Page 11
NERSARTICLES, RELEASES, PUBLICATIONS, ETC.
Hennepin County School Success/Attendance Project Status Report ............................................ Page 12
Metropolitan Council information sheet......................................................................................... Page 36
State Auditor's notice of the repeal of the legal costs survey requirement
forlocal governments..................................................................................................................... Page 39
STAFF REPORTS
Traffic Control Plan for Closure of Cheshire Lane in the Reserve ................................................ Page 40
Report from Commercial Property Appraiser Earl Zent on the Rainbow Foods Store
in Plymouth Station (Hwy. 55 & Co. Rd. 24)................................................................................ Page 41
CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONS POLICY—CORRESPONDENCE
Letter to Tim Borg from Public Works Director Dan Faulkner responding
to questions about the "Wave, Wait, and Walk" Program; a copy of the original
letteris attached.............................................................................................................................. Page 42
E—mail communiqu6 from Park & Recreation Director Eric Blank to Larry Kelner
responding to questions about the Plymouth Weed Ordinance; Mr. Kelner's original
communiqu6is included................................................................................................................. Page 44
Summary of 2003 correspondence tracking................................................................................... Page 45
CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION MEMO
June 13, 2003
Page 2
CORRESPONDENCE
Thank—you letter from Northwest YMCA Program Manager Karen Trondson
for the City's continued support of the Detach Worker Program ................................................... Page 46
Minnehaha Creek Watershed District letter to Mooney Lake area residents
with an update on high water levels............................................................................................... Page 47
Letter from City Attorney Roger Knutson with an update on relocation assistance for
former Co. Rd. 101 residents......................................................................................................... Page 49
PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2003
WHERE: CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS
Plymouth City Hall
3400 Plymouth Boulevard
Plymouth, MN 55447
CONSENT AGENDA
All items listed on the consent agenda* are considered to be routine by the Planning Commission
and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a
Commissioner, citizen or petitioner so requests, in which event the item will be removed from
the consent agenda and considered in normal sequence on the agenda.
1. CALL TO ORDER - 7:00 P.M.
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
3. PUBLIC FORUM
4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
6. CONSENT AGENDA*
7. PUBLIC HEARINGS
A. DaVern, Inc. Preliminary plat, final plat, interim use permit, conditional use permit,
site plan and variances for "Annapolis Town Office Park", a 16 -unit office
development to be located on the southeast corner of 34th Avenue North and
Annapolis Lane North. (2003026) (Continued from the May 21, 2003 Planning
Commission Meeting.)
B. Brandt Engineering & Surveying. Comprehensive plan amendment to add roughly
81 acres at the northeast corner of Peony Lane and Schmidt lake Road to the
Metropolitan Urban Service Area, rezoning of this property from FRD (Future
Restricted Development) to RMF -2 (Multiple Family), and a sketch plan for 75 lots
for single family homes. (2003043)
C. Quail Ridge Homeowners Association. Conditional use permit to place an area
identification sign in the public right-of-way located at 41St Avenue North and Old
Rockford Road. (2003055)
8. NEW BUSINESS
9. ADJOURNMENT
3
AGENDA
PLYMOUTH HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2003 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: Medicine Lake Room
City of Plymouth
3400 Plymouth Boulevard
Plymouth, MN 55447
CONSENT AGENDA
All items listed with an asterisk (*) are considered to be routine by the Housing and
Redevelopment Authority and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion
of these items unless a Commissioner, citizen or petitioner so requests, in which event the item will
be removed from the consent agenda and considered in normal sequence on the agenda.
1. CALL TO ORDER - 7:00 P.M.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
3. CONSENT AGENDA*
A. Plymouth Towne Square. Accept Monthly Housing Reports
B. T.R.A.I.L.S. Approve the T.R.A.I.L.S. Family Self -Sufficiency Program budget and
extension of the Program Agreement.
4. NEW BUSINESS
A. Plymouth Towne Square. Solicitation Policy.
B. Strategic Plan Item 1C — Increase First Time Homebuyer Resources.
C. Strategic Plan Update and Progress Report.
5. ADJOURNMENT
OFFICIAL CITY MEETINGS
June 2003
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8:00 AM TOUR
7:00 PM
7:00 PM HUMAN
OF ZACHARY
WATER
TREATMENT
PLANNING
COMMISSION,
Council Chambers
RIGHTS
COMMISSION -
Council Chambers
PLANT, 4425
Zachary Lane
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
7:30 PM YOUTH
ADVISORY
COUNCIL, Council
Chambers
5:30 PM SPECIAL
COUNCIL
MEETING:DISCUSS
IVESIJONQUIL LANE
DRAINAGE ISSUES,
Public Safety Training
Room
7:00 PM
EVIRONMENTAL
QUALITY
COMMITTEE
(EQC), Plymouth
Creek Center
7:00 PM PARK &
REC ADVISORY
COMMISSION
(PRAC), Council
Chambers
Flag Day
7:00 PM REGULAR
COUNCIL MEETING,
Council Chambers
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
7:00 PM
PLANNING
COMMISSION,
Council Chambers
6:00 PM -8:30 PM FIRE
DEPARTMENT FAMILY
NIGHT, Fire Station III,
3300 Dunkirk Lane
7:00 PM HOUSING 8
REDEVELOPMENT
AUTHORITY (HRA),
Medicine Lake Room
7:00 PM SPECIAL
COUNCIL MEETING:
DISCUSS BASSETT
CREEK WATER
MANAGEMENT
ORGANIZATION; CO.
RD. 73 & POSSIBLE
TRANSIT GRANT,
Council Chambers
Cloud Civic Center
LEAGUE OF MINNESOTA
CITIES ANNUAL
CONFERENCE, St.
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
7:30 PM YOUTH
ADVISORY
COUNCIL, Council
Chambers
5:30 PM SPECIAL
COUNCIL MEETING:
MEET WITH MET
COUNCIL REP;
DISCUSS 2002
AUDITED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS, Public
Safety Training Room
7:00 PM
PLYMOUTH
ADVISORY
COMMITTEE ON
TRANSIT (PACT) -
Medicine Lake
Room
9:15 AM MUSIC
IN PLYMOUTH
5k RUN
7:00 PM REGULAR
COUNCIL MEETING,
Council Chambers
29
2:00 PM -4.00 PM
MILLENNIUM GARDEN
RIBBON -CUTTING
CEREMONY, Plymouth
Creek center
30
Jul 2003
S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 $
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May 2003
S M T W T F S
1 2 3
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modified on 6/13/2003
i
S
OFFICIAL CITY MEETINGS
AN 2003
Sunday I Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
2
5:15 PM MUSIC
IN PLYMOUTH,
Hilde
3
4
INDEPENDENCE
DAY - City
Offices Closed
5
Jun 2003
S N1 T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Performance
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Center
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
7:00 PM
REGULAR
COUNCIL
MEETING, Council
Chambers
700 PM
EVIRONMENTAL
QUALITY
COMMITTEE
Plymouth Crreekeek
Center
7:00 PM PARK &
REC ADVISORY
C
�PRAC)OMMISSION
, Council
Chambers
7:00 PM PLANNING
COMMISSION,
Council Chambers
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
7:30 PM YOUTH
ADVISORY
COUNCIL, Council
Chambers
7:00 PM HOUSING &
REDEVELOPMENT
AUTHORITY (HRA),
Medicine Lake Room
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
11:45 AM
PLYMOUTH-MTKA
BUSINESS COUNCIL,
BORN Conference Room,
7:00 PM PLANNING
COMMISSION, Council
Chambefs
'
301
Carlson Parkway, 4th Boor
7:00 PM REGULAR
COUNCIL MEETING,
Council Chambers
7:00 PM PLYMOUTH
ADVISORY
COMMITTEE ON
TRANSIT (PACT) -
Medicine Lake Room
27
28
29
30
31
Aug 2003
S M T W T F S
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
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modified on 6/13/2003
OFFICIAL CITY MEETINGS
August 2003
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sep 2003
S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30
1
2
Jul 2003
S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30 31
3
4
5
5:30 PM
NATIONAL NIGHT
OUT
6
7:00 PM
PLANNING
COMMISSION,
Council Chambers
7
8
9
10
11
7:30 PM YOUTH
ADVISORY
COUNCIL, Council
Chambers
12
7:00 PM
REGULAR
COUNCIL
MEETING, Council
Chambers
13
7:00 PM
EVIRONMENTAL
QUALITY
COMMITTEE
(EQC), Plymouth
Creek Center
14
7:00 PM HUMAN
RIGHTS COMMISSION,
Medicine Lake Room
7:00 PM PARK & REG
ADVISORY
COMMISSION (PRAC),
Council Chambers
15
16
17
18
19
20
700 PM
PLANNING
COMMISSION,
Council Chambers
21
7:00 PM HOUSING &
REDEVELOPMENT
AUTHORITY (HRA),
Medicine Lake Room
22
23
24
25
26
7:00 PM
REGULAR
COUNCIL
MEETING, Council
Chambers
27
7:00 PM
PLYMOUTH
ADVISORY
COMMITTEE ON
TRANSIT (PACT) -
Medicine Lake
Room
28
29
30
31
modified on 6/13/2003
1
Tentative Schedule for
City Council Agenda Items
June 16 Special, 7:00 p.m., Council Chambers
• Bassett Creek Water Management Organization
• County Road 73 Area and Possible Transit Grant
June 24 Special, 5:30 p.m., Public Safety Training Room
• Meet with Met Council representative
• Discuss 2002 Audited Financial Statements
June 24 Regular, 7:00 p.m., Council Chambers
• Recognize City Programs cited for excellence at the League of Minnesota Cities
Annual Conference
• Hearing on Tobacco Compliance Violation for Smokies 2000, 17405 County Road
6, Suite 100
• Approve change of ownership for Smokies 2000, 17405 County Road 6, Suite 100
• Hearing on applications for off—sale 3.2 malt liquor licenses for RBF Corp. of
Wisconsin for Rainbow Food Stores at 4190 Vinewood Lane and at 10200 6`, Ave.
