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2009-01-30 Friday NewsJanuary 30, 2009 Le Cordon Bleu This Thursday afternoon the Le Cordon Bleu celebrated its 10 -Year Anniversary in Mendota Heights. Le Cordon Bleu is a College of Culinary Arts that was begun in France over 100 years ago. Mendota Heights is lucky to be the location of their first school in America. (They have now begun other schools all over the US). Mayor Huber, along with Councilmember's Schneeman, Krebsbach and Duggan were all at the event. Mayor Huber and other dignitaries all gave presentations congratulating the School on their success, after the speeches a long blue ribbon was stretched out to be cut. (Le Cordon Blue means "the Blue Ribbon"). After the presentations and ribbon cutting ceremony, we were given a tour of the facility, shown demonstrations and were treated to some tasty samples of their work. DCC Celebrates 1 Year This week the DCC celebrated their "one year of consolidation of operation" Anniversary. with an open house on Monday and Friday. I was unable to attend, but Mike Aschenbrener I represented the City. I called Kent Therkelson, Executive Director to tell him that I could- n't come and to thank him for a good year and he gave me the following stats on their op- eration since inception. • Their process times are faster than before consolidation: 6.8/secs is their average pick up time (6 secs/ring cycle); 0125-128secs for a PD process time and 93-118 Asecs for an FD process time. Y 376, 451 dispatch events 354, 526 incoming calls • 162,000-911 calls (46%) NThey are doing this with fewer than their 52 authorized dispatchers. (They do not currently E have their full complement of authorized dispatchers). There were 57 dispatchers before the consolidation. W Sympathies to Dan SOur thoughts go out to Councilmember Mary Jeanne Schneeman's husband Dan for the loss of his brother George. George Schneeman was an artist (see articles attached) He and his wife and children lived in Italy and New York City. George passed away at the age of 75. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Schneemans in this time of their sorrow. January 30, 2009 I. I I , , I I " I City Council Meeting 2-3-08 7:00 Park & Recreation Commission Meeting 2-10-08 6:30 Airports Relations Commission Meeting 2-11-08 7:00 Presidents Day 2-16-08 Office Closed City Council Meeting 2-17-08 7:00 Planning Commission Meeting 2-24-08 7:00 FEITMIMII�� :f ;- Just the Facts, Pipeline, City Council Agenda, Southwest Review Article "Council advances Mendota Plaza makeover", StarTribune.com Article "MAC OKs Delta deal for jobs and bond payoff', NINSUN Ar- ticle "Mendota Heights: Mendota Plaza redevelopment given preliminary green light", Info on George Schneeman and the Friday Fax. - - --------- Five-day forecast, ------- ........... .... Tuesday Wednesday . ....... .......... ... ......... .......... Tomorrow Sunday Monday Jan 31 Fair 330 21° Feb 01 Clear - ] 26 0 0: 161 Feb 02 Flurries 140 10 Feb 03 Cloudy / PM Sun 10: 'L -110 1 Feb 04 PM Clouds 19° go 0. Stay warm and have a great weekend!! 11*%7 January 30, 2009 1/30/2009 q9 Ae T`ie latest r�ervs�rv� the �fev��'ota afei9�ts j'otite �e�artlne�ct The` Mendota't x Heights "Police :f Department Support r Kiln Heiuiing Sandie Rist.aie Snsan Donovan Cathy"Ransoin w: Becky Pentel Dakota County MADD Honors Police Officers On Sunday January 25th, 2009 Dakota County Mothers Against Drunk eri 11 Mw 1� Drivers (MADD) honored 20 individual and 11 businesses and local 7. y P y'' governments for their work in combating drunk driving. Recipients from ScottPatiick.our city included: Bobby`Latnbert. Sergeant Neil Garlock was honored for his work on the Dakota Tanner Spicer . • County Traffic Safety Committee, Todd Ross& Clod Willson ° Officer Mike Shepard was honored for arresting the most DUI s in jeffUonFeldt Mendota Heights, and Jeff Vii nFelt . ` • MH City Attorney William Bernard was honored for his diligence in eye:<Denise`Urrrmarin prosecuting drunk drivers in the City of Mendota Heights. Michael Shepard The award winners' names will now be forwarded to the MN MADD Peyton Flenvng Awards Committee for consideration at the state level. Congratulations and good luck; Neil, Mike and Bill! School Resource Officer False Report 1-22-09 1644 hours jennyFordhain Officer Shepard was dispatched on a report of auto tampering at a local Investigations business. Officer Lambert advised Officer Shepard he had a similar Mai7o Reyes report the week before at the same location. Further investigation of 1✓itic,Petersei the area and discussion with the reporting party soon made it clear that the details were a little off. The complainant was evidently fearing Sergeants some people were "after her" but refused any further assistance or Neil Garlock'; discussion on the topic. Officers cleared. Joluz Larrive: Bnan Gonveiq Suspicious Activiy 01-23-09 2157 hours Officer Fleming responded to a local residence where the reporting ,Chief party had heard a loud explosion outside of a window. Upon arrival, he Mike learned that while the complainant was in the basement of the A schenbren e• , -1- 1/30/2009 residence when she heard a |OUd explosion. Upon inspection a ob«Sbc two liter pop bottle was located. It appeared that the suspect(s) made a device using unknown SUbetoOcee and caused g Chan)im]| naocUoO resulting in a |OUd bong. (8nnneOne`obeen watching K88oGyVern+runS|) Photos were taken, case forwarded tOinvestigations. Warrant Arrest O1-26-Og3220 hours While on patrol {}ffioR[ Denise Unnann pulled out of parking lot behind a car and ran an in Squad computer check OD the vehicle; the registered ovvDe[/RD\ only had g learner's perDit, and a bonus: two warrants for her onnot. The car was stopped and when Office[ UrrnmnD approached. She asked the driver ifshe was the F{C>, she replied she was. [}ffioer UrnnenD advised that the driver of her driving status and ofand the two warrants. The driver said she was aware because two police officers came to her house earlier in the day and informed her of her arrest warrants. One of the warrants was for driving an uninsured vehicle; of cnuna8, this car didn't have insurance either. None of her passenger friends had a valid |ioone8 either (good idea, just let the i||8Qe| one drive). The driver was arrested and Cited for the violations. She was transported to the Dakota CoUDb/ Jail where they located 8 third juvenile warrant for False |Dfo[mebOn to Police and Theft. Apparently the young lady had|e8rnodtobehoneetvvithfhepo|ioo.bUtvvoasti|)|earniDgtobe|am+abidinQ. Theft 01-25-D9133Ghours Victim reported that his wallet was taken from his unlocked |Ocko[ in the lunch FVorn at work. He stated he placed his wallet in the locker at the beginning of his shift and failed to lock his lockers. He discovered it DlieniOg at his break time. The wallet contained a oOla|| amount ofmoney, 8oCi@| Security Card and several credit cards. He stated that all the credit cards have been cancelled and there was no activity on the cards. Red Flag means free mail W1-2G-Q9212Ghours Victim reported to Sergeant Brian CoOverythat she placed all her bill payments in the mai} box at 0800 hoU[S, put the red flag Up and left the nl8i| for the carrier to pick up. The victim later noticed activity on her checking account that was suspicious and checked the online images of her checks. The checks posted and cleared were no longer made out to the persons she had attempted to pay. The checks were taken from