Loading...
The URL can be used to link to this page
Your browser does not support the video tag.
Home
My WebLink
About
Council Information Memorandum 12-17-1999
DECEMBER 17, 1999 1. COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE. NOTE: Ward I Councilmember Tim Bildsoe meets with residents and receives their comments in the Administration Library, beginning at 6:00 PM before each Regular Council meeting. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 7: 00 PM TUESDAY, JANUARY 4, 7:00 PM 2. MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 7:00 PM 3. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24 4. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31 S. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY S, 7: 00 PM REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, Council Chambers REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, Council Chambers YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL, Medicine Lake Room CITY OFFICES CLOSED—Christmas Holiday CITY OFFICES CLOSED—New Year Holiday ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE, Medicine Lake Room 6. THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 7: 00 PM HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, Medicine Lake Room 7. A List of future Regular Council Meeting agenda items is attached. (M-7) 8. December and January calendars are attached. (M-8) CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION MEMO DECEMBER 17, 1999 Page 2 I 1. NEWS ARTICLES, RELEASES, PUBLICATIONS, ETC. a) City news release announcing the availability of housing rehab funds for homeowners in Tiberon. (I -]q) b) Metropolitan Council reminder of the submission deadlines for local government comprehensive plans. (I -1b) c) Flyer announcing a January 18 seminar on reducing underage drinking through local government policy changes. (I -1c) d) Article submitted by Councilmember Black from the HealthPartners newsletter concerning rising health costs. (I -1d) e) December 17 edition of the AFSCME Local 3445 and 3839 collective bargaining bulletin. Earlier editions are going to councilmembers under separate cover. (I -1e) fj Article submitted by Mayor Tierney from The National Voter concerning electronic and internet–based elections, campaigns, and voting. The article is also being forwarded to members of the Charter Commission. (I-1fi 2. STAFF REPORTS a) Report from City Assessor Nancy Bye on progress of a lawsuit over the commercial/industrial preferred property tax classification. (I -2a) b) Report from the City Communications Department on the number of e–mail messages received through the City website. (I -2b) 3. CORRESPONDENCE a) Notice from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency of closure of the file on a petroleum tank release at the Adult Correction Facility. (1--3a) b) 4. CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONS POLICY—CORRESPONDENCE a) Letter from Roselyn Tuy regarding proposed development of the Eagle Lake area. The letter has been forwarded to Community Development Director Hurlburt for a response. (I -4a) A status report on the most recent correspondence is attached. (1-4) A-_7 Tentative Schedule for City Council Non -Consent Agenda Items January 4 Two alcohol compliance check violations Water Resources Management Plan Millennium Garden Planting/Reforestation Schedule for 2000 January 18 Police Officer Oaths of Office Consider speed hump on South Shore Drive February I or 8 Consider amendment to noise ordinance for golf courses Plymouth Marketplace, Land Use Guide Plan Amendment and Sketch Plan February 15 or 22 cn � � w w 2 � F— U U � � _ � UL 0 r M- w � k \ j 2 . . .2 .� � \ 2 o «)§ low 1.0 c 0 !| §_ ) EO � ! =L S ILU i �zi m . -I _ % k � \/ �§ © 2 Cl 2 ■ a. W R - vk eq cc_ _ e4 (4 C4 cc � z J e A C4� ` - ) � CL eq 02 Coo" C4 0, § � . \ . o .� o W'D t, 750 ■\; - 10 ` ° R 8 q f»-2 CA 2z©�Rm 2 00m � k \ j � � Z � LU LLJ O O �O N � _ � LL M-7 � £ 2 k @ A . _ Go R �2 L . A 2 _ \ 2 2| $ § i . ° _§ .22W a! Aa ! o �� 2 2 § ~ z a 20 e I 2- iz ��(k� �\� � � m _ § Ff j` z � C � §. ! _ < �•. _- �� _�4 !!f -- z �■ 2§ 2 =� . F c 1 . ��o 20 s 20 -8:1aRQ C. #o 2 2 § � Q _ � £ CITY OF News Release PLYMOU?FF For Immediate Release Contact: December 15, 1999 Ed Goldsmith, 612-509-5412 Housing Rehab Funds Available for Tiburon Homeowners If you live in Plymouth's Tiburon subdivision and need to make home repairs, you may be eligible for financial assistance. The Plymouth Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) has up to $140,000 in funds earmarked for zero interest, deferred home rehab loans for lower income Tiburon homeowners. Interested homeowners should apply for the loans with the HRA as soon as possible by calling Rebecca Stoen, HRA Housing Specialist at 509-5413. The funding will be allocated first for emergency situations and then on a first come, first served basis, until all funds have been allocated. The Metropolitan Council awarded Plymouth $70,000 to be used with up to $70,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant funds for deferred loans for low-income homeowners in Tiburon. The HRA will make loans to eligible homeowners for extensive rehab needs such as structural and foundation repairs, and roof, electrical, plumbing, and siding replacements needed to correct serious building deficiencies. The rehab loans are zero interest deferred loans that will be forgiven if the borrower continues to own and occupy the home for 30 years. After 20 years, 10 percent of the loan is forgiven each year until the entire amount is eliminated. Homeowners must qualify by income. The maximum limits are as follows: 1999 Maximum Income Limits 1 person $26,700 5 person $41,200 2 person $30,500 6 person $44,300 3 person $34,300 7 person $47,300 4 person $38,200 8 person $50,400 The Plymouth HRA will be working with Community Action for Suburban Hennepin (CASH) on this project. Funds also may be available for other eligible homeowners anywhere in Plymouth