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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1977 Edition 14 February CI * y BROok[Y T O N CENTER /REPORT* MANAGER'S FEBRUARY, 1977 NO. 14 Commission Aids Council In Cit y Housing Decisions Note: Five citizen commissions aid the Avenue North (W. Central Neighbor- Ewing (S.W. Neighborhood); and Brooklyn Center City Council in an hood); Leo Beikler, 6435 Bryant Avenue Ronald Turner, 2819 Nash Road (Cen- I advisory capacity regarding a wide range North; Phyllis Plummer, 6520 Brook- tral Neighborhood). Councilman Bill of activities. Past issues of the Manager's lyn Boulevard; Karen Duenou, 6824 Fignar is the City Council liaison. Report have highlighted the duties and purpose of the Planning Commission, and the Park and Recreation Commission. Old C H a I I T o B e Used The advisory Housing Commission is a nine - member group of residents rep- resenting various neighborhoods in the co The commission was created in an For CEAP S effort to bring citizen input into housing personnel. In addition, the Jaycees have decisions. The group was charged with the responsibility of developing a com- In a joint powers agreement, the entered into an agreement with the City munity strategy to prevent deterioration Cities of Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn of Brooklyn Center to provide skills of existing house stock, and to assure Park, have agreed to contribute up to and labor resources of its members for housing availability for all income $17,000 each to convert the old Brook- this job. groups. lyn Center City Hall, 7100 Brooklyn In return, CEAP will furnish to the The commission is currently involved Boulevard, for use by the Community residents of both communities basic in the home renovation and housing Emergency Assistance Program, Inc. emergency social services such as food, subsidy programs underway in Brook- (CEAP). clothing, shelter, household staples, as lyn Center. Further funding was obtained through well as assistance to the needy in their All commission members area a $4,000 bicentennial grant, and an addi- dealings with other agencies, and assis- ed to three year terms by the Mayor, appoint- tional $1,000 from the Brooklyn Cen- tance for the senior citizens. subject to confirmation by the City ter Jaycees. It is expected that the renovation Council. Six commission members rep- The money will be used to improve project will be completed this spring resent geographic areas, and three mem- the old building for the use of the CEAP for occupancy by the CEAP. bers are selected from at- large. The group was responsible in aiding in the development of a Housing Code First Home Renovation adopted by the City Council. The code applies to housing maintenance and occupancy in both rental units and Workshop Set March 3 0 owner- occupied houses. It was develop- ed to prevent slums, blight, overcrowd- ing and other housing problems. Present members include Chairman choose one of the sessions given that Lou Howard, 2218 -55th Avenue North; A series of four Home Renovation evening. Delores Hastings, 5813 Aldrich Avenue Workshops will be conducted at the Following this session, other sched- North (S.E. Neighborhood); Ray Brooklyn Center Community Education uled times are for April 6, April 13 and Haroldson, 1207 -72nd Avenue North building, 6500 Humboldt Avenue North. April 20. Other topics to be included (N.E. Neighborhood); Dale Magnuson, There is no fee for the workshop. will be electrical problems, plumbing 4830 -71st Avenue North (N.W. Neigh- The workshops, sponsored by NSP problems, financing home repair, venti- borhood); Patricia Weitzel, 4418 -66th and the Brooklyn Center Housing Com- lation, woodworking, insulation, panel - mission, will have speakers representing ing, roofing and siding, and others. various industries involved in home For additional information regarding renovation. the upcoming programs, please contact Citizen inquiries and requests may The first session is scheduled for Ron Warren at the City of Brooklyn be directed at the City Administra- Wednesday, March 30, from 7:30 p.m. Center, 561 -5440. tion. If there is a question regarding to 9:30 p.m. Three topics will be cov- Pre - registration is desired, and in- a service that we are authorized to ered including wallpapering, structural terested persons should call Brooklyn perform, please call us at 561 -5440. aspects of homes, and painting (exterior Center Community Education at 561 - and interior). Interested persons have to 8460. General City Council Items I NSP Franchise Council Approves not falling into this category, constitute a nuisance under the ordinance, and Is Renewed 5.5% Salary must be removed from the premises under penalty of law. Following nearly one year of nego- Increase tiations, the City Council has renewed Noise Abatement a 20 -year franchise with Northern States The Council approved a 5% per cent Power for electric services to be pro- increase in salaries for City and non- Plans For 1 vided within the community. union personnel for 1977. Noise abatement plans for 1 -94, affecting abutting property owners, New Councilman, Agreement should begin this spring with comple- tion scheduled for the summer of 1978. Mayor Pro -Tem Reached For After numerous meetings with the At the January organizational meet- Strike Settlement affected residents, the Council approv- Y 9 ed the plans which call for the earthern ing, the City Council appointed two- berm noise abatement concept. term Councilmen Maurice Britts, as the An agreement was reached involving Mayor Pro -tem for 1977, in absence of the Park and Public Works Maintenance This concept has created a lot of personnel who are responsible for plow- controversy in the metropolitan area Mayor Philip Cohen. elected Councilman Gene Ong streets, maintaining parks, and