her mail box, acid washed and reissued to new payees. Aposaib|e suspect has been identified and the case has been assigned to Investigator Eric Petersen. *Moral of this story: the red flag really means steal me and can make you the victim of a crime. When anything ofvalue orinvolving your identity needs tobesent, use safe mailing resources! Fraud O1-27-Q913Y0hours Officer Scoff Patrick met with the victim of credit card fraud in the lobby of MHPD. The victim advised that about e month earlier she had n credit card taken when her car was broken into. The damage and theft were reported tOGolden Valley Police Department. |Dthe past few days her card was used in Mendota Heights to charge eove[@| hundred dollars worth of property. The victim told Officer Patrick that she learned from the credit card company that they had issued o PIN number for the stolen card. *Moral ofthis story: take the time to password protect your credit cards Burglary/Theft Q1-28-091423hours Officer OeOiaa Unn8nD responded to 8 local residence to meet with the victim who was rn|eSiDQ some jewelry. The victim stated that in December She had hidden the jewelry in the house and Ulan went into the hospital for on extended period of time, When She returned from the hospital she had home health Cone and house cleaners. Apparently they cleaned very thoroughly. The victim recruited several family members to help her check and make sure the items were not just moved (they put the Winter Carnival Medallion hunters to shame!). The items were very well documented and will be traceable should the thief attempt tosell the items. Turned over toinvestigations. -2- NEWS LETTER Public Works Enciiineering, Code Enforcement Public Works January 30, 2009 The Parks Crew flooded, swept, and checked the rinks and warming houses daily. They cleaned pedways and parking lots of snow. They repaired the alternator on the 1 ton truck and changed out the batteries. Rich checked the manholes on Pilot Knob Road after Dakota County cleaned them from their reconstruction project. He also checked the manhole in Town Center - this one is shallow at 4.5 feet and added salt to the line to prevent ice from building up in the sanitary sewer line. There was some ice in the manhole and frost is down to four feet. He took the gas monitor in for its yearly check up and calibration. The Streets Crew pushed snow away from the fire hydrants in the business park area of Mendota Heights Road from Dodd Road to Delaware Avenue and the Huber Drive fire hydrant at Friendly Hills Middle School. The salt and sand was dumped out of all plow trucks and the boxes and sanders power washed. John Ambrose made up and welded brackets for the police department and installed them. Snow Event for the Week: Date: Amount: Response; 1-29-09 Dusting Early start (3:00 a.m.) plow all mains and sanded as needed John attended the annual city engineer's conference. This conference is a three day event covering the latest issues facing city engineers. Sam and Ryan met with a soil consultant for the 2009 reconstruction project on Hunter Lane. The consultant, Stork Testing, will be drilling eight (8) borings throughout the neighborhood. Soil borings are used as a guide in the design of the streets to minimize soil corrections during construction and to spec a thick enough pavement section to supports vehicle traffic. Attachment See attached article "Flaky weather puts roads on low -salt diet in Minneapolis" from the Star Tribune. StarTkibunefile Flakyweather puts roads ®n low. -salt diet in Minneapolis ByJOYPOWELL • jpoweU@startribune.com Two straight snowy and icywinters mean some cities are running low on rocksaltfor roads and others are brac- ing for increased costs. Minneapolis has put itself on a "low -salt diet;' as one official said, and Burnsville may soon be forced to switch to a sand -salt mixture, which may not work as well in extreme cold and requires spring cleanup. The state Department ofTYanspor- tation has enough salt on hand and . available under contract, however, to finish offthe winter, officials said. In Burnsville, the supply is half gone and the city can't get more under its contract with the state, said Public Works Director Bud Osmundson. "if we have another month like Decem- her,we'll be spreading a lot ofsalt and sand," Osmundson said. Sand is costly to sweep up andbacuum out of storm sewers, he said. Mike Kennedy, a public works di- rector for Minneapolis, said the pat- tern ofl-to 2 -inch snowfalls has been expensive, with more overtime re- quired and need for salt and sand. "We just have these continuous smaller events, and that's harder on us both budgetarily and as far as materials. usage and stafftime than to have a cou- ple ofbig snowfalls;' Kennedysaid Minneapolis officials saw the pat- ternunfolding and are using salt more judiciously"because we didn't want to run out in mid-February," he said That has happened in the past, he said, and the city has had to buy salt at a higher price. But this year, because ofnation- wide salt shortages, the city is among those rationing, he.said. In Apple Valley, higher salt con- sumption could lead to budget issues, said Public Works Director Todd Blomstrom. "It'll strain the budgets as we get toward the end of this year and. into next season," Blomstrom said. Metro cities aren't the only ones dealing with the problem. Dick Hanneman of the Salt Institute, a Vir- gima group representing salt compa- nies, said national demand for rock salt was way up last year, and some states bought much more for this year, which drew down supplies. Cargill's Deicing. Technology.divi- sion is mining salt as quickly as it can, with workers mining six days a week, said Mark Klein, a company spokes- man. Cargill has salt mines in Ohio,. Louisiana and New York CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA February 3, 2009 — 7:00 P.M. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Pledge of Allegiance 4. Agenda Adoption 5 Approval of the January 6th & 20th 2008, City Council Minutes. 6. Consent Calendar a. Acknowledgement of the Minutes from the January 27, 2009 Planning Commission Meeting. b. Acknowledgement of the January 2008 Building Activity Report. c. Authorization for Purchase of Toro Groundsmaster for Parks d. Authorization for Purchase of Copier Replacement. e. Approval of Probationary Period of Andy Quinlan, Maintenance Worker 1 f. Adoption of Resolution No. 09-12: "RESOLUTION AWARDING A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS AT INTERSECTION OF STATE TRUNK HIGHWAY 110 AND DODD ROAD (STH 149) AND PROVIDING NOTICE TO PROCEED g. Adoption of Resolution No. 09-13: "RESOLUTION FORMALLY ACKNOWLEDGING THE RECEIPT OF THE GIFT FROM MIKE AND SHANNON PARKOS TO THE CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS h. Adoption of Resolution No. 09-14: "RESOLUTION ACCEPTING FEASIBILITY REPORT AND CALLING FOR A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE 2009 IMPROVEMENT PROJECT'. h. Adoption of Ordinance 420: "AN ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE12, CHAPTER 1 OF THE CITY CODE i. Adoption of Ordinance 421: "AN ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE 11 OF THE MENDOTA HEIGHTS CITY CODE TO INCLUDE CHAPTER 6, STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, ILLICIT DISCHARGE DETECTION AND ELIMINATION, SOIL EROSION AND SEDIMENTATION'. j. Approval of the List of Contractors k. Approval of the List of Claims 7. Public Comments 8. Public Hearing Request for