from the HRA's City-wide Home Rehab Program. For more information, call Rebecca Stoen at 509-5413. -30- PLYMOUTH A Beautifu[Pface To Live 3400 PLYMOUTH BOULEVARD • PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA 55447-1482 • TELEPHONE (612) 509-5000 Opw." . www.ci.plymouth.mn.us Metropolitan Council AmA Working for the Region, Planning for the Future December 10, 1999 Dear Local/Regional Officials: As you know, state law required local government units in the metropolitan area to submit comprehensive plans for the Metropolitan Council for review by December 31, 1998. To assist your community in the development of your plan, the Metropolitan Council has provided financial assistance and granted extensions to December 31, 1999, recognizing the additional time needed to conduct a strong process of citizen involvement. As this deadline approaches, it is important to keep in mind that local comprehensive plans are a key tool for addressing the demands of growth and development expected in the region and your community, and for making the local regional land planning partnership work. Specifically, these plans are particularly important because this is the vehicle to ensure that your community's needs and priorities are reflected in regional plans for public infrastructure investments. Furthermore, up-to-date plans are used as a basis for the Metropolitan Council to make its incentives available to local units of government. The Metropolitan Council is looking to invest its resources, including Livable Communities, transportation, and transit dollars through the Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) and other incentives in communities that are planning for growth, such as providing housing choices that will accommodate future growth in jobs and households. If a plan is not submitted within an agreed upon timetable, or if a plan is submitted but is not found to be consistent with the Regional Blueprint and system plans, your city may not be as competitive for these resources as cities that do seek to achieve these objectives. If your community cannot submit a complete comprehensive plan for Council review by the end of 1999, you should contact your sector representative immediately to request another plan extension. Sincerely, Thomas C. McElveen Director, Community Development Division Encl: Map — Metropolitan Council Planning Sector Representatives and District Boundaries V:UBRARY%COMMUNDVIMCELVEEM19MIII9990MVPtNiLV OC 230 East Fifth Street St. Paul, Minnesota 55101-1626 (651) 602-1000 Fax 602-1550 TDD/TTY 291-0904 Metro Info Line 602-1888 An Equal Opportunity Employer Metropolitan Council Planning Sector Representatives and District Boundaries July 1999 Planning Sector Representatives: D Tom Caswell (651) 602-1319 Hennepin County, except Minneapolis [� Patrick Peters (651) 602-1617 Dakota and Washington Counties Q Sandra Pinel (651) 602-1513 Anoka and Ramsey Counties, except St. Paul KT Ile�m/T--ft �w @—T-.ftoro... 0 Carl Schenk (651) 602-1410 0--Y ""' r`„ 9 C,,,r,, U-69II Vb . Carver and Scott Counties A.1— Ifr ld" . D Liz VanZomeren (651) 602-1060 Sand a Pinel P" LA.T—ft N-Sa.&T—hv Minneapolis and St. Paul Aft • Ilrei z�y Iso l.1- ` cos uas „r„, s 101 r NuyTs"vh� .0 WAS GTON 2 V' INper' Norm Oru .. SdI.—Te�oidp. 6-. ` °m ,j Cmlr # 1c i U3 Tom Caswell N., o b&V-br Ma4h. IO" s� yypy�,: Pte+ it Pae 'T '�Ni.1 8pep R.�- _ C MRYPr f ft ... �. o.. Doi4"Vwby NA�1� w 9'� � 14 QkdY 4blLe '. w."Ir.I.a 11oDywg4T"nrp a nZomeren �]...I.v. I.oe...1 3 - 13 w 7� w.m"rr.."rp Wsm. tiddY ►Ot wesbD . 3ZTT daPlris Ch." Paattrrick eters CARVER m,.a",,,,,,� 15 ,. Yo�y Amwiy T""sllP lm Tawddy D�61�T-Y} Carl the k [wirmeTb""idD� ',.. A,PIeY�Oq ,a,v NYir"T---* L .'' 16 uw"aw IfRFVIbrwwip ro..ry w.e. T—b* SCOTT .. DAKOTA may, MLPYYeT-rYy Hd—T-"b Cdrt�eT NwMlmtTw�iiP 8- b ra.. C.,* R.* T-.* H -V -T .. Bb DojW Taw/* 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Miles`T`-�' a..�r-fa � Tb..ft MW Metropolitan Council District Boundaries District Number and Member 1. Saundra Spigner 5. Phil Riveness 9. Natalie Has Steffen 13. Fred Perez 2. Todd Paulson 6. Caren Dewar 10. James Nelson 14. Lee Pao )Gong 3. Mary Hill Smith 7. Matthew Ramadan 11. Roger Williams 15. Carolyn Rodriguez 4. Julius C. Smith g. Carol Kummer 12. Marc Hugunin 16. John Conzemius 0 C w u _ x enuany 6ulllaug t 00 J ° y CA O 1 � .� � iad000o a ° 0 0y o o fes: n. =E u �n • O cL. W..V., c a N E a (u FMBINIej a co ¢ u vi 7 f3 E.. � u •� b Wi". �..O rn X U 0 w a^v LL b!. IlePueH W oWoo ) s v c Z �Y 0 UL Mo C y a°i $ t iauuoE) ,auuog . g s o` < v W L Q . LL Ixoa. o C O d El �Z Pie m U j E v .. m e nv 00 E �v o o to i" II c "d �m c v anuany puelanalO W Q 0 o�yn -o � i o 0 Q U v o y a 1 VOZcclin y cn � y.9 c Ll N �.r u o 0 d N_ E o n, u ° W 08L /ICM461H �. ° c _ 0 C w u _ x C 00 J ° y CA O 1 � .� � CD � ° 0 0y o o fes: n. =E u �n • O cL. W..V., O Al V/ N E a (u o v V !~ co ¢ u vi 7 f3 E.. � u •� b Wi". �..O a. X U 0 w -0 o ) s v c Z �Y h V Mo U'o y L A C o` OD Z 0 H ' -o Ixoa. O r m O W 0 C w u _ x C 00 J ° y CA O 1 � .� � U L •LY. Z ° 0 0y y o fes: n. =E u �n • O cL. W..V., o w y o (u o v V !~ U ¢ u vi 7 f3 E.. � u •� b Wi". �..O a. X U 0 w -0 o ) s v c Z C SE. O E L h CL oL. U'o y U y ,~ v A C C cd Z o s o c `^ . ' -o V O r m O W �`" v 7 v V m o> a E v .. m e u 2 U .a y �v o o to 0 C O x C 00 J ° -4 w O Z ° 0 0y y o fes: n. =E u �n • O cL. W..V., o w y o J O N o o v V !~ U �a c o_ Wi". �..O a. X U 0 w -0 o u O vO h • � CL oL. U'o y U y ,~ v A C C cd Z y v v u C O.. v � ° X U O 0 N o y �v E ^ i" O "d J c v Q 0 o�yn -o � i o Q U v o y a 1 y cn c �.r u o 0 E o n, u ° W a �. ° c _ b> O C o -0 s O " o R u "G E 0 a O N ayi E v '� >, " ce vi = U U � z w x CE4 cis w� 0 � � U x .a CL ■ ■ ■ U) z 0 Q 0 Z LUw E Cc0 LL AN Z ° ■ 0 i 0 1 I E.- a 3 c V 0 00 cd s CL 4; o co W C C O x C 00 J ° -4 v x O ° 0 0y 0 o fes: n. =E u �n • O cL. W..V., o w y o J O N o o v V !~ U �a c O .. a. X U 0 w -0 o u O vO CL oL. U'o y U y ,~ v A C C cd Z y v v u C O.. v � UH H xQ c 0 z 0 Q 0 Z LUw E Cc0 LL AN Z ° ■ 0 i 0 1 I E.