N.
• Approve tobacco license for RBF Corp. of Wisconsin for Rainbow Food Store at
16705 Co. Rd. 24
• Consider request for third ice sheet
• Presentation on I-494 Corridor Commission work
• Accept 2002 Audited Financial Statements
• Vacation of Perpetual Scenic Easements in Lot 1, Block 5, Plymouth Plaza 4th
Addition, Lot 1, Block 1 Plymouth Plaza Addition and Lots 1, 2 and 3 Block 5
Plymouth Plaza 2nd Addition and a portion of Vacated County Road 9
• Approve amendment to the approved variance for property located at 4115
Forestview Lane North. Michael Stiegler & Sonja Savre. (2002139)
• Approve preliminary plat to divide the existing parcel into two lots for property
located at 17335 County Road 24 and a variance for lot width. Mary Maki.
(2003045)
• Approve conditional use permit for an attached garage that would exceed 1,000
square feet for property located at 700 Shadyview Lane North. Pillar Homes.
(2003049)
• Announcement of Millennium Garden dedication
July 8 Regular, 7:00 p.m., Council Chambers
• Request for Comprehensive Plan Amendment, Rezoning, and Sketch Plan for
proposed development at Schmidt Lake Road and Peony Lane
• Hearing on application for off—sale 3.2 malt liquor license for RBF Corp. of
Wisconsin for Rainbow Food Store at 16705 Co. Rd. 24
• Approve reclassification of Vicksburg Lane
July 22 Regular, 7:00 p.m., Council Chambers
Note: Special Meeting topics have been set by Council; all other topics are tentative.
Hennepin County Administration
Sandra L. Vargas, County Administrator 612-348-7574
A-2303 Government Center FAX:612-348-8228
300 South Sixth Street TDD: 612-348-7367
Minneapolis, MN 55487-0233 www.co.hennepin.mn.us
June 2, 2003
RE: School Success/Attendance Project
Dear Mayor:
Attached is the status report of the Hennepin County School Success/Attendance Project for
September 2001 through February 2003. A significant amount of ground work was done to
establish connections among all of the countywide stakeholders working in the important area
of improving school attendance to allow students the opportunity to achieve school success.
An executive summary of the report with key points highlighted is also attached
New challenges have emerged with the budget reductions within the schools as well as among
other partners, including Hennepin County. While there will need to be a re-examination of the
most effective strategies for reducing truancy and educational neglect, the work that has been
done is a good foundation for moving forward at this time. The partners involved with the
School Success Project are committed to a thoughtful retooling of our work together in order to
continue to strive for positive results for children in Hennepin County.
Sincerely,
4Sanra. Vargas
pn County Adin' trator
An Equal Opportunity Employer
Nancy Scha f
School Success Project Manag
Recycled Paper
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
SCHOOL SUCCESS REPORT
SEPTEMBER 2001 -FEBRUARY 2003
In January 2001, the Hennepin County Board adopted the findings of the Truancy
Working Group's report, Recommendations for Improving Truancy Intervention in
Hennepin County. The three priority strategies adopted by the County Board for
improving school attendance and truancy enforcement encompassed: Measurements,
Early Response, and Consequences.
In June 2001, representatives from a majority of Hennepin County's 17 school districts
committed to working collaboratively to improve school attendance. An Action
Conference held in August 2001 brought together more than 100 community, county and
school district representatives to identify key strategies for improving school attendance.
Since the initial Action Conference, the School Success Project has focused its efforts to
implement the three County Board priority strategies by proceeding in the following
areas:
Countywide communication and partnership
Connecting the dots between county departments that provide support to
the School Success Project
Evaluation
1. Countywide Communication and Partnership
A. Web Site Development and Maintenance
www.hennplace.com/8choolsuccess
This site contains documentation about the activities of the School Success and
related projects. It also provides online access to educational neglect and truancy
report forms and offers information about the status of county referrals.
B. Countywide Action Conferences and Promising Practices Forums
In addition to the initial Action Conference in August 2001, additional
conferences and Promising Practices Forums were held in February 2002, June
2002, November 2002 and February 2003. Each conference drew more than 100
county, school and community participants.
C. Countywide Coordinating Team
A coordinating team made up of major stakeholders has met monthly to strategize
about the vision of the School Success Project and to discuss systems barriers. A
Memorandum of Understanding has been developed and accepted by the majority
of the school districts and other partners that outlines recommendations for
consistent attendance reporting standards.
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D. Executive Team Meeting
In August 2002, superintendents from school districts in Minneapolis, Hopkins,
Osseo, Brooklyn Center, Robbinsdale, Richfield, Eden Prairie and Intermediate
District 287 met with county and community leaders to reaffirm a commitment to
continuing collaborative efforts to improve school attendance.
E. Action Teams
Since the first Action Conference, representatives of the various systems have met
in Measurements, Early Intervention and Consequences Action Teams to discuss
prioritized strategies and to develop new plans when needed.
F. Publicity Campaign
A group of representatives from the various systems involved in the School
Success Project met and formulated a plan to test a publicity campaign at two
Hennepin County elementary schools: The two pilot schools were supplied with
promotional materials bearing the School Success slogan "In School. On Time.
Every Day!" In January 2003 schools were reporting a significant problem with
kindergarten attendance, therefore the publicity campaign was narrowed to focus
specific messages to the families of these students.
G. Special Projects with an Early Response Focus „a
Efforts have been made to explore strategies for promoting school attendance and
success in specific areas and communities. Discussions about supporting Latino
youth and families, addressing service gaps in northwest Hennepin County and
replicating the Culture of Learning project in a north Minneapolis neighborhood
led to the creation of specific action plans.
2. Connecting the Dots Between County Departments that Provide
Support to the School Success Proiect
A. Identifying and Tracking Resource Commitment
Strategy meetings with the County Attorney's Office, the Public Defender's
Office, Community Corrections, the Department of Children, Family and Adult
Services and the Juvenile Court led to improved communication between
departments, recommendations for greater efficiency and improved responses for
children. A map of the county's response to truancy and educational neglect was
developed and used during discussions about the resources available to students
with attendance problems.
B. Developing Consistency in Reporting Outcomes for Contracted and
Operated Efforts to Improve School Attendance.
Accurate attendance reporting has been hampered by inconsistent standards of
data collection. In an effort to address this problem, the Office of Planning and
Development has developed a Web -based software program (HenAttend) to track
individual and aggregate attendance data. A method for promoting better
communication among the contracted and operated services devoted to improving
attendance has also been developed.
C. Managing Data More Efficiently
Due to the number of interactions county agencies have with truant students,
many departments are engaged in duplicative efforts to collect information.
School Success Project representatives have discussed methods of improving the
efficiency of data collection. There is also interest in enhancing JNET to provide
accurate attendance information via the Internet to county staff and providers.
3. Evaluation: What Works to Keep Students in School?
A. Wilder Research Center
With the Wilder Research Center's assistance, School Success Project partners
developed a plan for evaluating truancy interventions in Hennepin County. The
Wilder Center is now working to complete a review of national research about
attendance best practices for the School Success Project.
B. SARB (Student Attendance Review Board) Evaluation
Staff from the Hennepin County Office of Planning and Development conducted
a comprehensive review of the implementation of SARBs in Hennepin County. A
SARB is a community/school-based effort designed to harness multiple resources
to help families and students with truancy problems. The SARB evaluation
included key findings and recommendations for the community, for the schools
and for the county. This evaluation was able to demonstrate that SARBs that are
carefully planned and implemented can be an effective intervention for many
students.
C. Contracted Youth Skills Agencies Effectiveness with Truants
School Success Project representatives studied the effectiveness of truancy
interventions provided by five of the agencies under contract with the county. As
a result of the study, it was determined that more complete data collection is
necessary in order to determine if these agencies are providing effective
intervention services.
D. Time-limited Department of Children, Family and Adult Services Truancy
Supervision Project
During the spring of 2002, concern arose about the increased number of truancy
referrals to Hennepin County and its capacity to provide services to these
students. In order to provide case management services to children in need of
social service support, the Department of Children, Family and Adult Services
reassigned staff. CFAS staff gathered information about the issues contributing to
the students' attendance problems and their service needs.