Alley Vacation 9. Unfinished and New Business a. Case 09-02: Paul & Megan Plum, 1933 Dodd Road —Variance to Front Yard Setback. Resolution No. 09-15: A RESOLUTION APPROVING A 25 FOOT I VARIANCE TO THE FRONT YARD SETBACK FOR 1933 DODD ROAD'. I b. Review of Zoning Code. c. Discussion of Critical Area Bill. 10. Council Comments 11. Adjourn Auxiliary aids for persons with disabilities are available upon request at least 120 hours in advance. If a notice of less than 120 hours is received, the City of Mendota Heights will make every attempt to provide the aids, however, this may not be possible on short notice. Please contact City Administration at 452-1850 with requests. This meeting is being taped by NDC4 (651-450-9891) and will replay on Friday at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on the NDC4 Government Channel 18 MINT ,0 0 CLOSE E. _ ��'8"� NEW, aes � c� ffll SouflxwestReviewNews-com Monday.00 Council advances Mendota Plaza makeover Danielle Cabot Review Staff Monday, January 26, 2009 From a bleak white strip mall into an elegant commercial destination, Mendota Plaza has been approved for its extreme makeover. Developers received the green light last week to break ground on the project at Dodd Road and Highway 110, which has taken months if not years of planning to win over the Mendota Heights City Council and Planning Commission. "We all invested a lot of time in this, and it's going to be a great amenity to the city," said Council Member Sandra Krebsbach. "It's been slow, but you know, it took a long time to get the village defined as well," said Council Member Jack Vitelli. Sticking points have been the preservation of wetlands, the size of a four-story senior housing development, the types of signage allowed, and the architectural details of the center. A stand-alone Walgreens, an 8,000 -square -foot restaurant space, 12,000 -square -feet of retail with up to seven tenants, a childcare business and a three-story office building will round out the complex. Council members have been strong advocates for preserving a natural water stream and the surrounding wetlands in the plans. The site will also include flourishes like a walking path, boulevard -like trees, detailed landscaping, pond fountains, and benches, for what Council Member Ultan Duggan said he hoped would be a "pastoral" ambience. "The greenway amenity is well thought out and will certainly add to the pleasure of anyone who visits the project," said Council Member Mary Jeanne Schneeman. Admitting he was undecided going into the meeting, Duggan said while the project was not perfect, the developers had presented a good case for why the project had the best interests of Mendota Heights in mind. Vitelli said he was more than satisfied with the plans and was eager to get construction started. "I will support the way things stand." Vitelli said the owners of the property, Paster Enterprises, have done a good job of fulfilling the requests of the council. "It has been a long process but I think we've gotten there," said Mayor John Huber, who also noted that the desires of the council only go so far. "I think we also need to understand and respect the rights of the landowners." The council has taken great pains to ensure that any future changes by the developers that are not in alignment with the proposal the council approved on Jan. 20 will have to go through the city first. While the mayor said he was optimistic that won't be necessary, a developer's agreement and the nature of the permitting process will give the council "a pretty big stick," Huber explained. "We're very happy," said Ken Hank, director of development and construction with Paster. "We weren't sure how it was going to go." A developer's agreement and loose ends will be finalized for March, said Henk, and construction is on target to begin in early spring. Danielle Cabot can be reached at southwest@lillienews.com or 651-748-7815. Content © 2009 Software © 1998-2009 1UPI Software, All Rights Reserved bunexom I MINNEAPOLIS -ST,PAUL, MINNESOTA MAC OKs Delta deal for jobs and bond payoff BxLIZ FEDORStar Tribune January 28.2OO9 With adeep recession aaits economic backdrop, the MetropolitanAirports Commission (MAC) on Monday easily approved a deal with Delta Air Lines that will retain 10,000 airline 'obs in Minnesota through 2016. The MAC endorsed a complicated deal that links job and air service commitments to the timetable for paying off $245million inbond debt owed bvNorthwest Airlines. Delta, which acquired Northwest in October, will have to pay off Northwest's debt by 2016, six years earlier than under the original deal. But the airports commission won't penalize Delta for closing Northwest's headquarters in Eagan within the next few years when the merger is fully consummated. The agreement also requires Delta tomaintain ahub atK8inneapo|is-8t Paul International Airport and operate at least 400 flights a day through 2020. The air service level is locked in for e longer period of time, because the hub covenant is included in the airline's terminal lease. "We would love to have the Delta headquarters based in Minnesota," said MAC Chairman Jack Lannene. But he told the commission that since the world's largest airline will be based in Atlanta that he and MAC staff negotiators focused on getting as many 'ob, air service and business oonnnoitnneOta as possible from Delta. |nthe 18S2bond agreement, Northwest had tooffer *dleast 187daily flight departures from the TvVO [|hUeS. The new do8| sets the FOiDiDlU[O at 400, which is slightly lower than what Northwest and Delta now offer. Tom Anderson, K8/\C general counoe|, testified at Minnesota Senate hearing last week that the two carriers operated 456 daily flights in August. Northwest's peak operations are in the summer, so the number of flights being flown this winter ig lower. In a statement, Delta CEO Richard Anderson said he believes the deal is "good for the state of Minnesota, the traveling public and our employees who live" in Minnesota. In addition tothe job and air service commitments, Delta agreed to specify which business activities it will continue to operate in Minnesota. Delta will preserve Northwest's pilot and flight attendant baaeo, reservation centers in Chisholm and the Twin Citioe, the pilot training and technology centers in Eagan and the headquarters of Mesaba Airlines. During the negotiations with MAC staff, Delta also agreed to relocate the headquarters of Compass Airlines, which flies Embraer regional 'ato. from Virginia to Minnesota. In addition, the Twin Cities will become the headquarters for the management of Delta's regional airlines. The executives who now oversee Delta's many regional carriers are based in Atlanta. The merged carrier plans to locate many of its executives to a Delta North office building atthe Twin Cities airport, The MAC will be naDOVa[Dg VVhEd is OOVV called Building {}. the white Northwest building and hangar near the 34th Avenue exit off of Interstate 494. The MAC -Delta agreement was approved Monday 8-1.with one abstention. Four commissioners were not present for the vote. Thirteen ofthe 15MAC commissioners were appointed bvGovTlrn Pawlenty."The governor's office has expressed full support of this agreement," Lanners said Monday. Hovvever. Paxv|entv'o backing of the deal became public before the Minnesota Legislature held hearings last week. Commissioner Paul Rehkamp abstained from the vote. Rehkamp, who first was appointed tothe MAC in1SR3bvformer Gov. Arne Carlson, said hecould only recall one other time when a "governor preempted" the commission. The Legislature does not need to ratify the deal, according to the Minnesota Senate's The lone vote against the deal came from Dan Bokin.who represents Minneapolis K8myorRT. Rvbokonthe K8/\C. Bokvin said the commission had conceded too much to Delta and that hethinks the MAC has little leverage with the new Delta, except for withholding concessions revenue ifthe carrier violates anagreement. The majority ofyes voters expressed views such oathose ofLisa Pei|en.who said, "At the end of the day, we are better off with this [agreement] than without it." Commissioner Mike Landymd|ed ita"good"but "not fabulous" deal, and he added that hehopes the new Delta iesuccessful because the airport's financial health iutied to Delta. /\eDelta makes its bond payments through 2D16.the money will gohothe bond holders. It cannot be used by the Legislature or the MAC for government spending. Liz Fedor ,612-673-77O9 @2O09Star Tribune. All rights reserved. 