- a 3 c V 0 00 cd s CL 4; o co W C N ff7 � x O O E 00 J ° L � O L O t"r, O C r o fes: n. =E u �n • O cL. W..V., � uj y c J O N o � v V !~ v O .. 7g N EC -0 E N G ° > L -a I L c- r �.�z r o ct i� v W..V., y V u a. u C O O O U o ✓ c 0 E o y �v ^ Q O•I � Q a cn O O Z° H o 0 Cd p p >. 0 IJ ` y C> -0C: cd V N Ncd Z O o x O H._>o px� IS v O OVA !2 Ox `^SZ b q L4O C u 0[ ai «j V O y,'� G •.� .�.. y pa fi OA v Q N O V 9 `o O 00 cd W h -O v^ N a L_` y ^' A O I_v 01 Mme` 1 Fr'1 •[ Z Q u v W Q Z "l'1 C• � •� o r S� C '•V p U U u z T u O G x CA vi N eta � O • U O V' O :: cV O OVOA L, v W W N O (0 'rV O v O C 0 Oro v > -b V Ou aA i •� CIS _yca C O O O n cd 14 7; 71 nu •, J ; v) O OA .b ° H Qj u ObA cd u 3 ° o `7w Q y v v a, ° U a U 1. v ~.Cd UQ ° o OA 4 � CIS. $ c ac°c-v-0 d O E o ay. � 0-0 p ttb � . 0 f h (n Q U • • • 70 • • • u0v W o a o Z v b° :. W o .b Q' E. cn . rA a m i Q„ ('� v, o V A A A V H v Q 00 f;_11 " 1 A What's Behind Rising Health Care Costs? Health care costs are rising. We hear this from the media, politicians, employers, health care professionals and health plans. But we don't hear much about why health care costs are rising — and what's being done to assure access to high quality, afford- able care. There's really no great mystery behind why health care spending in the U.S. is up 22 percent in the past five years. Americans have access to the most advanced'medical technolo- gies in the world — and we use them. New Technologies, New Costs From laser treatments to implantable devices, our medical technology con- tinues to make amazing progress. But with progress comes higher costs. In 1998, for example, HealthPartners had 345 cases that cost $50,000 or more — that's double the number we saw in 1996. For example, a heart transplant that cost $120,000 a year ago, now costs more than $180,000 because of a new pump that keeps patients alive longer while they await a donor organ, which means that more transplants can be done. It's a wonderful device that saves lives — but it also costs money. Rising Drug Costs There has also been an incredible growth in prescription drug use. Every day it seems there's a "new and improved" drug being advertised to treat an ailment. As you might expect, the newer drugs carry with them a higher price tag. For example, some of the new medications for hypertension cost as much as $1,000 per year — and some new arthritis drugs cost $1,000 per month. These might replace the use of drugs that cost a fraction of these prices — but the new drugs may produce better results in some cases. l..Nho,...e T..A.... More People Using More Services As consumers, we seldom pay directly for the total cost of the medical care we receive. In this country, insurers, employers and health plans pay the direct costs for medical care and pre- scription drugs, which insulates the user from the actual cost of care. Most Here's a not -so -new news flash for you — health care costs continue to rise. people have no idea what a visit to the doctor costs. As a result, American consumers generally feel entitled to use every new technology, drug or medical procedure regardless of the cost or the health outcome. The result is more people using more expensive care and an overall expectation that medical technology is limitless in what it can correct or mend. What Can be Done? "Health care in this country will continue to improve," says George Halvorson, HealthPartners president and CEO. "If we froze care at today's level, we might be able to freeze costs — but we can't, won't and shouldn't freeze care." HealthPartners is working to keep care more affordable. Like most health plans, we negotiate with providers and manufacturers for discounts on behalf of our members. With prescription drugs, committees of physicians screen all of the available drugs for a given condition and put the best ones on our formulary for use by our members. Then we negotiate with the drug companies to get the best price for our members. As a consumer -governed health plan, HealthPartners tries to be frugal and efficient while always providing the best care. We work closely with physicians and researchers to develop best practice guidelines to ensure that our members get the care they need. And, through programs like Partners for Better Health, we work closely with our members to help them make healthier lifestyle choices that can help prevent health care problems down the road. There is no quick solution to the rising cost of health care. As a society we need to better understand the issues that are driving costs so that we can make more informed decisions about our health. It's human nature to want to choose the best care possible — the key is realizing that there are many options and some carry a higher price tag than others. We need to understand those choices better. For More Information'.'.,,.....t For the last year; HealthPartners' has been running a series.' f Letfers to the Community in the daily newspapers. In par- ocular; there have been`a number of articles related to rising healthcare costs. Visit our Web site at www. healthpartnerscom to review these letters Or call 612-883-7879 to request copies . the cornplete set of,", Letters to the. Community zil Order Pharmacy — Your prescription for convenience and cost savings Receiving the medications that you need on an ongoing basis has never been easier because HealthPartners now offers Mail Order Pharmacy. Members with this benefit may conveniently order medication through the mail and save money. Mail Order Pharmacy allows you to pay only two copayments for, :pending on your benefit, up to a 90-, 93- or 102 -day supply of each ion you order. ., y,,,...ave questions, call the Mail Order Pharmacy at 1-800-591-0011, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Central Standard Time. Special note: At this time, the Mail Order Pharmacy is not available for all plans, so please check your membership contract to see if this is a covered