E. Survey of Schools Regarding Attendance Collection and Reporting
Procedures
Early discussions about evaluating attendance outcomes led to discussions about
discrepancies in the data available from school district to school district, as well
as between schools within the same district. The decision was made to survey
schools to get a better understanding of the data collection processes currently in
use, and to explore the possibilities for distributing attendance data to service
providers through an automated process.
Additional evaluation projects currently underway will add information about the
effectiveness of efforts to improve school attendance.
CONCLUSION
Many factors have influenced the success of collaborative efforts to improve school
attendance in Hennepin County, including significant budgetary changes. Another
emerging dynamic to consider is that the federal No Child Left Behind Act will be a
significant influence for school districts in addressing attendance and achievement. The
partnerships forged through the School Success Project will be important as decisions are
made about combining efforts and allocating limited resources.
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REPORT OF THE SCHOOL SUCCESS PROJECT
SEPTEMBER 2001 -FEBRUARY 2003
In June 2000, the Hennepin County Board directed the county administrator to create a
Truancy Working Group to generate key recommendations and strategies for improving
school attendance and truancy enforcement. The County Board adopted the goals and
recommendations of the working group's report, Recommendations for Improving
Truancy Intervention in Hennepin County, on Jan. 23, 2001.
Central to the School Success Project's efforts was language included in the
recommendations that made it a goal for students throughout Hennepin County to be in
school, in class and on time at least 95 percent of the time. The three priority strategies
adopted by the County Board for improving school attendance and truancy enforcement
encompassed: Measurements, Early Response, and Consequences.
In June 2001, superintendents from a majority of Hennepin County's 17 school districts
met and made a commitment to work together to improve school attendance.
In August 2001, more than 100 county, community and school district stakeholders
participated in a School Success Action Conference, organized by representatives of
county departments and the school districts. At the Action Conference, participants
identified key strategies to address school attendance issues including improving
attendance taking at the school level, supporting effective early intervention efforts and
ensuring that the county response to truancy and educational neglect referrals is timely.
Since the initial Action Conference, the School Success Project has focused its efforts to
implement the three priority strategies of Measurements, Early Response, and
Consequences by proceeding in the following areas:
Countywide communication and partnership
Connecting the dots between county departments that provide support to
the School Success Project
• Evaluation
1. Countywide communication and partnership
A. Web Site Development and Maintenance
www.hennplace.com/schoolsuccess
The School Success Web site created an opportunity to catalog and share
information about School Success and related projects. Anyone can use the site to
access information about recent forums or to learn about upcoming project
activities. The Web site also houses information from the County Attorney's
Office and Child Protection about educational neglect and truancy reporting
processes. At the site, schools have online access to the form used to submit a
truancy report to the County Attorney's Office and the form used to report a case
of educational neglect to Child Protection. Statistics about the number of cases
referred to these agencies and the disposition of the cases is also published.
During the month of January 2003, 4,548 hits were recorded on the site.
Next steps:
Distribute new business cards with the School Success Project's Web
address on them to promote use of the site
Encourage other stakeholders to take an active role in providing
additional information for and feedback about the Web site
B. Countywide Action Conferences and Promising Practices Forums
The initial School Success Action Conference in August 2001 was followed by
additional conferences in February and June 2002. Each of these conferences
drew more than 100 county, school and community participants who continued to
discuss school attendance issues and began the process of creating
recommendations.
As the 2002-2003 school year began, the focus of the Action Conferences shifted
to presenting information about promising practices. In November, two panels of
presenters discussed programs and intervention strategies producing positive
results for students. In February 2003, Promising Practices speakers addressed
mental health issues for students and alternatives to suspending students with
behavioral difficulties. The conferences continue to draw large numbers of
attendees from diverse backgrounds. Feedback from participants indicates an
ongoing interest in attending similar conferences.
Next steps:
Plan and facilitate a conference devoted to the development,
implementation and ongoing evaluation of the SARB (School
Attendance Review Board) process for those who have expressed an
interest in this topic (approximately 40 people)
Continue conversations on a countywide level with schools and
community participants as budgetary decisions impact the staffing and
programs available to students
C. Countywide Coordinating Team
Since the summer of 2001, a Coordinating Team -- including representatives from
several school districts, key county departments and The Alliance for Families
and Children in Hennepin County -- has met monthly to offer their ideas about the
vision of the School Success Project and to discuss strategies for solving systems
barriers. This Coordinating Team assisted in the organization of the Action
Conferences and contributed to evaluation planning.
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Next steps:
Continue monthly Coordinating Team meetings to discuss cross -
systems concerns
D. Executive Team Meeting
In August 2002, school superintendents, county policy makers and family service
collaborative coordinators attended an Executive. Team meeting and reaffirmed
their commitment to improving school attendance. Representatives from school
districts in Minneapolis, Hopkins, Osseo, Brooklyn Center, Robbinsdale,
Richfield, Eden Prairie and Intermediate District 287 attended the meeting and
recommended collaboration and coordination across systems in order to enhance
the effectiveness of efforts to support students and families.
Next steps:
• Convene another Executive Team Meeting in 2003 to discuss the
impact of budget changes on efforts to improve school attendance
E. Action Teams
Since the first Action Conference, Measurements, Early Intervention and
Consequences Action Teams have met to discuss prioritized strategies and to
develop new plans as the need arises. The Action Teams have made it possible
for representatives of the various systems to talk about their successes and
challenges in addressing school attendance concerns.
The Measurements Action Team proposed Standards of Attendance
Measurement that have been submitted to the major partners for agreement.
Most school districts have accepted these proposed standards.
The Early Intervention Action Team identified barriers that interfere with
progress towards the goal of 95 percent attendance for all students, shared
information about best practices and recommended new partnerships.
The Consequences Action Team proposed policies to improve the efficiency and
effectiveness of the system's response to truancy, including the realignment
of resources to support recommended changes. Cases have been heard in court
more quickly and schools have been more responsive to requests to provide more
information to the court partners.
The County Attorney's Office has fulfilled a commitment to file truancy petitions
within two days of receipt of the petition and referral from schools. The
Hennepin County Juvenile Court has scheduled the majority of initial truancy
arraignment hearings within 3-4 weeks of the filing of petitions. The Juvenile
Court doubled the calendar time and judicial and staff resources devoted to
truancy arraignments. Schools and families receive more timely notification of
the date of these hearings.
Next steps:
• Continue Action Team meetings with a focus on adjusting to the
diminishing resources that are available for this effort
• Pursue implementation of the Standards of Attendance
Measurement
F. Publicity Campaign
School Success Project partners expressed interest in sponsoring a publicity
campaign to get the word out to the community about the importance of school
attendance. A representative group from the various systems involved in the
School Success Project met to formulate a plan to move ahead with the publicity
campaign. After considering the opinions of several sources, the group decided to
pilot the "In school, On time, Every day" message to students and families at
Earle Brown Elementary School in Brooklyn Center and Hall Elementary School
in north Minneapolis. Schools were given envelope inserts, banners, posters and
stickers to reinforce the message. An evaluation of this effort will help to
determine whether or not publicity campaigns make a difference in attendance
rates. At mid -year, schools were reporting a significant problem with
kindergarten attendance so the publicity campaign was narrowed to focus specific
messages to the families of these students.
Next steps:
Evaluate the effectiveness of the publicity campaign and use this
information to inform future intervention strategy planning
Compare other potential publicity efforts with the lessons learned from
this publicity campaign
G. Special Projects with an Early Response Focus
As discussions with the School Success partners progressed, needs were identified
in specific areas and meetings were held to strategize about addressing these
needs. Focused discussions involved exploring ways to provide support to
Latino youth and families, addressing the service gaps in the northwest
Hennepin area and replicating the Culture of Learning project at a
Minneapolis Public School.
Supporting Latino Youth and Families
Representatives from the Department of Children, Families and Adult Services
and the Hennepin County Attorney's Office gathered to discuss how to best use
limited existing resources to deliver attendance support services to the growing
Latino population in Hennepin County. The discussion group explored the current
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programming available to this population to support school success and their
additional needs. The group recommended that the county support a case
management services pilot project in partnership with community agencies
working with the Latino community.
Meetings were scheduled with community agencies that primarily serve Latino
clients to discuss the pilot project and to determine which agency was best suited
to work with the proposal. A south Minneapolis agency called Centro was asked
to prepare a proposal for funding the pilot project during the 2003-2004 school
year. The proposal targets kindergarten through fifth grade Latino students at
Jefferson Elementary School with attendance rates below 85 percent. Centro has
submitted its proposal and the county is reviewing the plan to determine whether
or not to fund the program.
Addressing Service Gaps in Northwest Hennepin County
Representatives from the Brooklyn Center, Osseo and Robbinsdale school
districts, plus staff from the county, law enforcement, community agencies and
the Family Service Collaborative participated in a series of discussions after
representatives from the County Attorney's Office and several school districts
expressed concern about the need for additional community-based and court
diversion programming resources in the northwest suburban area.