44 enanrrURity rteWSPaPQrs MNMSUN Print: Page Mendota Heights: Mendota Plaza redevelopment given preliminary green light BY MEGAN ANDERSON - SUN NEWSPAPERS (Created: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 10:14 PM CST) After hammering out the details, Paster Enterprises finally got the response it was looking for concerning the Mendota Plaza redevelopment. The Mendota Heights City Council moved forward with the redevelopment at its meeting Tuesday, Jan. 20, approving 5-0 resolutions for rezoning, a wetlands permit, a conditional use permit, a preliminary plat and a preliminary planned unit development. The council has worked with Paster for more than a year on redevelopment plans for the shopping center at 750 Highway 110. For the first phase of the redevelopment, Paster plans to renovate the existing Plaza building, add a 14,000 square - foot Walgreens, 8,000 square -foot restaurant building and a 12,000 square -foot retail building. Future phases will include office buildings, a four-story residential building and a childcare building. Details about housing design and landscaping remained sticking points at a joint Planning Commission and council meeting Jan. 6. The council requested renderings of the housing component, said Jake Sedlacek, assistant to the city administrator. Since the Jan. 6 meeting, he said, Paster has provided different perspectives of the four-story housing building. The height of the proposed four-story housing building was an issue with some members of the council. Four -stories leave the building pretty open-ended, Mayor John Huber said. "I think we're looking for a little clarity beyond saying a four-story building," Huber said. Councilmember Jack Vitelli said the council should consider the balance of what's economically feasible for the developer. Ken Henk from Paster Enterprises said It would be sufficient to limit it to a four-story, 65 -foot maximum building. Whether the planned unit development is the right fit with Mendota Heights' character and if the zoning is consistent with the area were things that the council had to consider, Sedlacek said. Ensuring that all the details were met, particularly in future phases, was a concern of the council. The next step in the process, Sedlacek said, is further negotiations of the developer agreement. "That is one of the tools that we will have from here going forward," he said. City Attorney Tami Diehm said anything different from the developer's agreement is an amendment to that and would need to be considered by the council. Sedlacek said the planning application, design criteria, final PUD and plat are all public record, "which we can look at any future time and say, 'this development is not what we were sold at the council meeting."' The council also has to approve the final plat and PUD for the redevelopment, he said. "It's been a long process, but I think headway has been made," Henk said. "There's been a lot of give and take." While it has taken a long time, Vitelli said Paster has responded to all the council's requests. "I'm excited about this plan," he said. "I'm anxious to see you move ahead with this." Councilmember Mary Jeanne Schneeman said she was happy with most of the plans. "But I will admonish you to do what you say you're going to do," she said. "I will happily endorse the project." "It has been a long process, but I think we've gotten there," Huber said. (You are invited to comment about this story on our website at www.mnsun.com and/or write a letter to the editor at suncurrentsouth@acnpapers.com.) This site and Its contents Copyright @ 2007. Sun Newspapers - Main Office: 952-829-0797 suninfo@acnpapers.com - rr w�gurcrK ARTIST'S BIO GEORGESCHNEEK8AN Biographical Information Born March 11.1934.St. Paul, MN U.S.Army 1Q58-80 Residences: Tuscany i958-G6.New York City 1S8G-preoand Married, with two children Education BA, Philosophy and Literature, St. Mary's College, Winona, MN 27/1/2009 George Schneeman (1934 — 2009) Filed under: . general — site admin @ 5:45 pm This just in from Ron Padgett: I have the saddest news. Last night our friend George died. From a fall weeks ago, and the resultant concussion, George was slowly bleeding internally in his skull, which caused him to behave more and more strangely. A CAT scan showed clotting andpooling of blood around the brain. Two operations cleaned out the areas and we all expected a full recovery. His vital signs were all good. Then last night around 3 a.m. his heart stopped and he could not be revived. Throughout his hospitalization he didn't seem to be in the slightest pain. People here are rushing to Katie's aid. Their son Paul has been wonderfully strong and steady. L...ALLY'S ALLEY JUST ANOTHER sX'JxZz'MU8cIAN/ PRoTo'w4pPEn/JEKScY'|R|sH'POcT'4[Ton/PP|NT' JUMms/RLM'n4PTon/osAT'H|PsT[n'^vYH|Ts NEsRo^-RHxPsOo|zcR/cX'H|pp|E'PuNK''60s' n4o|cAL'onoAw|zsR's TAKE ON ALL THINGS CULTURAL, POLITICAL, sp|n|TUxL u 4osxxNo|z|Ns TUESDAY, JANUARY 27. 2009 There's noexplaining death. |tsucks no matter when itcomes tosomeone vvecare about. | cared about George. GeorgeSchneenan lived the life ofan artist in a way few do anymore. He painted, made cottages, drew, used watercolors, sculpted, made plates and vases (as frisky and indelible auany antique Greek pottery, more _'' Sol did frescoes even, pretty much anything an artist could do with actual materials, he did. And it was always engaging, entertaining, and often enlightening in ways the work didn't project so that it was always a surprise. | love his work. And | loved him. | doubt inany way hecould ever undemtand, or even knew. He's best known in the downtown St. Mark's poetry scene ofthe past almost half century asanartist who tent his skills tothe covers ofmany books ofpoetry and tittle magazines, and as the best friend of the poet (and godfather in many ways ofthat scene) Ted 8erhgan. Ted was someone who had a lot of friends, many, | suspect' who To respond toa post jus hit ^comments"atthe end ofiLand feet free towait. SOME SITES MY WORK IS ON DR COMMENTED UH best americanpoetry blog doug tang's tally post NPR Bookworm interview Last Night e1the KGB Dar times square videos u.pennsound La\k/-Obama'PnvveKmash up dougtang's dcpoetry history mipoesias innisfreopoetry journal the brnnklynrail dc poetry history |MDb (as Michael David Lally Etwith some incorrect info) ABOUT ME MICHAEL LxLcY MYLIFE 2(this won't accept tags ur tine breaks sn''/'' stands for a line break and ^//^for astanza break) When }was iO'/ | thought | was ^|rish'^ / even though |was/ born in the USA.