benefit for your plan. Nation's Pharmacy System Ready for 2000 Because some people have expressed concern over the availability of prescription medication due to Year 2000 computer complications, the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion has examined the issue and recently released the following statements: ■ Companies within the nation's pharmacy system are taking seriously their responsibility to patients by testing critical computer systems and refining contingency plans. ■ The pharmaceutical supply system typically operates with a 90 -day inventory and, as a matter of course, maintains readiness for emergency situations that may occur. ■ It is advisable to get a normal refill of your medication when you have a five -to seven-day supply of medication remaining. This is good practice for January 1, 2000, and for any other time. To Learn More: HealthPartners and Year 2000 Compliance The year 2000 is fast approaching and HealthPartners, like many other companies, has been preparing for the new millennium. Since 1996 we have looked at everything that could be affected by the Year 2000 computer issues— from building equipment, computer hardware, electronic interfaces, medical equipment, office equipment, and software to our business partners, vendors and suppliers. We have completed several phases of our Year 2000 project and are on schedule with the remaining portion. We believe that our systems and business processes will be Year 2000 compliant and we plan to have business contingency plans in place in the fall of 1999. In a broader effort, HealthPartners is participating with the Minnesota Council of Health Plans' statewide awareness program and provider readiness survey to assist clinics with their Year 2000 compliance efforts. We are also participating in many community and health care organizations' Year 2000 contingency and readiness programs. HealthPartners continues to work on all Y2K - related issues that are in our direct control to To learn more about the Council's statement on pharmaceutical promote readiness and continued business industry readiness, search for "Pharmaceutical Supply" at success into the year 2000 and beyond. www.y2k.gov. For more information, visit the HealthPartners Web site at To learn more about HealthPartners Year 2000 process, visit our www.healthpartners.com and read our Web site at www.healthpartners.com. official Year 2000 Readiness Disclosure. Bargaining Bullet*in City of Plymouth, December 17, 1999, Issue #4 Minnesota A.F.S.C.M.E. Council 14 A Newsletter Providing Information on the Interest -Based Collective Bargaining Process to Plymouth Maintenance, Clerical, Technical, and Professional Employees and their Managers Results of December 14 Bargaining Session The fourth negotiation session between AFSCME Council 14 Locals 3445 and 3839 and the City of Plymouth was held on Tuesday, December 14 from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Public Safety Training Room. • Tentative agreement was reached on language for union security, relating to bulletin boards and conducting business. • Language for the savings clause was finalized. (This is a clause inserted in a contract to protect the rest of the contract should any one provision be ruled invalid or superseded by a law change.) • Final grievance procedure language was agreed upon. • Agreement was reached to delete the "no - strike clauses" from the contracts (State Law covers this.) • By consensus, the issue of the employer rights clause was dropped. • Bobbi Leitner presented some sample calculations to illustrate the issue of Worker's Compensation integration The union will respond with their interests on this issue next time. • We continued our discussion on the issue of dignity and respect, which will continue at our next meeting(s.) What Happens Next? Only a few joint issues remain to be discussed before the Maintenance and CTP bargaining teams will split up to begin discussing the issues that will be bargained separately with each unit. The next negotiation sessions will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, January 4 and 5 (2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.) If the joint issues have been completed, separate discussions with the Maintenance team may begin as soon as January 4. Additional sessions have also been set for January 19 (3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.) for CTP and January 20 (2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.) for Maintenance. New Insurance Rates are Effective on January 1 Some of the bargaining team members have received questions about the upcoming changes in health insurance rates and how it will affect our paychecks. Until the contracts are finalized, the City's contribution for health insurance will not change. That means that employees taking family coverage will see a reduction in their take-home pay when they get their checks on January 13. Bargaining Bulletin, December 17, 1999 / D Page 2 of 2 1: L We understand that this will have an impact, and are working diligently to complete the bargaining process as soon as possible. Who's on the Negotiation Team? Here's a list of Negotiating Team members: Local 3445 (Maintenance) Jeff Dains, Chief Negotiator John Wenner (Pres.) Bruce King Tom Nelson Jim Ritter Chuck Autio Dave Suhr (Alternate) Local 3839 (Clerical/ Technical/ Professional) Jeff Dains, Chief Negotiator Steve Koskela (Pres.) Bob Pemberton John Tufte Karleen Lutter Bev Moos Negotiating Team members, continued: City of Plymouth, Maintenance Fred Moore, Chief Negotiator Tom Vetsch Mark Peterson Eric Blank Dwight Johnson Jeanette Sobania City of Plymouth, Clerical/Technical/Professional Anne Hurlburt, Chief Negotiator Bobbi Leitner Dwight Johnson Jeanette Sobania John Sweeney ChristmasMerry • Happy New Yearto h\o �/c 'Ally HOGO -st nv -S 'Woy X 7-1 19- ,:.ry . �.. Richard Davis, writing in The llieb CETIION gfPolitics, states: "The future of American politics has been called an INIVEWIUWINT `age of Internet democracy,' and the •'d • f I • l' 1 o where does someone seeking basic campaign information start? There are many sites to choose from, depending on the type of knowledge you are seeking. Several online voter education efforts already are under way. One of the better known is The Democracy Network, a collaborative effort between the League of Women Voters and the Center for Governmental Studies (CGS). It is an interactive online service that offers a `.