While there are currently many resources devoted to students in this geographic
area, the discussion group did identify some service gaps. There is some concern
that students who do not have access to community-based services either do not
receive interventions to address the issues leading to school attendance problems,
or they end up in Juvenile Court before services become available to them.
The service gaps identified include:
1. Adequate mental health services
2. Culturally specific programs
3. Transportation to existing resources
4. Resources for middle school students
5. Access to independent living support for adolescents and teen parents
6. Alternative schools or school/work programs for students who do not have
these options available
7. Buy -in by law enforcement, school districts and the community about the
importance of school attendance
8. Interventions for youth not enrolled in school
9. Drop in center or access to a local truancy/assessment center
Culture of Learning Replication
University of Minnesota Extension Office staff engaged Hennepin County policy
makers in discussions about replicating a learning community project -- that has
been successfully implemented in the Glendale/Prospect Park community and at
Pratt school -- at another Minneapolis Public School. The project's focal point is
a�
a community school so connected to neighborhood life and learning activities that
it anchors the kind of family, school and community alliance necessary for
educational achievement. Results from the Glendale/Prospect Park Community
and Pratt school initiative indicate that 100 percent of parents participated in
school conferences and that no students fell below a 90 percent attendance rate.
After discussions with Minneapolis Public Schools and the Hennepin County
Department of Children, Family and Adult Services, as well as additional research
into locations for replicating the project, the community surrounding Bethune
Community School in north Minneapolis was chosen for the new site. University
of Minnesota staff members have been developing the community and school
connections necessary to begin this project during the 2003-2004 school year.
Next steps:
• Pursue a contract for a pilot project to improve school outcomes for Latino
students
In northwest Hennepin County, look for ways to address gaps by identifying
existing resources that could meet these needs or pursuing new resources that
may be available
Provide support and consultation to the Culture of Learning project
Monitor all new projects for the purpose of understanding the impact of new
or expanded programming
2. Connectins the Dots Between County Departments that Provide
Support to the School Success Project
A. Identifying and Tracking Resource Commitment
County departments involved in interactions on truancy and educational neglect --
including the County Attorney's Office, the Public Defender's Office,
Community Corrections, the Department of Children, Family and Adult Services
and Juvenile Court -- have had an opportunity to come together in The School
Success Project to establish working relationships and to problem solve a range of
issues. The county's response has been mapped to provide a clear understanding
of the decision points throughout the life of a truancy or educational neglect case,
and to clarify responsibility at each stage of this complex process (see addendum).
Departments have been engaged in discussions about the current demand for a
county response to school attendance concerns and the resources each department
has available to address the needs. Additionally, there have been strategy
meetings to review the process that the county has implemented and to
recommend changes that would encourage greater efficiency, such as separating
court consequences from the provision of services to the student and family.
These discussions have led to improved communication between county
departments, reassignment of DCFAS staff on a temporary basis to supervise
6
� 1
court truancy cases and partnerships with the libraries to provide meaningful
consequences to truants.
Next steps:
• Engage the departments in a discussion about changes that will need to
be made due to emerging budgetary constraints
• Map new processes to clarify new roles and responsibilities
• Foster ongoing dialogue among departments about the effects of
changes on students and strategies for engaging students and families
that remain disconnected from school
B. Developing Consistency in Reporting of Outcomes for Contracted and Operated
Efforts to Improve School Attendance
Inconsistencies in attendance data gathering have made it difficult to assess the
success of programs directed at improving attendance. Although an effort has
been made to more accurately define outcome indicators for both operated and
contracted services, it has been difficult to actually implement performance
measurement. Schools record absences in a variety of ways and gathering
attendance data consistently is problematic. The variation involved in recording
whole day absences versus partial days and tardies is left much to the discretion of
the school, the service provider and sometimes, the family.
In addition, there is no connection among the more than 20 county contracted
programs that are working to improve school attendance as an outcome indicator
and the programs and services managed by Hennepin County. Program
representatives have not had an opportunity to share experiences in working with
clients and schools and each program has independently been responsible for
developing and reporting their outcome indicators.
In an effort to address some of these issues, staff from the Office of Planning and
Development developed a Web -based software program (HenAttend) that can be
used to easily record attendance data and calculate patterns for individual students
as well as aggregate populations. This software application has the potential to
match characteristics of students with attendance outcomes, as well as the
capability to automate billing processes for contracts. This program is currently
being piloted by the Minneapolis SARB liaison program and contracted providers
including YouthLink, Storefront, Life's Missing Link and the Northwest YMCA.
Efforts are also being made to review existing county contracts targeted toward
improving both school success and attendance to determine how to best build
connections between these agencies and the School Success Project, and to find a
means to standardize outcome indicator reporting for school attendance. The
Department of Children, Family and Adult Services has designated a lead contract
manager who will be responsible for formal connections to the School Success
Project and who will distribute important information to other contract program
7
a3
managers as necessary. The Department of Corrections has also transferred
contract program manager responsibilities for a key community agency contract
to the School Success Coordinator.
Next steps:
Formalize a system for consistent outcome indicator reporting for
contracted and operated programs that intervene to improve school
attendance
• Bring all contracted agencies working on attendance improvement into
the communication loop of the School Success Project
C. Managing Data More Efficiently
Each county department working with truancy referrals maintains independent
databases. Much of the information collected is duplicative and is not
automatically available to county staff members who have a legitimate need to
know the information to effectively make decisions about intervention strategies.
A meeting with policy and data collection experts from each department (County
Attorney, Public Defender, Community Corrections, Department of Children,
Family and Adult Services and Juvenile Court), along with a representative from
the Information Technology Department to discuss the current system of
independent data gathering and to confer about the possibility of streamlining the
county data collection system for truants did not lead to recommendations for
immediate changes. Instead the group decided to wait and see what changes result
from an anticipated modification of the state's Juvenile Court data system. Of
more immediate concern to some departments is having access to school
attendance records in a more consistent and timely manner.
Next steps:
Work to develop a Web -based system for schools submitting truancy
referrals that can be distributed to the necessary county databases
Enhance the capability of JNET to provide the attendance data
necessary to track individual students as well as aggregate trends
3. EVALUATION
A question that has been asked again and again throughout the School Success
Project is, "What works to keep students in school?" The answer to this
question is not easy to find. Those who are passionate about their work with
individual students have opinions about the answer to this question, but we do not
have readily available data on the outcomes, especially the long-range outcomes,
of interventions in Hennepin County. One positive trend has been steady
increases in overall attendance for Minneapolis elementary students.
We have approached the task of evaluation in the School Success Project by
looking at some specific interventions, by collecting data on some of the operated
Cy
programs, by connecting with other similar evaluation efforts and by conducting
an overall review of countywide initiatives.
A. Wilder Research Center
The Wilder Research Center agreed to contract with Hennepin County to produce
an evaluation plan for the School Success Project. After conducting a series of
interviews with a variety of attendance stakeholders, Wilder produced a number
of options for further consideration. These options have been discussed with the
School Success Coordinating Team for recommendations about next steps.
Intermediate District 287 agreed to fund one of the options, a national literature
review of quality studies concerning school attendance, and Wilder is proceeding
with this effort.
Next steps:
• Proceed with other evaluation planning with Wilder Research Center
or other research experts in selected specific areas of importance
B. SARB (Student Attendance Review Board) Evaluation
Staff from the Hennepin County Office of Planning and Development conducted
a comprehensive review of the implementation of SARBs in Hennepin County. A
SARB is a community/school-based effort designed to harness multiple resources
to help families and students with truancy problems. Some school districts have
extensive experience with SARBs, some districts are just beginning to implement
SARBs and other districts have discontinued their SARB programs. SARBs
throughout the county have different levels of county staff and contracted support.
The SARB evaluation completed by the Office of Planning and Development
included key findings for the community, for the schools and for the county. The
following recommendations resulted from the SARB study:
1. No additional SARBs should be created unless there is a commitment
to fully implement all the steps in the SARB process and a
commitment to sustain the effort with necessary resources.
2. Create partnerships whereby Hennepin County funds are used to
leverage community agency resources to assure adequate delivery of
services for SARB referrals.
3. Bring better information to the SARB and track what happens after the
SARB.
4. Use the SARB for the limited number of students where there is a need
to connect a student or family to community based resources.
5. SARBs need to invest in planning and training.
Next steps:
• Convene an Action Conference to discuss the outcomes of the SARB
evaluation and to discuss implementation of the recommendations
• Work with school districts to develop consistent methods of evaluating
the effectiveness of SARB interventions
C. Contracted Youth Skills Agencies Effectiveness with Truants
The Department of Children, Families and Adult Services evaluated five of the
agencies it has under contract to provide interventions for students that are
referred to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office for truancy. The interventions
are provided both as a court diversion service, and as a follow-up to adjudicated
cases from Juvenile Court. These agencies serve students in Minneapolis and the
suburban areas. The study of the effectiveness of these interventions focused on
referrals made during the 2001-2002 school year.