// When | was 20,/ | thought | was "Black," / even though my skin / is pink Et freckled, / my hair is straight,/ and thought they were his "best" (there were times when even | felt | have no/ African ancestry. that way). But from myobservations and from Ted's comments, it When |vvas 30,/ | thought | was George Ted most often considered his best friend. was "queer,"/ even though | was/ marriedandhad/tv/ochiidren' When Ted died, George led the parade around the Lower East Side and/ all myfantasies/ Et obsessions commemorating Ted's life, carrying e big banner that was actually Et com-/ pulsions Et attractions/ a painting George did of Ted. At [east that's the way | heard it; | were and had always/ been about was on the West Coast atthe time and couldn't make the women. // When } was 4O./ | celebration. thought | was a/ "movie star," even/ though the movies/ were I know George missed Ted. As he must have missed his son Elio terrible, and/ | was terrible in/ terribly, a wonderful poet who died too young. them, and almost/ no one knew them'/orwho | might/ have been | never knew what was going through Geroge'smind when | inthem.//When | was 50'/ | encountered him. | always felt like myexuberance and sometimes thought | was/ "en hghtened,^even/ tactless overexcited response tomost nflife amused him. though | wasn't.// But ofcourse | was/ and am—en hghtened,/as| But after living out in the L.A. area for almost twenty years and was and stilt am/ —an Irish -Black'/ then returning tnthe East' atmyfirst event, abook party if| Queer -Movie- Star. remember correctly, } encountered alot nfpeople from the 196Os VIEW myCOMPLETE PROFILE and '70s St. Mark's poetry scene and my emotions reacted to them before mymind even registered who they were. SOME OF MY oo0x3 (rt 4 co) It was almost childish | suppose' but some people | had no feelings MARCH 18' 2003 (Charta/ijbeKum) for at all, and at least one there was a slight feeling of revulsion IT TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE (Black for. But inseveral cases, George among them, myheart just Sparrow) overflowed with affection the minute | spied them' | was just plain IT'S NOT NOSTALGIA (Black happy tosee them, nomatter how they felt about seeing meafter Sparrow) snmany years. OF(Quiet Lion) CANT GEWRONG (Coffee House) Partly that affection was aresult ofGeorge's art. |Lhad the kind of infectious charm that Joe Broinard'»art also has, where ifitgets WHAT YOU FIND THERE (Naw to you, it can dowhatever itwants, like a child you adore who can Alliance cd) HOLLYWOOD MAGIC (Little Caesar) donowrong. ATTITUDE (Hanging Loose) Anything George created, ) dug. | have his art all over my CATCH MY BREATH (Salt Lick) apartment' mostly stuff hc gave me' or his youngest son Emit gave JUST LET ME DO IT (Vehicle) me, or | bought from his last show ofcottages that was one of the DUES (Stonewall) best shows I've ever seen. ROCKY DIES YELLOW (Blue Wind) George didn't have regular gallery shows. Aafar aa | know he didn't have aregular gallery (though not long ago Tibor deNa8y cHc[x OUT THESE had a small show ofcottages he did with poets—starting from the aLnsS/s|Tcs 196Ostomore recent ones),Hedidn't care about that stuff THE J|08ONWEED GAZETTE reason | dug him somuch, | felt akinship to that kind of BIRTH DFTHE COOL approach, the do -you r -work- the -way-you -want and get it to people MY ALASKAN ADVENTURES you care about and don't bother with all the schmoozing JAM|BB0G and "networking" and compromise and whatever else you have to PAUL'S ART dotoforge ties with those with power in the art or poetry or mbkog movie orany other y/or\d). ANight Light works of art, each and every one ofthem (| had last year's collage SiKiman's 8iog George created a life that was perfect for an artist. In the old days Mark Terrill his day 'obvvasteaching English to immigrants. But hehad a rent' dadavi|ie ' control apartment on St. Marks Place, right in the heart ofthe dou8iang'sdcpoetrybiog action that made the 1960s the 1960s—and ditto for the following d«ugia»Qsfimbi»g decadea. Even now, the street reflects the times inways no other NOTES part of the city does. E'NOTES word (the accompanying photo doesn't illustrate this point that fait accompli He also had a place in the Italian countryside' where he could g» THE DAILY TRADING RISK with his beloved and beautiful wife Katie, for some REtR from city CURMUDGEON: AN UNLIKELY ARMY life. He loved Italy. Atot ofhis art reflected that Love. One ofhis CHAPLAIN recent shows—at CUE, if | remember correcdy—vvosoflandscapes Nothing toSay Et Saying It he'd done of the Tuscan was i[? countryside. Beautifully CHARLES LAMBERT understated reflections of the peace those vistas obviously gave BELGIAN WAFFLE him. The Best American Poetry (bio8) George was also famous among his friends for the calendar he FrigginFabulous Radio made each year, it was always a print of one of his latest works of RICK PARKER'S COMICS Et STORIES art with the twelve months hand lettered and below each a TERENCEVV|NCH handmade box with the dotes of each month delineated. Complete EAST OF WEST LA (Kevin works of art, each and every one ofthem (| had last year's collage McCollister) one framed, and this year's has a reproduction ofone ofhis |taUan Mark Terrill Landscapes). JOE8RA|N4RD Rain Worthington, Composer Georg�vvas a beautiful mon asvveK. Handsome' yes' but delicate, G] Sculpture aterm | doubt he'd want used butnonetheiess hisgood looks ' ' Chio Flores were delicate, not just best ' ' $iaverY word (the accompanying photo doesn't illustrate this point that well, aoifyou never saw him in person, yuu'U have to Lake my PENN30UND erictruies.com word for it). MIND HONEY | liked his smite and his playfulness. | always felt hewas teasing me Fool's Paradise for my crazy life, changing day jobs and hving quarters and REAL CLEAR POLITICS partners and even ways ufapproaching myown art (poetry and Speaking ofFaith other writing, etc.) so often most people gave up trying to make Times Square sense of it. Like | said, my approach to things, including life, RALEIGH ROBINSON seemed toamuse him. But hewas earnest when howould explain his own set up, how he eLVa xx[x|vc could get byonlittle enough tomake itpossible for him hodevote POSTS BY ROUGH [xTsnson|cs most ofhis time to his art without interference from agents or politics (253) gallery owners critics oranyoneebevhohedidn'tcaneabout . MEDIA BIAS movies (115) And hevvasequaUxearnestv/henhevvouk]exokanacer�hn lists (100) ' technique he was using to create that art (his studio was in his not to be forgotten or underrated ( apartment' there was noseparation between his art and the rest 89) of his life as far as | could see). quotas (76) suzonneg poetry (55) Myguess iuhis work isgoing tobecome more and more valuable music (45) now that he's gone. | suspect some enterprising gallery (hopefully personal history (40) one as committed asTibor de Nagy) will curate show that will Ty (]O) demonstrate for anyone who doesn't already know, the breadth of Art (25) George's talent and the delight he obviously took in exercising it, a spirituality (19) delight that is contagious when you're standing in front nfone of fiction and other prose (16) the results of one of the many approaches he took to creating art. doknow that hemeant aLot our family and wit( bosorely missed. PHOTOGRAPHS (15) In the meantime' keep Katie and