`one-stop shopping site" for all eleetion;and:campaign information.. For cam- I I , 2000 the Democracy Network (DNet, P t. www deet erg) will cover presidential, congres ' sonal and gubernatorial races as well as many governments state legislative and local elections. x Simply by; entering a zip code on DNees site, using the , a voter can find the offices and candidates who .will be on their ballot at the federal, state and local levels.",Candidate information, including I I I issue statements, debates, endorsers, biogra phies, contact information, pictures, websites and a mail .are available The candidates' posi I People Alons on issues are liiied up in a grid, and.users } ...�.t 0. - { ,elates' atanyds3 Ac cording to,tarolyn Jefferson ehkirm LWVUS president "DNet's ultimate; oat is to ei gage the candidates in debate.'.' T r. k Y S tegy Inv Ives candidates uploading and dating their<statements on a number of iss, d going ` "the other candidates and asking tion. That: fway:peopie G ballot measures: The he I w0l enoo more curage . P „ �. mal race when 16 out of 1? Candi tes m i)n more than 40 issues s01-4 I other online services is the fa- 'at W .downticket candidates, } e ;; an jates If a voter doesn't haveuifdn- ation d on issues, DNet will provide orF 1-4 lake informed,choices, ueludulgting s that this easy �vay of accessing;u�fi orma {'� k e to vote. .. ....fir. res1 ultS o t lilt nC.w po ltica S\ Sienl will be known as `netizens."' He adds: "'Phis new medium has been pre- dicted as the beginnings of true direct democracy—a vehicle for enabling common citizens, rather than distant elected representatives, to make on- going policy decisions." There is no doubt about it— politics and campaigning are be- ing changed by the Internet. Campaign 2000 will be influ- enced by the Internet as no ' campaign ever has. From the national to the local level, cam- paigns have discovered the In- ternet is a useful tool, even gen- erating competition on who will rule the cyber realm. Kim Noble, online communications director for the Republican National Committee (RNC), declared: "We [the R\TC] are going to write the book on politics and the Internet!" Democratic party operatives are just as competi- tive; Linda Sinoway, the Democ- ratic National Committee's (DNC) interactive media direc- tor, said her party is "definitely building our webpage's content so the kx most people can access our site, u while at the same time keeping the technology simple." How We Got Here To understand the influence of the In- ternet on Campaign 2000, go back to 1996, where electronic democracy got its big jumpstart. In 1996, presi- dential candidate Bob Dole discov- ered he was on to something when he announced that to become involved in his campaign, one just had to tap into his homepage. The response was THE NATIONAL VOTER • DECEMBER 1999/JANUARY 2000 overwhelming, with two million peo- ple responding within 24 hours, and hundreds of thousands more clicking on by Election Day. In 1998, using the Internet as a campaign tool to solicit volunteers made the difference for now Gover- nor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura. With no formal campaign headquarters, Ventura developed an active volun- teer base forged by e-mail, surprising many observers by -,vinning the un- der -30 vote in a three-way race. T\vo other recent occurrences also brought home the potential power of the Internet. One was the publication of the Starr Report—the report of the Office of the Independent Counsel to Congress on September 9, 1998—on the Internet, drawing millions of viewers. Also, members of Congress received more than a million e-mails per day during January 1999—a re- sult of the House Judiciary Commit- tee's hearings on the impeachment of President Clinton—up from an earlier average of 80,000 e-mails per day be- fore the release of the Starr Report. In 1996, candidates on the federal, state'and local levels slowly started to rriake use of e-mail and websites to attracE volunteers. According to a study.,by Elaine Kamarck of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, the Internet "may have been a factor" in victories by Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts in 1996, Governor Christie Todd Whitman of New Jersey in 1997 and Senators Barbara Boxer of California and Russ Feingold of Wisconsin in 1998. She reported that nearly all major party statewide can- didates had websites in 1998, as did 57 percent of all candidates in com- petitive House races. Other statewide candidates in 1998 who successfully employed the Internet in their cam- paigns include Dan Langren, a Cali- fornia gubernatorial candidate who signed up 1,500 volunteers online, and Florida's Governor Jeb Bush who brought in 1,000 volunteers over the Internet. For many of these volunteers, this was a first-time experience in a politi- cal campaign. A 1998 study sponsored by Hockaday Donatelli Campaign So- lutions and GOPAC (a Republican or- ganization that trains activists and community leaders) found that more than 90 percent of campaign volun- teers signed up over the Internet. For hosts connecting uni- sd Res arch ect Agen' e"y versifies and govern- ,),teptiefis ;first con ; , : w, a k . - � k mentsesearch centers wed 1ET) oto. Tomo the shy' 96 : nat onwide. THE NATIONAL VOTER • DECEMBER 1999/JANUARY 2000 1n half of this group, it was more t11� g p, their first experience volunteering for a political campaign. The study also found that more than 80 percent of the people