The results of this exploratory study underscored the need to capture more
consistent and accurate attendance data. While it appeared that the majority of the
agencies were effective in improving attendance for diversion referrals, the lack
of consistent data and having no access to follow-up attendance data made it
difficult to definitively draw conclusions about effectiveness of services.
Recommendations were made to advise the agencies about the need for more
complete data collection, especially attendance data.
Next steps:
• Require contracted agencies to use standard school attendance
reporting methods (HenAttend)
• Develop a method for collecting follow-up attendance data to
determine the long-term effectiveness of community agency services
• Develop a meaningful data collection tool to compare characteristics
of students with attendance outcomes
D. Time -Limited Department of Children, Family and Adult Services Truancy
Supervision Project
During the spring of 2002, concern was expressed about the increased number of
truancy referrals that Hennepin County was receiving and its capacity to provide
interventions and services to students. Negotiations began with the Department of
Children, Family and Adult Services about the temporary reassignment of staff to
provide time-limited services and court supervision to as many as 100 of these
cases. The equivalent of five full-time positions were made available to work
with these cases for up to six months. One important expectation of this project
was that the opportunity would be used to capture data about these cases and the
outcomes of the interventions.
10
Cases were selected for the project based on information provided by the school
about the needs of the students. Situations that included mental health needs and
family issues were included in the project. Social workers were asked to
complete a standardized assessment of the strengths and needs of the cases
assigned to them.
Summary information from 67 assessed cases shows that:
1. 82 percent of the students were found to have educational difficulties that
affected attendance
2. 12 percent of the students had health problems that contributed to
attendance concerns
3. 52 percent of the students had positive emotional functioning
4. In 32 percent of the cases lack of communication between the family and
the school was found to contribute to absenteeism
5. 52 percent of the families were found to have current stressors
contributing to absenteeism
6. 82 percent of the parents were determined to be supportive of the student's
school involvement
7. 15 percent of the students were involved in criminal activities in the
community
Members of the Human Resources Organizational Development Team conducted
focus groups with representatives from Juvenile Probation, the County Attorney's
Office, the Public Defender's Office and the Department of Children, Family and
Adult Services. Focus group- participants were asked for feedback about the
project and for recommendations based on their experience. While there were
some concerns expressed about administrative glitches, the efforts to prescreen
cases for social work services and to provide interventions intended to assist with
mental health and family issues were seen as positive. The parents were generally
very grateful for social services support. Focus group and Human Resources
Organizational Development Team recommendations include:
1. Appropriate services should be made available to address the needs of
truant students. This might involve additional training for probation
officers to address the underlying issues contributing to truancy, more
availability of social workers to provide support to truancy or the
development of additional community/school partnerships.
2. Improvements in screening, assessments and data collection would assist
in providing direction for disposition of specific cases, as well as
information about intervention gaps.
Next steps:
Use the information collected during this project to inform decision-
making concerning changes in the process of handling truancy cases
11
E. Survey of Schools Regarding Attendance Collection and Reporting Procedures
Early discussions about evaluating attendance outcomes led to discussions about
discrepancies in the data available from school district to school district, as well
as between schools within the same district. The decision was made to survey
schools to get a better understanding of the data collection processes currently in
use and to explore the possibilities for distributing attendance data to service
providers through an automated process. A survey was developed by the Office
of Planning and Development and distributed to all middle and senior high
schools and to a sample of elementary schools throughout Hennepin County.
Approximately 80 percent of the schools responded to the survey.
Survey findings indicate that most school districts are making rapid strides
towards direct computerized entry of attendance data in the classroom. More than
90 percent of the surveyed schools indicated that their attendance data is uploaded
to a district -level computer or network on a daily basis, indicating a strong
potential for making attendance data available to agencies that are working with
truant students through an automated system.
However, 17 percent of the schools acknowledged significant problems with the
accuracy and completeness of their attendance tracking, and computerized reports
are not available or are not being used by all districts to identify attendance
problems and patterns.
Next steps:
• Develop and distribute a "Principal's Packet" for schools throughout
the county with suggestions for improving the accuracy of attendance
reports
• Promote best practices for utilizing information to help with early
identification of attendance issues
• Implement the Standards of Attendance Measurement
• Conduct a follow-up survey of school data collection processes to
assess improvements
OTHER EVALUATION PROJECTS IN PROGRESS
1. The Roy Wilkins Center at the Humphrey Institute is currently evaluating
community-based initiatives in Minneapolis, Richfield and St. Paul to determine how
they contribute to the academic performance of students in grades seven and eight.
The researchers have agreed to include information about attendance in their study.
This will allow for an analysis of whether or not attendance is better when a
community agency is involved in providing after-school support to a student.
2. The School Support Unit of the Department of Children, Family and Adult Services
has identified a process for tracking client outcomes that can be tabulated according
to the strengths and needs of each student. The outcome indicators will include
12
a�
measures of attendance improvement, as well as improvements in student and family
functioning.
3. The Department of Children, Family and Adult Services has begun an evaluation of
the effectiveness of contracted agencies working through the Child Protection
Alternative Response system to improve school attendance and reduce recidivism for
families reported for educational neglect.
CONCLUSION
Despite the accomplishments of the School Success Project, the work of improving the
response to school attendance issues and increasing school success has been a challenge.
• The changing needs of students and families, such as the needs of new immigrants
and student mobility, have led to the need for intervention adjustments at each level
of the system's response.
• Data privacy rules complicate efforts to share client data across systems.
• The inconsistencies in attendance data collection have presented challenges in
determining the effectiveness of efforts to improve attendance.
• A new focus by school districts on accurate attendance tracking has led to data that
shows a decrease in attendance rates during recent school years in some districts.
• Significant policy and budgetary shifts by school districts have led to obstacles in
tracking the progress of efforts over time.
• Evaluation efforts have clarified the need for better data collection, rather than
identified which interventions are the most effective.
Another important factor to consider is the federal No Child Left Behind Act, which will
be an important influence in addressing attendance and achievement for school districts.
A fact sheet describing this legislation is included in the addendum to this report.
As the county and other governmental units review their budgets in light of new fiscal
realities, there are opportunities to measure and determine program effectiveness and
streamline processes. There is increased interest in looking across systems to develop
more efficient and effective strategies. Community supports, such as neighborhood
organizations and churches, need to be engaged in the effort to help students succeed.
The partnerships that have been forged through the School Success Project will be
important in informing decisions about where to combine efforts and how to best allocate
limited resources.
The School Success project is on track to begin answering the basic questions about what
works to improve school success.
13
SCHOOL SUCCESS REPORT
ADDENDUM
LID --Overview of the Hennepin County Educational Neglect Process
[--_Overview of the Hennepin County Truancy Process
• No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 Fact Sheet
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Fact Sheet on No Child Left Behind
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Inside No Child Left
Fact Sheet
Behind
• Home
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
■ Summary and Overview
• Law - P.L. 107-110
President Bush has made education his number one domestic priority. On January
(H.R.1)
23, 2001, he sent his No Child Left Behind plan for comprehensive education
• Negotiated Rulemaking
reform to Congress. At that time, he asked members of Congress to engage in an
• Regulations and
active bipartisan debate on how we can use the federal role in education to close
Guidance
the achievement gap between disadvantaged and minority students and their
• Conference Report (txt)
peers. The result, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, embodies the four
• Leadership
principles of President George W. Bush's education reform plan: stronger
accountability for results, expanded flexibility and local control, expanded options
for parents, and an emphasis on teaching methods that have been proven to work.
Related Resources
The agreements will result in fundamental reforms in classrooms Throughout
• Flexibility and Waivers
America. This is the most sweeping reform of the Elementary and Secondary
• Budget News, State
Education Act (ESEA) since it was enacted in 1965. It redefines the federal role in
Allocations
K-12 education to help improve the academic achievement of all American
• White House Education
students.
• House Committee on
Education and the
Workforce
The following are some of the major provisions of H.R. 1, the No Child Left
• Senate Committee on
Behind Act.
Health, Education.
Labor, and Pensions
Accountability for Results
H.R. 1 will result in the creation of assessments in each state that measure what
children know and learn in reading and math in grades 3-8. Student progress and
achievement will be measured according to tests that will be given to every child,
every year.
H.R. 1 will empower parents, citizens, educators, administrators, and policymakers
with data from those annual assessments. The data will be available in annual
report cards on school performance and on statewide progress. They will give
parents information about the quality of their children's schools, the qualifications
of teachers, and their children's progress in key subjects.
Statewide reports will include performance data disaggregated according to race,
gender, and other criteria to demonstrate not only how well students are achieving
overall but also progress in closing the achievement gap between disadvantaged
students and other groups of students.
Creating Flexibility at the State and Local Levels and Reducing Red
Tape
To cut down on federal red tape and bureaucracy and enhance local control, H.R.
1 will reduce the overall number of ESEA programs at the U.S. Department of
Education from 55 to 45.
For the first time, H.R. 1 will offer most local school districts in America the
33
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Fact Sheet on No Child Left Behind
Page 2 of 3
freedom to transfer up to 50 percent of the federal dollars they receive among
several education programs without separate approval.