George's surviving sons—Pauiand overrated (12) Emil—and grandsons—Luke and Mark—in your thoughts and prayers family history (3) as|will. stage (3) science (2) F4_1— � — POSTED BY LALLYAT ]'1� p� � holiday wish (1) 4 COMMENTS: Todd Colby sadd.. eLVa xx[x|vc Beautiful. Thank you. Hewas a great artist and kindman, There 7 2009 (27) are atot ofusthat were touched by him—we'll. miss him. VJanuary (27) JANUARY 27, 2009 B:48:0OPMEST MEDIA BIAS ATGEORGE EtKATIE'S Anonymous said... GEORGESCHNEEM4N R.I. | P. How sweet toread about Ted's best friend and your relationship "PRAISE SONG" DEBATE with him. Thanks. ANANSWER TO CONSERVATIVE CRITICISM suzonneg CHANGELING JANUARY 28, 2009 2:06:00 AM EST NOW THEY'RE WORRIED POLITICAL "HERUES"LIST Lucy 5chnecmansaid... QUOTE FOR THE DAY Although | did not get to know my grandfathers brother very well, | doknow that hemeant aLot our family and wit( bosorely missed. OHHAPPY DAY (part 3) Ww father and | got to go visit George and Katie last spring— they OH HAPPY DAY (part 2) had us over for dinner and spoke with my excitement for their OH HAPPY DAY (part 1) upcoming trip toItaly. |feet truly blessed for that trip now. THAT FEELING 'Lucy5chneeman STAND BYUS JANUARY 28, 20096:O3:OOP0\EST DOUG LANG AND PHOTOGRAPHY stevensaid... SOME GOOD NEWS ATLAST George was my second father when | moved to NYC age seventeen ANOTHER LIST and first lived on his block --I always felt truly welcome in his REVOLUTIONARY ROAD apartment (which was usually fitted with ongoing projects) and THE WRESTLER gladly soospart ofthe.extendedfamily ofpoets that stopped by GOLDEN GLOBES at[ the time to give him inspiration''but none was more inspiring to S|N4TRA Et 8ONO him (or to me) than his wife and favorite subject Katie and to AS FRIEND Et 2666 watch their love atwork was towitness the reaithinQ''a privilege QUICK THANKS and joy tobehoid—|was lucky toknow him—andblessed tobehis LAST MINUTE REMINDER friend --Steven Hatt COWBOYS EtINDIANS JANUARY 29, 20004:55:O0p0\EST MASTERING THE MELON THE CURIOUS CASE OF Post oComment BENJAMIN BUTTON LINKS TO THIS POST> 2008(36O) > 2007 (300) SiiUmnrbBhg �,- 2006 (32) 8iazeYOX [bkogoscope] 8k/gArchke ^ George ,., farfalla press: George Schneeman 1934-2009 Create a Link Newer Post Home Older Post Jan 23 Z009 17:57:22 Via Fax -> GS14SZO940 Administrator Page 001 of 006 _Erich -YFax"M ,-I ',veelcly legislative 1412date-froin the Leagnw qf'Minnesota Cities First LGA and MVRC—are pension aids now on the chopping block? At the Wednesday hearing of the l4guge Prf,)Zeijy Tax and L cat Sales, TaxDivyisiojj, the committee considered an overview of the $3.4 billion in state aid and property tax relief progranis contained in. the state's budget. The discussion iticluded a broad array of programs that provide funding directly to taxpayers including the circuit breAer, reiiters refund, political contributimi refund and the tau -seting program but also included a review of programs that provide 'funding to local units of governi-nent, including local government aid (LGA), inarket value homestead credit (MVHQ, utility transition aid and. local pension aids. The overview, provided by die blouse Research Depaanwnt, indicated that tbe stage budget. apj-).rqpr1atj.oi)s for this broad category of state spending has remained nearly constant over the past 10 years, rising from $3.3 billion for the. 2000-01 biennium to an estimated $3.4 billion for the upcoming 2010-11 biennium, As a percent of the state biennial budget, this category of spending has actually declined from 13 Percent in the 2000-01 bieniij:uin to all estimated 9.4 percent for the upcoming 2010-11 bienniurn. Despite the fact that property tax aids mid credits as a broad class of state spending have hardly increased over die past 10 years, the governor and legislators appear to be poised to di5i)rOpOTd.OD.ately slas,11. funding ill fli.is area., In his state of the state address,fqy, Ycol- Paw -101, _ni, indicated that aids, to cities and counties would be out but he did not offer specific details. We currently have even -fewer details on the direction of the House mid Senate but at the Wednesday tax hearing, Rep. Arin Lericzewski (.(DFL - Bloomington) -focused her questioning on police and fire pension aids and bow they lliight be reduced because "people kind of know that probably nothing is going, to be left untouched." January 23, 2009 Page I Although LGA And MVHC were slashed in the 2003 budget balancing package, the final package of cuts did not include reductions to police aid, fire aid or the special PERA aid etiacted in 1997 that offset niandated employer contribution increase to cover a benefit irnprovement to employees. If these source.,,, of reveaue are indeed considered for bLidget-balancing cuts, cities would have more than $200 million in additional programs exposed to budget cuts for the biennium—above the $1.2 billion in LGA, MVHC reimbursetnentatid utillify transition aid appropriations that Dave been meDtioned as potential targets. Let your legislators know that property tax aids mid credits are not the cause of the state's budget deficit and remind them that cities have already been hit with $66 nii Ilion in aid reductions this past. December. We will. report the details of the governor's budget proposal in next week's Cities Bulletin and Frida.yFax, Questions? Contact Gary (.'.aP-1SO?7 at. gc!c.tr&on6Nn7c.w or 65 1,281,1255. Will the federal stimultis packagge help solve the state deficit? While legislators await next Tuesday's release of the governor's budget recommendations, the llearly $5 billion deficit is dominating virtually every conversation in and around the Capitol, As time federal stimulus package evolves, qpestions have arisen about the potential impact: on the state's budget. At this point, we have sketchy details about the US. House of Representatives' plan but little other information about the President's proposal nor the Senate plan. We believe tbat a large share of the -federal stimulus package will be directed Lit stimulating public infrastructure projects, including water, sewer, public buildings and road For more information on city ler ,,islafivc issues, conlact any ( )5 1.2 9 1, 1200 or 800,925. 1122 and www, 11M,Otg Jan 23 2009 17:58:17 Via Fax -> 6514520940 Administrator Pd9C 802 Of 006 (O'D,o, j,EAGUE of .MINNESOTA CITIES 9 -Frida..yFaxXW l m,vekly /cgiskwivc u1niatefron-i the League ofminnesota Cities projects. To the degree that these projects generate new Minnesota jobs and taxable purchases, the state general fwid will experience some positive revei)ue effects but these benefits would not likely be ininiediate, Otherwise., inucli of the benefit wil I be realized through reduced costs in the Highway User Tax Distribution Fund or in reduced state and local government debt service costs. Other portions of the stimulus package. may provide additional federal flunds for progna-ais such as Medicaid and, depending upon the .,tnicture of these allocations, they could temporarily free -up state general fund resources for other- purposes. Other portions of the House plan are being called "Fiscal Stabilization Funds" which would purportedly be partially allocated 1 .0 ' r "public safety and other govertinient services." Those funds could provide direct state and even local assistance, It is hriportant to note that the. pessimistic December state budget forecast was based on the assuinption that Congress Would enact a $200 billion sti.nuilus package it) early 2009—about