who volunteered were us- ing the Internet five to seven days a week. acid 75 percent were 45 years old or younger. Getting into the Act The late entertainer Jimmy Durante could have been talking about the In- ternet and political campaigns when he said, "Everybody wants to get into ,the act!" In the last few years the campaign landscape has changed drastically. All major presidential candidates, political parties, think tanks. virtually all members of Con- gress, most daily newspapers and weekly magazines, the White House, Congress and nearly all federal agen- cies have a website. There also are websites that track the role of money in politics: ww-v.publiedisclosure.org and «%vNv.crp.org. State and local governments are us- ing the Internet more and more and people are taking advantage of it. Lo- cal governments are offering cost-ef- fective services to their citizens that include online systems for paying taxes, parking tickets, permit and li- cense fees, and registering kids for lo- cal recreation programs. They arc of- fering online public information and government forms once only available by a phone call ora visit to City I Tall. The AFL-CIO, not wanting to be excluded from the action, recently of- fered a new Internet service that, ac- cording to The Washington Post, will give organized labor a high-tech power tool for boosting its political and lobbying clout. The labor federa- tion plans to offer a low-cost Internet service called Workingfamilies.com to active and retired union members, around 17 million households, and it also will offer low-cost computers to its members. Also capitalizing on the political aspects of the Internet, the Republican Party of Utah recently of- fered inexpensive Internet use to its supporters. Still another important use of the Internet is skyrocketing: soliciting campaign donations. According to a recent article in The Washington Post, Democratic presidential candi- date Bill Bradley's campaign has raised more money over the Internet than any other presidential campaign: more than $00,000 by the end of September 1999. He also successfully petitioned the Federal Election Com - •i� t mission to agree that the federal gov- ernment would provide matching funds for money collected over the In- ternet. Other presidential campaigns are following Bradley's lead—Scott McClellan of George NNS Bush's ea111- paign has stated that Bus11 raised more than $90,000 over the Internet by the middle of October 1999. Long -Range Implications As the short history of the Internet has shown so far, its use in politics may have long-lasting implications, especially for candidates who employ the Internet for old-fashioned political organizing, raising money and keep- ing voters engaged in the campaign. Herein lie the Internet's strengths, in- cluding communicating campaign messages and getting out the vote. But for all the positive aspects of electronic democracy, there are downsides, too. Commenting on this, political scientist Norm Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute refers to what he calls the "Star Wars analogy," for "like the Force, it has a dark side." For instance, an unanswered ques- tion is whether the Internet %vill draw more people into the political process—or make the process more 1984 W liam Gibson} the term On November "cyberspaee'' inNs - 1, X988 a prnkWo- novel IVeu" ', I gram called Tl,o n m�r of T`nt�nrnpf afT , the Universi is THE NATIONAL VOTER • DECEMBER 1999/JANUARY 2000 d0 - Worm" tem= r ipo.rdiily di s__ PYA .:_. . ables ,around_ h ' . :,6,o0o of the– Iver 60000Infer- thosts. exclusionary. An estinited 23 million people in this country now log onto the Internet every day, a figure that grows daily by about 62,000 new users. National stin•eys put the Inter- net population in the United States between 54 and 65 million people, about 30 percent of the entire popu- lation. Computer Indusay Almanac projects that this expanding number will rise to approximately 320 million Worldwide by the year 2000. Propo- nents of the Internet say that it is. truly a democratic tool, for it doesn't discriminate between classes, rich and poor, young and old. But in what has come to be known as the "digital divide," women, the el- derly and the poor are much less likely to have access to a computer and knowledge about how to access cam- paign information. A recent survey by Ekos Research Associates, Inc., a Canadian economic research com- pany, discovered that "young people, men, the better educated and more af- fluent, and, to a lesser extent, larger communities are more likely to take advantage of the information highway." Efforts to close this gap include free Internet use for visitors to libraries and community centers, and the steps taken by groups such as the AFL-CIO and the Utah Republican Party. P y \ pany that studies Internet trends. Another issue that may be problem- found "that the one thing that atie is Internet polling. Internet sup concerns [Internet uscrsl more than porters say that people are able to give pornography and violence is their opinions and suggestions through security." e-mail and in online opinion polls and that this comes close to true democ- racy. Pollsters such as Lou I Iarris use online polling, sometimes in conjunc- tion with polling over the telephone. Others, such as political commen- tator Charles Cook, point out that polling over the Internet doesn't in- clude a fair representation of the overall population, especially the el- derly and those with lower incomes. Opponents of some aspects of elec- tronic democracy say that electronic voting systems and online discussions could be manipulated by powerful and organized lobbying groups who _could speak for the majority. Accord- ing to Ornstein, "Electronic technol- ogy puts an enormous focus on nar- roweasting—focus becomes narrower, ;and special-interest groups can take away from building a larger consen- sus, which is necessary for any democracy to function." Another issue of major