For the first time, all 50 states will also have the freedom to transfer up to 50
percent of the non -Title I state activity funds they receive from the federal
government among an assortment of ESEA programs without advance approval.
H.R. 1 will allow the creation of up to 150 local flexibility demonstration projects for
school districts interested in obtaining the flexibility to consolidate all funds they
receive from several programs in exchange for entering into an agreement holding
them accountable for higher academic performance.
Up to seven states will have new flexibility in the use of their non -Title I state -level
federal funds in a variety of categories in the form of waivers from federal
requirements relating to a variety of ESEA programs. States participating in the
new demonstration projects will also be able to coordinate their efforts with local
school districts through state -local "flexibility partnerships" designed to make sure
federal education funds are being used effectively to meet student needs.
H.R. 1 will give local school officials serving rural schools and districts more
flexibility and a greater say in how federal funds are used in their schools.
Expanding Options for Parents of Children from Disadvantaged
Backgrounds
H.R. 1 creates meaningful options for parents whose children are trapped in failing
schools and makes these options available immediately:
Public School Choice: Parents with children in failing schools would be
allowed to transfer their child to a better -performing public or charter school
immediately after a school is identified as failing.
. Supplemental Services: Federal Title I funds (approximately $500 to $1,000
per child) can be used to provide supplemental educational services -
including tutoring, after school services, and summer school programs - for
children in failing schools.
. Charter Schools: H.R. 1 expands federal support for charter schools by
giving parents, educators and interested community leaders greater
opportunities to create new charter schools.
Ensuring Every Child Can Read with Reading First
H.R. 1 authorizes an increase in federal funding for reading from $300 million in
FY 2001 to more than $900 in FY 2002 and links that funding to scientifically
proven methods of reading instruction through the President's Reading First plan.
Strengthening Teacher Quality
H.R. 1 asks states to put a highly -qualified teacher in every public school
classroom by 2005. The bill also makes it easier for local schools to recruit and
retain excellent teachers.
H.R. 1 will consolidate smaller programs within the US Department of Education.
The bill also creates a new Teacher Quality Program that allows greater flexibility
3�
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Fact Sheet on No Child Left Behind
for local school districts.
Page 3 of 3
In addition to specific funds for teacher quality, H.R. 1 will also give local schools
new freedom to make spending decisions with up to 50 percent of the non -Title I
federal funds they receive. With this new freedom, a local school district can use
additional funds for hiring new teachers, increasing teacher pay, improving teacher
training and development or other uses.
Confirming Progress
Under H.R. 1 a small sample of students in each state will participate in the fourth -
and eighth -grade National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in reading
and math every other year in order to help the US Department of Education verify
the results of statewide assessments required under Title I to demonstrate student
performance and progress.
Promoting English Proficiency
H.R. 1 consolidates the US Department of Education's bilingual and immigrant
education programs in order to simplify program operations, increase flexibility,
and focus support on enabling all limited English proficient (LEP) students to learn
English as quickly and effectively as possible. The new Act will focus on helping
limited English proficient (LEP) students learn English through scientifically based
teaching methods.
Under H.R. 1, all LEP students will be tested for reading and language arts in
English after they have attended school in the United States for three consecutive
years.
Under H.R. 1 parents will be notified that their child demonstrates limited English
proficiency and is in need of English language instruction.
This page last modified—July 11 , 2002 (sbw).
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Other inquiries/comments: customerservice(cDinet.ed.gov
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5/29/2003
Metropolitan Council:
what it is and what it does
The Council conducts long-range planning and operates the region's transit
and wastewater treatment systems in Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin,
Ramsey, Scott and Washington Counties.
Responsibilities
The Council serves the public by providing
cost-effective services, coordinating orderly and
economic development, and helping communities
plan for anticipated growth. The Council also:
• Operates the regional bus system
• Collects and treats 300 million gallons
of wastewater every day, protecting public
health and the environment
• Plans and funds a renowned system
of regional parks and trails
• Provides affordable housing opportunities
• Operates Metro Mobility, a transportation
service for people with disabilities
Working with communities and the public,
the Council advocates for efficient growth and
development that make the most efficient use
of public resources and investments, protect natural
resources, enhance livability and quality of life,
and promote economic competitiveness.
Council policies also integrate the regional
"systems" including transportation, aviation,
parks and open space, and wastewater collection
and treatment.
Council operations are financed by user fees
for wastewater service and transit service, a local
property tax, and additional state and federal funds.
In 2002, the Council had about 3,700 employees
and a total annual budget of $535.9 million.
Learn more at www.metrocouncil.org.
U
0 Long-range planning
With nearly one million new residents and
460,000 households expected over the next
three decades, regional growth is a critical issue
for area leaders and residents alike. To meet the
challenge, the Council adopted a regional growth
strategy that calls on the region to:
• Invest in new and developing communities
• Reinvest in developed and older communities
• Focus growth and redevelopment
in urban and rural centers along
transportation corridors
• Provide transportation choices linked
to development patterns and jobs
• Increase lifecycle and affordable housing
• Support rural communities and preserve
agricultural lands
• Preserve and protect natural resources
Governance
The Metropolitan Council has 17 members
who are appointed by and serve at the pleasure
of the governor. Sixteen Council members
represent geographic districts of equal population
across the region. The Council chair, the 17th
member, serves at large. The role of Council
members is to provide a regional perspective and
work toward a regional consensus on issues facing
the metropolitan area. All meetings of the Council
and its subcommittees are open to the public.
E Finances
The Council relies on a number of funding sources.
In 2002, 46 percent of the Council's revenue was from
user fees for wastewater treatment and transit service,
and 40 percent was from state and federal funds. About
10 percent of revenue was from a seven -county property
tax, and 4 percent was from other sources.
The Council's 2002 total annual budget was $535.9
million. The operating budget—$382.5 million, or
2002 budget (adopted, in millions)
Transit and transportation
Environmental services
Planning, administration, HRA
Totals
N 2002 achievements
Metro Transit served nearly 70 million customers last
year on 130 routes. Based on ridership, Metro Transit
is the largest transit agency in Minnesota and the
11'h largest in North America.
The Council allocated $75.6 million in federal transpor-
tation funds for highway, transit and trail projects
through a process that coordinates local, regional and
state transportation needs.
The Metro Wastewater Treatment Plant, the Council's
largest, earned a national Platinum Award for five
continuous years of perfect compliance with
clean water discharge permits.
Metro HRA achieved full use of its federal housing
choice vouchers for lower-income families in the face
of a tight housing market and low vacancy rates for
rental housing.
The Council developed forecasts of population,
households and jobs for the region based on data from
the 2000 census, providing a tool to help communities
plan their future.
71.4 percent of the total—covered daily expenses mostly
for regional transit service and wastewater treatment.
Debt service, 18.4 percent of the total, covers payments
on the Council's long-term capital bonds and loans.
Pass-through monies, 10.4 percent of the total, are
primarily from federal sources (and some state funds)
the Council receives and allocates to local governments,
agencies and residents for housing.
Operating
budget
Debt
service
Pass-through
funds
270.6
23.0
0
96.1
68.0
0
15.8
7.5
54.9
382.5
98.5
54.9
In 2002, the Council awarded $15.7 million in Livable
Communities grants to clean up polluted land for jobs
and redevelopment, produce affordable housing, and
create models of mixed-use, walkable, transit -oriented
development.
From 1996 through 2002, this program has invested
more than $100 million in Livable Communities funding,
leveraging more than $3.2 billion in private and other
public investments in the region—nearly thirty-two
times the initial investment.
The new Eagles Point Wastewater Treatment Plant in
Cottage Grove began initial operations in September.
For more information
Regional Data Center: (651) 602-1140
Email: data. center@metc.state.mn.us
Website: www.metrocouncil.org
Council's online newsletter, Directions:
www metrocouncil.org/directions
Bus information: (612) 341-4287
Metro HRA: (651) 602-1428
Metropolitan Council March 2003
Mears Park Centre • 230 East Fitch Street • St. Paul, Minnesota 55101-1626 • (651) 602-1000 • Fax (651) 602-1550 • TTY (651) 291-0904
Metro Info Line (651) 602-1888 • data. center@mete.state.mmus • wwwmetrocouncit.org
3q
Metropolitan Council Pagel of 2
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"'"" FACTS
Council News & Information
Council Members reviewing
Blueprint 2030
Council members will be reviewing
Blueprint 2030 during April and May to
become familiar with the strategic
planning document and resolve any
substantive issues of concern. MORE
More --News
Services & Programs
Community Assistance
Blueprint 2030
Census 2000
Local Assistance
Geographic Information o
G
Housing J o
Council chair suggests a 'pause' on
Blueprint 2030 so that incoming
Council members can become familiar
with its implications. MORE
Council seeking applicants for 2
advisory groups
The Council is seeking applicants for
its Housing and Land Use Advisory
Committee (HLUAC) and its
Transportation Advisory Board (TAB)
Application deadlines are late April -
early May. MORE
Transportation
Trip Planner
Commuter Services
Hiawatha Light Rail
Metro Mobility
Metro Transit Go
Transportation Advisory Board
The Metropolitan Council is taking
applications for five positions on the
Transportation Advisory Board (TAB)
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Public hearings on bus
cuts,fares
The Metro Council has sche(
public hearings for the first
April on proposed transit sei
reductions and fare adjustm
MORE
Environment
Capital Projects
Environmental Education
Environmental Services
Industrial Wastewater
Interceptor Sewers
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Learn how the MetroEnvirc
Partnership grant progra
improving the water quality
area lakes and rivers.