one-quarter of the current size of the House proposal. This tneans that the $4.8 bill ioti deficit already assumed soine level of federal stimulus, In short, the federal stimulus package is far from complete and the specific impact on the state,q budget is yet imirnown. But it appears unlikely that the package will be a pot -of -gold that will signiflicaritly reduce the state's tl),assive 201.0- 2011 budget deficit. Quesfl(wvy? ('iaq Ca rZ. . on at Janua.ry 23, 2009 Page 2 Another reason to get rid of levy limits? With the unanticipated unallotment of $66 million in state aids and now the potential for massive additional cuts in aid and credit lleinibursen,ients for 2009 and 2010, the levy limits enacted just last: year seew. like an especially bad idea. To add insult to the aid cats—flie iinplicit price defllator f.br goverilinents that is used to adjust the levy liniits is phumneting. Early estimates suggest that the IPP will be. around 2.2 percent for 2010 levy limits ,uid 0.9 percent for 2011. These are, of course estiniates but inflation had dropped with the economy and oil prices. The League will be working to repeal levy linifts, Quesfions,�' (..onlact Gapy Carlson at cctir'.1 carr "N Tic, org or at 651.281.1255. Mn/DOT prepares for infrastructure stimulus At a Rguse. Trans.1-,)qiTation. and'rran.�Jt...Policv and OversiL,ht Division hearing this week the Mitinesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) distributed a. docunient. detailing the departnient's efforts to plan for federal stimulus funds, The document refers, to a federal economic stirnul-ag plan that Congress is preparing for President Barack Gbania's signature. The plan, which is in a very prelirninary phase, is expected to contain as nnicl) as $8,50 billion for public works pi-qiects, The in-frastructure stiniulus plan is in response to multiple challenge-, facing Minnesota and the nation, including an economic recession, foreign energy dependence and crumbling infrastructure, The president wants to stimulate the econoiny and create jabs while P -or more inronnaLion on city Icgislative issues, contact anv member ol'the Lca�ue of Minnesota Cities Intergovernmental Relations team. 65 1.2 9 1, 120() or 800.92.5,1 J 22 -W.W WWW, IMOT9 Jan Z3 2009 17:59:06 Via Fax 00 j_,LAGU E or .MINNESOTA CITIES –> 65145ZB940 Administrator Page 003 of HOG -FridayFaxxw ,-I -,veelcly legislative qpdatefiroai the Leqguo QI'Minnesola Cities, modernizing the countTy"Si11fTa9tFUCtUre and making buildings more energy efficient. Mn/DOT estimates that. the pack -age could provide "several hundred million dollars" to Minnesota. According to the document, approximately 30 percent of the funds are expected to be distributed to local wlits of government. Mn/DOT's State Aid Division will develop and manage the local program. The departai.ent is working to identify state projects that could be eligible for sfirilulus funds. According to the document, Mn/DOT intend,-, to select projects based on tile. following criteria: Project readiness Consistency with performance based plans Statewide coverage Work type balance Project advancement Or 651,281,1263, I-Jousing improvement area legislation to be heard next week Bills dealing with housing improvernent areas were introduced already tbis session, and the ),x .. e ............. ...... Tai-jmftLq,, will take up —8 DFL -Saint Louis Park) on'T'llm-sday at 8:30 a.m. $F 8 and its companion, f4F 204 (MLnLklgr, DFL - Golden Valley) would make pemianent the authority cities have had to establish housing improvenie nt areas, The statute is currently set to sunset on Jinie 30, 2009. The League developed a position in suppoil. of this idea when the city of 1�tLtt�l e-liaLa brought it L_,a_ through the policy committee process last summer. Mary cities have used the authority to use Housing Improvement Areas (I-IlAs) to January 23, 2009 Page 3 finance housing improvements for condo and townhome complexes Linder Minn. Stat. 428A. I I to 428.21. Also supporting the bill is the Minnesota Instituteol'Public Finance. ' r0z1rk-eLfY1C.o1Xot-651.28 1. 126. City, county e4ection officials work on drafting election re Orin legislation City election officials met this week and last to work with representatives of the Secretary of State's office and with organizations that - advocate for voter rights and election protection oversight to develop nitweroos proposals aitned at 111aking changes to current state election law. Those changes would address adminisvative and voter issues that arose in the 2008 election cycle. Proposa]5 wider discussion include: ® Changing existing absentee voting process to allow a period when voters may cast ballots in person prior to election day, as well as reforming voter requirernents, and allowing for the acceptance and rejection of returned absentee ballots; 0 Clarifying requirements for determining voter intent when recounting ballots; 0 Eliminating a statewide recount if the difference between votes cast in a primary or general election for a federal or state constitutional office is less than 500 in an election where 25 ni,illion votesa:re cast and authorl.7ing those candidates to file ali election contest, ® Lowering the threshold for autornatic recounts in -federal, statewide and judicial elections from leis than one-half to less than one-quarter of one percent of the total number of votes counted in a state primary and general election, For more inibi-niation on city le i»lative issues, contact any member ol'the Lear -tic of Minnesota Cities; 1titerrovemmental Relations team. 6,51,291,1200 or' 800,925,1122,11.ld www,1MOT9 JR -f Z3 Z009 10:00:00 Vid FdX _> 65145ZB940 Uministirdtor PdYE 084 Of 00i (O'D, 01) UAGUE oF .MINNESOTA CITIES 9 -FridayFaxom A ive-ekh.1 log-Islative uj2di-itefrorn the League ql'Minnesota. Ciries • Upgrading the Statewide Voter Registration System to provide for easier on-going updates to voter addresses and status, and allow -1.`or online registration; • Clarifying, t1w authority for a voter to allow an individual with power of attomey to sign election -related documents on his or her belialf, • Moving the state primary to the second Tuesday in August; • Coordinating municipal boundary adjustment, annexing arid municipal incorporation with changes to election precinct boundaries and election dates, • Requiring the Secretary of State to provide precincted lists of eligible voters to act as election ,Ridges submitted by each major political party to cities by June 1.5 in years with elections for partisan political offices; :tate training requirements for challengers appointed by candidates and political parties', and • Prohibiting voters from placing labels on optical scan ballots that are tabulated by either precinct or central count tabulators. .1 (PFL-New ],.lupe), Chair of the. 3k s L,,Sx� -, Verrill, I S,mate' �S Ovc rsiglit Committee, and Re , Gene Pelowski ((DFL -Winona) ., Chair of the HQ "j.,e State & Local Goverrialent Operations. Reforni, Technology &,. Elections CoinnAttee, have taken ati active interest in the development of these and other election re-Fonii proposals and auticipate holding hearings on a number of the bills when they arc introduced in the next several weeks. Questions? Contact AnT7 ffig,tiz�rs ort. ins or 651,281,125 7, January 23, 2009 Page 4 Maintenance of effort topic on the table A bill to repeal a sweeping cotuity "maintenance of effort" (MOE) exemption that was included at the ]cast minutes of the 2008 tax confcrerice committee nioved out of committee this week, and is headed for floor action soon. The trills, .R 9 5 Lenczewski, DFL-Woomingtou) cand SF 49 DFL -(`.'