concern to both proponents and opponents of electronic democracy is privacy. NUA Internet Surveys, a European com- There is a good reason for this worry. Websites can acquire a huge amount of information about users..k watchdog organization on privacy re- cently rated presidential campaign websites on their privacy protection, with Vice -President Gore's and Sena- tor John McCain's sites rated as the most sensitive to user privacy. Internet Voting The biggest political football involving electronic democracy is online vot- ing—if it becomes a reality it will sig- nal the largest revolution so far in electronic democracy. No state has recognized voting over the Internet, with one exception: In 1997, while serving on the Russian Space Station Mir, U.S. Astronaut David Wolf was al- lowed to vote via an e-mail ballot in Texas. However, voters in two Iowa counties will be using the Internet to cast a test ballot on November 2, 1999, and the federal government is considering use of voting via the In- ternet by military personnel living abroad for the 2000 elections. 1998-4est Ventura effec- vely Luses',e-mArin his campaign for Lear THE NATIONAL VOTER 0 DECEMBER 1999/JANUARY 2000 To date, no states allow electronic voter registration, although several states and nonprofit groups use the web to guide voters in finding, filling out and mailing registration forms. At the federal level, the FCC offers a uni- versal registration form (the National Mail Voter Registration form), which is accepted by 24 states, but must be downloaded and printed on paper, signed by the applicant and mailed in an envelope with the correct postage. Proponents.of online voting, such as the Votehe're.net Company, believe that Bernet voting systems will bring'-kri more voters and make the system;,easier for many, especially for handicapped pitizens, parents at home with young children or working people just too busy to make it to the voting booth. Others, like John Sybel of TrueBal- ,� nization that is studying Internet vot- ing, published a study that found that although the Internet holds the po- tential to make voting more conve- lot, Inc., an automated election ad- ministration company, are skeptical that technology will ever come up with a totally foolproof system. Ac- cording to Sybel, "The potential for massive fraud is huge, because elec- tronic voting provides the opportunity for thousands of fraudulent votes." Deborah Phillips, President of the Voting Integrity Project (VIP), a non- partisan, nonprofit educational orga- nient and increase voter participa- tion, premature implementation of Internet voting for public elections could do more harm than good. "Thc stakes are high," she noted. "There is no federal constraint on state election system choices and once one state implements [electronic voting], there will be a rush by other states to offer such systems." Rob Click of Sequoia Pacific takes the middle road when considering In- ternet voting. His company is doing research on it and he believes it is in- evitable: "Internet voting is the next technological leap in the voting process. And it will come about in some form eventually." Traditional safeguards against fraud and fundraising abuses over the Inter- net haven't been formed yet. The pos- sibility for cyberspace chicanery still exists. Ornstein, in reflecting on the poten- tial misuses of the Internet, notes that Internet campaigning "makes it much more difficult to have accountability— candidates are slurred, sometimes not knowing where it came from." A young computer programmer who bought the domain name gwbush.eom illustrates thelmfschief that can be ap- plied in this way—a fake picture of the candidate snorting cocaine is available to all who access this site. Finally, Ornstein reflects on a ma- jor concern: "We can't weaken our existing form of democracy, which is a representative form of democracy with an emphasis on institutions," he says. "We have to be wary of a process where somebody frames the issues as yes or no votes. This elimi- nates the deliberative process that is the hallmark of democracy." But, as Charles Cook reminds us, "We still have T.V., direct mail, phone banks and literature drops. The Inter- net is still number four or five in terms of importance." How we will use it in the future is a challenge we all have to consider carefully—and now is the time to do so. ■ www.lwvorg ■ www.fecgov ® www.democrats.org ■ www.RNC.org B www.reformparty.org ■ www.dnetorg THE NATIONAL VOTER 0 DECEMBER 1999/JANUARY 2000 DATE: December 8, 1999 TO: Dwight Johnson, City Manager FROM: Nancy Bye, City Assessor 0 SUBJECT: Court Case on Commercial/Industrial Preferred Classification There is an article in the paper today regarding a court case ruling on a case involving the preferred classification for some commercial/industrial properties. The lawsuit states that some commercial/industrial properties should have receive the preferred classification, which would tax the first $100,000 of market value at a lower percentage of 3% instead of 4.6%. The law allowed for one parcel per county, per owner. The attorney's for the taxpayers stated the classification problem resulted from clerical errors and the County Auditor failed to run compliance checks. Today, at our monthly meeting with the Hennepin County's Assessor's office, Tom May, Hennepin County Assessor stated they had just received the decision and have not had time to fully analysis it to determine the impact and if they would appeal. It is very difficult at this time to determine what impact if any this decision has on Plymouth. I'm currently unaware of any Plymouth properties that would have qualified but didn't receive the preferred classification and for how many years. However, just using 10 properties as an example, the total difference in tax capacity for 10 properties for a year would be $16,000. $16,000 x 1.25%(Tax Capacity Rate) _ $20,000 x 13%(City Portion) _ $2,600 lose in taxes for that year. I will keep you