The Metropolitan Council is the regional planning organization for the seven -county Twin Cities area. It runs the regional I
system, collects and treats wastewater, manages regional water resources, plans regional parks and administer
that provide housing opportunities for low- and moderate -income individuals and families. The Council is appointed by a
at the pleasure of the Minnesota Governor. Privacy statement.
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All information on this site is available in other formats upon request.
@ 2003 Metropolitan Council. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.metrocouncil.org/index.htm - j t 4/10/03
PATRICIA AWADA
STATE AUDITOR
To
STATE OF MINNESOTA
OFFICE OF THE STATE AUDITOR
SUITE 400
525 PARK STREET
SAINT PAUL, MN 55103-2139
Local Units of Government
From: Patricia Awada, State Auditor
Re: Good News — Repeal of the Legal Costs Survey
Date: June 5, 2003
In 1997, the Minnesota Legislature passed a law requiring the Office of the State Auditor
(OSA) to collect information on the costs of legal services incurred by all counties, cities,
and most school districts.
I am happy to inform that this mandate was repealed by the legislature. There will
be no more legal cost survey forms coming to you from the OSA.
I supported this repeal and will work to find other ways to either reduce, or make easier
to comply with, OSA reporting requirements.
One important note, this does not mean legal cost information is private. Legal fees and
costs paid by local units of government, remain public information and may be requested
by any citizen or organization under the Data Privacy Act.
Recycled paper with a minimum of
Fj 1517c post -consumer waste _ An Equal Opportunity Employcr
i
,3
DATE: June 6, 2003
TO: Craig Gerdes, Police Chief
Rick Kline, Fire Chief
Gary Smith, Street Supervisor
FROM: John Hagef , Assistant City Engineer
SUBJECT: TRAFFIC CONTROL PLAN FOR CLOSURE OF CHESHIRE LANE
THE RESERVE (20092)
Attached, please find a copy of the traffic control plan for the closure of Cheshire Lane
from 52nd Avenue to 54`h Avenue for the placement of stamped concrete at the
intersection of Cheshire Lane and 53rd Avenue. This intersection is where the Reserve
Transit station is located. Plymouth Metrolink has also been notified of the closure and
will make the necessary adjustments to their transit routes.
Cheshire Lane from 52nd Avenue to 54th Avenue will be closed for approximately
two weeks beginning Monday, June 16, 2003, weather permitting. Advance closure
signage will be installed on Monday, June 9, 2003.
In response to concerns regarding access through the Reserve development during this
closure of Cheshire Lane, Sgt. Larry Holzerland will coordinate the installation of
temporary no parking signage on the south side of 52nd Avenue east of Cheshire Lane, the
east side of Annapolis Lane between 52"d and 54th Avenues, along with the north side of
54th Avenue east of Cheshire Lane (as highlighted on the attached plan). These
temporary no parking signs will be installed on Monday, June 16th, 2003 and will remain
in effect until Cheshire Lane is reopened to traffic.
If you have any questions or would like any additional information regarding the closure,
please contact me at extension 5541.
cc: Dwight Johnson
Dan Faulkner
Ron Quanbeck
rl) O\Engineering'GENERAL`.MEMOS'John CheshirelawCbswe d"
�t
DATE: 6/11/03
TO: Dale Hahn, Finance Director
FROM: Earl Zent, Commercial Property Appraiser ='"Z
SUBJECT: Rainbow Foods store located at Hwy No. 55 & County Road 24
In mid May of this year, I became aware that the above Rainbow Foods store was going
to become vacant as of June 10, 2003. As a result of this finding, I contacted the owner
of the property, Hans Hagen, to verify if this was true and to find out what his intent was
with this upcoming vacancy.
My concern was that without a solid anchor tenant, and Rainbow's current income'
stream the property value would quickly plummet. The integrity of the center as a whole
depends upon having a solid income stream which would be impacted by Rainbow
leaving, along with current tenants not wanting to stay or request substantial rent
reductions due to this vacancy. The risk rate that investors would place on this property
suddenly increased substantially.
The value placed on the two parcel center as of 1/2/03 was $15,148,000 or $126.11 per
square foot of gross building area. This is top dollar for such a center with good
occupancy along with a good income stream. After several discussions with Hans Hagen
and reviewing possible revenue trends and looking at retail center sales, I concluded that
this value with the known factors was not supportive in the marketplace. My opinion of
value after all considerations is $11,000,000 or $91.58 per square foot for the 2003
assessment.
Mr. Hagen requested a freeze in value for three years, for which I was not in favor of. I
indicated to him that I would review the value on a yearly basis. The value would be
based upon what is happening in the marketplace and it's effect to the subject center in
each of the coming years. Mr. Hagen was satisfied with this. Mr. Hagen also agreed that
due to the City's cooperation, he would agree not to file a tax court petition on the 2003
revised assessment.
If the rents of the center do not return to what they were prior, it will be unlikely that the
assessed value will increase to it's previous amount, at least not in the near future or until
the marketplace determines trends that will support such a change.
U� �
June 10, 2003
Tim Borg
3205 Ranier Lane North
Plymouth, MN 55447
SUBJECT: WAVE, WAIT & WALK PROGRAM
Dear Mr. Borg:
Thank you for taking the time to send in a letter with your thoughts and concerns regarding this
program, we appreciate your time and feedback. The program has been in-place at four locations for a
couple of weeks now, and so far it appears that pedestrians are making use of the flags. We completed
compliance checks at the four test locations in mid-May, prior to the implementation of the program.
A follow-up compliance check is scheduled later this month, to determine the current success of the
program.
Several flags will be available on both sides of the street at each of these locations. The Police
Department is checking each location periodically to be sure there are an adequate number of flags on
each side. Hopefully there will not be an issue with flags disappearing, but we will be keeping an eye
on each location to ensure there are enough flags available. We do anticipate the loss of some flags as
this has been the case in other cities using this program.
In regards to educating the public, there have been articles on the Wave, Wait & Walk Program written
in the Sun -Sailor, Lakeshore Weekly News, and the Plymouth News. In addition, Channel 12 News
covered the story for their Northwest Cities news segment in addition to their daily newscast. It may
take drivers, and pedestrians, some time to get used to the program and those bright -colored flags, but
hopefully in time we will get the message across to them.
The program has also been implemented in the cities of St. Paul, Portland, Seattle, and Madison, WI.
The City of St. Paul currently uses the program at approximately 30 locations, and consider it to be a
resounding success. We are hoping for the same kind of results in the City of Plymouth!
Again, thanks for taking the time to contact us with your continents and concerns. If you have any
further questions, please call Carla Stueve at 763-509-5535.
Sincerely,
W; "/, 444't",_
At-f,t,& f- 4az
Daniel L. Faulkner, P.E.
Director of Public Works
cc: John M. Hagen, P.E., Assistant City Engineer
Carla Stueve, P.E., Traffic Engineer
PL Y1�IOUTH :1 `_ eatt.i;:tl GENER L\LTRs\DaNF�_UO3\TBurg_06060Jdoc
34;0 PL Y'VIOUTH BOULEVARD - P112(MOUTH. MINNESOTA 55447-1432 • TELEPHONE (763) 509-5000
=� ww`tv.b.plymcuth.mmus
5-20-03
3205 Ranier Lane North
Plymouth, MN 55447
To City Council,
I'm writing in regards to the wave, wait, and walk idea. I think it is a great idea
and you should go ahead and try it. It would get drivers attention from seeing the flag
moving and they would hopefully stop at the crosswalk. This would get cars to stop at
cross walks and it's a fairly cheap way of doing it. It sounds like a good plan I believe
the city should go ahead with the program.
On the flip side I would agree with Mayor Johnson that little kids would throw the
flags in the street or people would steal them. I feel that you should have several flags in
the buckets because there will be several people walking across the street and you would
want everyone to be able to have a flag. How would you plan to educate about this
program? Have other cities tried this and if so what were the results? I feel if people
were educated on this it would be a good concept to public safety.
Thank You,
Tim Borg
Kurt Hoffman
From: Eric Blank
Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2003 4:10 PM
To: 'kelners@mpls.k12.mn.us'
Cc: Kurt Hoffman; Dwight Johnson; Lara Newberger
Subject: RE: CITY OF PLYMOUTH WEED ORDINANCE
Larry, in response to your e-mail regarding the city's new weed ordinance, we only revised portions of the
ordinance, not all of it. The 8 inch height restriction is still enforced. The fee is administratively set each year
and is not in the actual ordinance. It is based on the cost of administering the program each year. With regard to
the mowing along Nathan Lane, it is up to the weed inspector to interpret whether or not the property owner is
adequately maintaining the property. By way of this e-mail, I will have Lara recheck Nathan Lane to determine
its status. Thank you for your interest in this matter.