.00k) reflects the agreement reached by the governor and legislative leadership days after the 2008 session ended, when it became apparent that a late night amendment offered by county representatives to provide relief from a variety of human service and library MOE requirements would have unexpectedly cost the state as much as $300 million, 'This week's discussions have brought significant legislative attention to the issue of state mandates and several House. and Senate committee chairs have promised to delve into the issue it) the weeks ahead. Most legislators acknowledge these are archaic, and haven't been reviewed for years. Theyalsoacknowledge that the mandate puts cities and counties in a tight situation this year particularly, with the state budget so dire and aid cuts likely on the. horizon. Moving forward, the League will be part of these discussions on the library rnainteriance of effort, arid will testify in the appropriate comi,nittees arid - :0 I' r more flexibility and local control in the fori,nula.. Quaylions? 0'.Rou.rke at .&tQy1*C or 651.281.1261. F'or more information on city Irgislative issues, contact any inernbu offlic LcapL ofklinnesota Cities Intel povernmental Relations team. 6151.291,1200 or 900,925.1122 Md WWW,1111c,org Jan 23 2809 I8:00:54 Via Fax _> GS14SZH940 Administrator 00 LEAGU EOF &JINNESOTA CITIES - F r i d a.'Y'Fax"M A ,welly /egislaave u1niatefroin the League qfminnesota. Ories New Minnesota Housing Finance Agency Commissioner gets nod from Senate committee In his opening remarks to -die Senate Hegajtli, Housin -, and. Earn& Securitv Corni-nittee, Dan Bartholomay said that there lias always been tratnparency and honesty in everything lie's done mid. that would contime in his role as Commissioner Of t1le (MIWA), Bartbolomay is -Caym, ap_LPtPa1Y__'a choice to replace "pini Marx as Commissioner- of M11FA, Bartholomay joitied MFIFA in November after Marx resigned to become Executive Director of Coininoti 6, rourid, a New York Cit -based nonprofit housing and corninunity development organization. Prior to joining MIVA, Bartboloinay served as director of the Region and Cornmuni ties program at the McKn Jit .Foundation in Minneapolis. Bartholomay indicated that he would -focus on alTordable housing issues aud OD chai)ging bow people view affordable houshig oppontinities. He would like people to see affordable housing as an asset to their community rather thana, liability. During the hearing, mernbers of the committee reminded Bartholomay that lie did not just work, for the governor but the people of Minnesota. He was asked to be honest about the needs of the agency, and if he lead any concenis about the direction of the agency that lie voice those concerns. I'lie committee unanimously voted to forward Bartholoni-ay's name to the full Senate for confirmation. Quas,tioris? COnlact I-Iue Ngttien at 65.1-281-1260. January 23, 2009 Page 5 Local government officials explore energy cost -savings ideas With the likelihood of additional state budget cuts on the horizon, local g(werriment leaders and staff from around the state gathered in St. Cloud this week to share ideas for cutting energy expenses at the Ce.-)sfs h -i Local Governtnerit This event, which was co-spotisored by die League of Mitinesota. Cities, drew over 350 attendees from cities, counties, school,-,, townships, state agencies and other energy resource organization$. A panel of local government leaders, including Apple. Valley Mayor grid LM.0 President Mary Ramann-Roland, kicked -off the event with a discussion of bow 011e)"gY issues are irnpactirip, Mirinesota local governments and what opportunities exist -for cutting eliergy costs. City officials fToni Wells and Minnetonka also shared specific examples of local projects that have helped them cut their cities' energy bills. The afternoon program included multiple breakout sessions covering energy reduction strategies, tools, and resources. Minnesota Publie'Radio (MPR) provided coverage of this joint event. Learn more at: lett: n://minne,sota.r)ubl _,/,d, is}) ayLw-eb/200 9/ 1/22/o. etai's'administrators g­aiher to share enera,y ideas/?refid­­O For more information about the Program, including the presentations delivered at this conference, visit: littp:Hwivw.nex-tste..stzite.iii-ii-ti,s yconfieren e.cflyl. Qttesllons? Contact Laurt-i. Rarris, Training & C.:'nrtferGY)GL?,c.11Qurrc1 4r al 1hqrr1sR,',hne.orQ or 651. 281.12 5 1. For more infonnation on city legislative issues, contact any mumber ofthe Leag gue of Minnesoto Cities intergovernmental RelatiO119 (CR111, 65 1.29). 1200 or 900,925,11-72 11Adw-WW,1TT)C,or9, Jan 23 2009 10:01:45 Via Fax _> 6514520940 Administrator Page 006 Of OOG o (01r) j,EAGUE or MINNESOTA CITIES 0 -Fr1d.a,.AYFaxXW A iveekly legislative u17tiale firmn the League qV 'Minnesota, Cities TIF pooling authority question for cities The League and its economic development policy partners are looking at possible legislation to extend the current TIF pooling statutes to allow for other uses, specifically for market rate housing ill a city in order to deal with the -foreclosure issues, and for activities witlift) a transit iinprovementarea., Right now, there is curre.nt aothority to pool an additional 1.0 percent fronAV districts within a city for affordable housing. We've been asked by legislators to -find out the extent that tile, =rent law provision is; used. If your city- has taken advantage of this af(brila-ble housing pooling option, wed like to hear about it, Qnciulions? (oi7tactd'Cftlnffc�i3O'Rozit-Ice at Jorourk&a`)hnc,. or or 651.281.1261 or Hite Ng-zven. at hn ( Vf?@Vi77c%fwj or 6.51,281,1260. Town hall ineetings, 'town hall meetings are a great chance to meet with your legislators and tell your city story, sometimes right inside city b, -fl 1. Upcoming meetings in it oity near you include: Jar-ii-mry 24 in Afton (Afton Bean, 9 am.i) with Sen. Katie Sieben and Rep. Denny McNamara January 24 in Brooklyn Center (Brooklyn Center Community Center, Cohen Room, 10 a.m.) with Sen, Linda Scheid, Rep. Debra HUsh,on), Rep. Melissa Flonman, and Rep. Michael Nelson Rai.wary 24 in, t1astbigs (City Hall, 1.01 4th Street, 11 a.rn) with Sen. Katie Sieben and Rep. Denny McNania.ra Jaintary 23, 2009 Page 6 January 26 in St. Cloud (Caribou Coffee oil Division Street at Crossroads Center, 8 a.rn) with Rep. Steve Gottwalt January 26 in Hopkins (The Depot Coffee House, 9451 Excelsior Blvd, 7 p,m.) with Sen. Rt)n Latz lind Rep. Steve Simon January 31 in Rockville (Qranite Edge C66, downtown Rockville, 10 ami) with Rol). Steve. Gottw-alt January 31. in Eden Prairie (City Council Chambers, 10 a,m) with Sen. David Hann and Rep. Jennifer Loon Check your local newspaper or radio station for additional dates. To receive e-mail notice of upcoming town ball meetings near you, subscribe online at hat U U1.9 hst.,,asn and !Lt t 1) ki—cd iat5.eu a Staying in-fomied To keep informed on news ftoin tbe limise of Representatives, subscribe to the rianpartisan Session Weekly aewsnaagazi tie at A,w.asp or call (651) 296-2146 or (800) 657-3550. Questions? (.7ontactBrian Strub at bstrybQ:)[inaorg or at 651,281,12.56 For mom information on city legislative issucs, contact any rnenibcr of the League of.Minncsoto Cities Intervownimental Relations team, 651.281,1200 or 900,925,1122 acid www,1111c,org