informed has to the impact this decision has on Plymouth as soon as I have that information. Cc: Dale Hahn, Finance Director I'Zb DATE: December 15, 1999 TO: ✓ Laurie Ahrens, Assistant City Manager Helen LaFave, Communications Supervisor FROM: Jean Lyons SUBJECT: Internet Contacts for 1999 As of this date, there have been a total of 532 e-mail messages received via our Web site. The following is a breakdown by department. Administration 219 Community Development 55 Finance 25 Parks & Recreation 70 Public Safety 66 Public Works 97 Total 532 December 8, 1999 Mr. Robert Martinson Hennepin County Bureau of Public Services A2205 Government Center Minneapolis, MN 55487 RE: Petroleum Tank Release Site File Closure Site: Adult Correction's Facility, 1145 Shenandaho Lane, Plymouth Site ID#: LEAK00008245 Dear Mr. Martinson We are pleased to let you know that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Site Remediation Section (SRS) staff has determined that your investigation and/or cleanup has adequately addressed the petroleum tank release at the site listed above. Based on the information provided, the SRS staff has closed the release site file. Closure of the file means that the SRS staff does not require any additional investigation and/or cleanup work at this time or in the foreseeable future. Please be aware that file closure does not necessarily mean that all petroleum contamination has been removed from this site. However, the SRS staff has concluded that any remaining contamination, if present, does not appear to pose a threat to public health or the environment. The MPCA reserves the right to reopen this file and to require additional investigation and/or cleanup work if new information or changing regulatory requirements make additional work necessary. If you or other parties discover additional contamination (either petroleum or nonpetroleum) that was not previously reported to the MPCA, Minnesota law requires that the MPCA be immediately notified. You should understand that this letter does not release any party from liability for the petroleum contamination under Minn. Stat. ch. I I 5 (1996) or any other applicable state or federal law. In addition, this letter does not release any party from liability for nonpetroleum contamination, if present, under Minn. Stat. ch. 115B (1994), the Minnesota Superfund Law. The monitoring wells for this site should be abandoned in accordance with the Minnesota Department of Health Well Code, Chapter 4725. If you choose to keep the monitoring wells, the of Health will continue to assess a maintenance fee for each well. CIW� V 520 Lafayette Rd. N.; St. Paul, MN 55155-4194;'(651) 296-6300 (Voice); (651) 282-5332 (TTY) Regional Offices: Duluth • Brainerd • Detroit Lakes • Marshall • Rochester Equal Opportunity Employer • Printed on recycled paper containing at least 20% fibers from paper recycled by consumers. Mr. Robert Martinson Page 2 December 8, 1999 Because you performed the requested work, the state may reimburse you for a major portion of your costs. The Petroleum Tank Release Cleanup Act establishes a fund which may provide partial reimbursement for petroleum tank release cleanup costs. This fund is administered by the Department of Commerce Petro Board. Specific eligibility rules are available from the Petro Board at 651/297-1119 or 651/297-4203. If future development of this property or the surrounding area is planned, it should be assumed that petroleum contamination may still be present. If petroleum contamination is encountered during future development work, the MPCA staff should be notified immediately. For specific information regarding petroleum contamination that may remain at this leak site, please call the SRS File Request Program at 651/297-8499. The MPCA fact sheet #3.35 Leak/Spill and Underground Storage Tank File Request Form (April 1996) must be completed prior to arranging a time for file review. Thank you for your response to this petroleum tank release and for your cooperation with the MPCA to protect public health and the environment. if you have any questions regarding this letter, please call me at 651/297-8581. Sincerely, r y�., 1 J Jelil Abdella Project Manager Site Remediation Section Metro District JA:tf cc: Laurie Ahrens, City Clerk, Plymouth Richard Kline, Fire Chief, Plymouth Greg Lie, Hennepin County Solid Waste Officer Timothy McGlennen, GME Consultants, Minneapolis Minnesota Department of Commerce Petrofund Staff Plymouth News City of Plymouth 3400 Plymouth Bled. Plymouth, MN 55447-t482 Dear PIV1110.tth News, Ros..iyn Tuy U.W.-Stout 234 KranZLISCh '-1.111 i`.renomonie, W1 54751 My name is Roselyn Tuy, and 1 have been a resident of the city of Plymotah for eighteen years. i am v,ritin , to you in concern of the recent attention that the Ea`,':e La; s 1 ore:,t�; has uained w[thin the recent months. The latest media has reported that ti:;, old and sacred forest was to be cut down and cleared for more streets and condominiums. This issue was presented in the Plymouth News the first geek of November. Let me tell you that the Eagle Lakes Forests has been a huge part of my life ever since I was a little girl. It is a place that holds special meaning for not only me but others as well. I'm sure all of us would like to have our children experience this joy as well. It would sadden me to see the old and beautiful forest cut down. And for what? So there can be a few more homes to build in our already crowded city? Our city is already covered with homes and shopping centers. Where did all of the nature go? It may only take only hours to cut down this forest, but it will take hundred of years for it to re -grow to its original size. I would like to see the Eagle Lakes Forests saved from construction and preserved in its natural state. My family and neighbors love our city and encourage others to write about their concern .,�,...r..-. .,J .,1..1.-. . c other information concerning the Eagle Lakes Forests. Sincerely, Roselyn Tuy 00 n a