Eric Blank
-----Original Message -----
From: Larry Kelner [mailto:kelners@mpls.kl2.mn.us]
Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2003 4:54 PM
To: Kurt Hoffman
Subject: Re: CITY OF PLYMOUTH WEED ORDINANCE
Thankyou for sending me this. I have a question. I did not see in the ordinance, the mention of the fees the City
will assess if they come to a property and cut their weeds, or etc. And it did not mention the raise in the 1 st hour
fee from $50 to $150. Why is that? It also does not state at what height the weeds or etc would have to be at,
when the City would come out and do the cutting.
And is this a loop hole. Plymouth Ponds Apts, which own the land along Nathan Lane from 45 to just south of
48th ( actually their land stops at my property), cut their lawn along Nathan Lane once, so far. Now they have a
new thing. They are now only mowing about 1 ft back from the sidewalk, all along Nathan Lane to my property,
and leaving the rest!!!
It makes Nathan Lane Look terrible.
Makes me wish my original idea for a new ordinace would have worked (I proposed laying a super heavy fine
on land owners who did not take care of their property).
Thanks for listening.
Larry Kelner
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Northwest YMCA
7601 42nd Avenue North
New Hope, MN 55427
763-535-4800
fax: 763-592-5550
June 3, 2003
Ms. Laurie Ahrens
Assistant City Manager
3400 Plymouth Blvd.
Plymouth, MN 55447-1482
17
YMCA
We build strong kids,
strong families, strong communities.
Dear Laurie,
The Northwest YMCA would like to thank you and members of the Plymouth City
Council for your generous support of our Northwest YMCA Detach Worker Program.
Your contribution of $5,000 is extremely helpful.
Attached is the signed service agreement and invoice for 2003.
Your dedication and commitment to youth and families in our community makes the City
of Plymouth a great place to live and work.
Thank you!
q
i)
Karen Trondson
Program Manager
v LR
Mail:
18202 Minnetonka Blvd.,
Deephaven, MN 55391
Phone: (952) 471-0590
Fax: (952) 471-0682
Email:
admin@minnehahacreek.org
Web Site:
www.minnehahacreek.org
Board of Managers
Pamela Blixt
James Calkins
Lance Fisher
Susan Goetz
Monica Gross
Richard Miller
Scott Thomas
Minnehaha Creek Watershed District
Improving Quality of Water, Quality of Life
Established in 1967
June 10, 2003
Dear Mooney Lake Resident:
The purpose of this letter is to provide an update on the Mooney Lake high water
level situation and what action has been taken since last fall to address this problem.
Record rainfall received last summer and fall resulted in the highest water levels ever
recorded on Mooney Lake and caused flooding of low-lying properties, but no
structures, along the shoreline of the lake. The water level peaked at an elevation of
991.5 on September 8, 2002. To reduce the risk of structural flooding of homes
along the lake, the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) and City of
Plymouth acted cooperatively to implement an emergency pumping plan last fall to
lower water levels on Mooney Lake as much as possible prior to winter freeze up.
The pumping was authorized by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
(DNR) under a general permit, which allowed temporary pumping on an emergency
basis for flood protection. Water was pumped from the southeast bay of Mooney
Lake through an above -ground pipe and into a ditch along the north side of County
Road 6 that drains into Pinetree Pond in Plymouth. Water was pumped out of lake
on a continuous basis over a two-month period in October and November.
Earlier this year the MCWD prepared an emergency pumping plan and applied for a
permit from the DNR to cover additional emergency pumping if required this year
and into the future. Representatives of the MCWD, Hennepin County, and the Cities
of Plymouth, Medina, and Orono met previously in November 2002 and January
2003 to review progress of the emergency pumping described above and to establish
target water surface elevations for Mooney Lake to guide future pumping operations.
It was mutually agreed upon that emergency pumping would start and stop when
Mooney Lake water levels reach elevations 990.0 and 989.0, respectively in the
spring/summer and reach elevations 989.0 and 988.0, respectively in the fall. The
permit was issued by the DNR last month on May 20, 2003 approving the emergency
pumping plan and the established target pumping elevations.
Upon termination of last year's emergency pumping, the water level of Mooney Lake
had dropped to an elevation of 990.0 in early December 2002. The lower water
levels were a result of both the pumping and natural losses from infiltration and
evaporation. During the pumping period, the month of October was wetter than
normal, while the month of November was extremely dry. Water levels on Mooney
Lake were monitored by the MCWD over the winter by taking water level
measurements through the ice. Water levels continued to drop reaching a low point
on February 27, 2003 at an elevation of 988.5, a drop of three feet from its record
high in September 2002. A staff gauge was installed on Mooney Lake in early April
®Printed on recycled paper containing
at least 30% post consumer waste. I T:Wl85\04t299\Mooney-Resident letter 63-03.doc
2003 as soon as the ice along the edge of the lake had melted. Weekly water level readings and
readings after significant rainfall events have been taken since that time. Water levels on
Mooney Lake this spring remained below elevation 989.0 until mid-May when water levels went
up as a result of heavy rainfall received in the Twin Cities area. Based on the water level reading
taken today, the lake is now at an elevation of 989.2, which is about 10 inches below the
established spring/summer target pumping elevation of 990.0 feet. Water levels on the lake will
continue to be monitored throughout the year and the MCWD and City of Plymouth are prepared
to initiate emergency pumping utilizing a temporary pumping system similar to the one
implemented last fall should lake levels reach the target pumping elevations approved under the
DNR permit.
The MCWD has also begun work on the emergency pumping infrastructure study. Due to the
occasional need to conduct emergency pumping and the relative high costs associated with
constructing an intake structure and purchasing pumps, it was determined by the MCWD,
Hennepin County, and the local communities that a more feasible alternative would be to look
into the possibility of installing a permanent electrical power supply and underground
conveyance pipes to accommodate future emergency pumping. Once the permanent
infrastructure system is in place and should emergency pumping be required, a dewatering
contractor would be hired to install and operate submersible pumps placed in the lake, similar to
those used last fall.
Our engineers, Wenck Associates, Inc., met with City of Plymouth staff last month to review
potential pumping routes for a permanent system. The study will evaluate three or four pumping
routes and associated costs with installing the permanent infrastructure system to provide flood
protection. It is anticipated that the study will be completed and presented to the MCWD Board
of Managers later this month.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work towards a solution to address the
high water problems on Mooney Lake. Please feel free to contact me at 952-471-0590 if you
have any questions regarding this letter.
Sincerely,
E ' on, A nist or
Minnehaha Creek Watershed District
cc: Plymouth City Manager
Medina City Manager
Orono City Manager
MCWD Board of Managers
Commissioner Penny Steele
The Honorable Judy Johnson
District Engineer
TAO I85t04\299\Mooney-Resident Letter 63-03.doc '— 1 j
CAMPBELL KNUTSON
Professional Association
Thomas V Gi mhl,cll
Roger N. KoUt>Un
Thomas bf. Scott
Elliott B. Knersch
Joel J. Jamnik
Andrea McDowell Poehler
Matthew K. Brokl*
'Also licensed in Wiscnnan
Mr. Dwight Johnson
City of Plymouth
3400 Plymouth Boulevard
Plymouth, Minnesota 55447-1482
Attorneys at Law
(t;51) 452-5000
Fax(651)451-5550
June 11, 2003
Re: Richard and Janice Pickering vs. City of Plymouth
James and Evelyn Anderson vs. City of Plymouth
Relocation Assistance Eligibility and Benefit Appeals
Dear Dwight:
John
' e n 1�11Ct�1C'W
� �!�,,• SUreti�M.
Margie�e M. Mc(
Enclosed please find copies of the final decision by the hearing officer as to the amount
of relocation benefits in these matters.
As to the Pickering matter, Hearing Officer Beeson increased the City's determination of
benefits by $100.00 from $7,161 to $7,261.
As to the Andersons' claim, Hearing Officer Beeson increased the City's determination
by $18,000 from $5,664.54 to $23,664.54. The $18,000 additional payment is generally based
upon the hypothetical proposition that Andersons would have had to pay an additional $18,000
to purchase an equivalent home that was available on the market at that time. While I disagree
with this aspect of Mr. Beeson's decision, I am not surprised by it and certainly recommend that
the City accept it and pay this amount to the Andersons.
The Andersons and Pickerings have sixty days to appeal these matters to the Minnesota
Court of Appeals. Hopefully, they will not take that step. If they do, we would have the option
of cross -appealing to challenge the eligibility issue. Mr. Beeson's decision is well documented
and I am confident that it would be upheld on appeal.
Please call if you have any questions.
TMS:cjh
Enclosure
cc: Ms. Julie Bowman
Best regards,
Campbell Knutson
Professional Association
By:
jhomas-M. Scott
Suite 317 - Eagandale Office Center - 1380 Corporate Center Curve - Eagan, MN 55121