regarding the degree of effectiveness, and Newly the estimated cost of $500,000 per mile Lhotka was also sworn in to take over maintaining water and sewer systems. The settlement ended a strike which for this project. Some experts state that his new duties. Other Council members the noise level reduction is not sufficient include William Fi nar and Ton Kuefler. began January in a dispute over wages g y and fringe benefits, and ended on Jan- and that the cost is extremely high. uary 25 after agreement was reached Others state that the degree of reduc- Riverfront Lot between the union employees and man- tion is noticeable and well worth the agement. cost. Donated To City The City of Brooklyn Center was one Lev Information The Council also accepted a dons of 21 suburban communities involved Y tion of riverfront property located at in the strike settlement. Property Tax 5309 Lyndale Avenue North from Miss M o O r CD U n c l Based on a $30,000 home in Brook - Helen Kusch and Michael Tabaka. y , lyn Center, a property tax rate com- The property will become part of the City's open space park lands, and will Salaries Increased wil i n indicates that Hennepin County will increase its tax levy by $22.22, be kept in its natural state. The City Council approved increases while there will be a decrease of $2.59 in salaries for the Mayor and the Coun- in the City's tax levy. Two -Year Contract cilmen. In an unprecedented move, to Of the total property tax paid, ap- invite comment, the Council held a proximately 17 cents goes to pay for With Local 320 third public hearing on the ordinance City services. A total of 26 cents goes increasing the salaries. toward County services, and an average The Brooklyn Center City Council approved a two -year contract with The traditional practice has been to of 49 cents goes to the four school dis- Teamsters Local 320, which represents increase the salaries every three to four tricts serving the community. Eight cents years according to the cost of living are used for miscellaneous services. non - management members of the police index. The salaries were last adjusted in for 1976 and will run through 1977. department. The agreement is retroactive January, a sal Energy Savings I n s g The total cost to the City for a patrol Effective January 1, 1978, the Mayor Program Urged ed officer will amount to approximately will receive a monthly salary of $540 g g $21,600 per year, and compensation to and Council members will receive a The City Council has formally en- a top grade patrol officer with a college monthly salary of $345. dorsed the energy savings practice which degree will amount to $18,872 in 1977. was initiated in January. The present Three years of service qualifies as top Junk Car Ordinance practice is to maintain all occupied grade. City buildings at a temperature of 65 Amended In City degrees during the day, and at 55 degrees Major Crime Rate during the night. 1 Following two months of deliberation, In a further effort to conserve fuel, Drop 17.5% the City Council has amended the junk most park warming houses have been p car ordinance to permit outdoor storage closed. Steps have also been taken to In 1976 of specially licensed collector automo- close the Community Center during biles. high wind -chill days. Although it is assumed by most These cars must meet State law defi- The City Council also urges residents people that crime is rising, figures re- nitions of collector, pioneer or classic to follow these same practices to con - leased for a period from January to vehicles. If the vehicle is not operable, serve fuel, in order to avoid possible September, 1976, have indicated a 17.5 it must be stored within a six -foot high shutdown of industries and temporary per cent drop in the major crime rate, as fence. loss of jobs as it is presently occurring compared with the 1975 statistics. Unlicensed or inoperable vehicles, in the eastern part of the United States. � Cit y Housi Information Rent Assistance Housing Direct Exit Program Provided Development Requirements The rent assistance program in the Approved The Building Code has minimum City, provided under Section 8 of the direct exit requirements for basements Federal Assistance Program, is almost The City Council has approved plans which are used for sleeping purposes. completed. for a planned residential development Call the Inspection Department, 561 - The program was open to low and known as Fox Run, consisting of 320 5440, for information and an inspec- moderate income individuals and fami- units on 64.4 acres of land in the vicinity tion. It is usually possible to modify lies without regard to race, color, reli- of 69th and Unity Avenues North. standard basement window openings to gion, national origin, sex, or present The development will consist of two comply with the code. residential location. and three bedroom townhouse and The rent subsidy is paid directly to duplex dwellings, ranging in price from 16 000 Allocated the owner of the rental property, with $36,000 to $37,200. the qualified renter paying 25 per cent The project was favored by those For Housing of his gross income for the housing. A seeing a need for additional housing in total of 51 families have been given the community in the medium priced rent assistance certificates in the com- range, and was opposed by those prefer- Rehabili munity. ring the property to remain in its natural state. Brooklyn Center will allocate $16,000 received in a grant to low income home- owners for housing rehabilitation. Low Interest Loans Rental Dwel Homeowners with an adjusted family income under $5,000 per year can May Be Ava i I a b l e qualify to receive these home improve - Must Be Licensed ment grants. Special emphasis will be Jack Bell, new president of the Residents are also reminded that all placed for the elderly, energy saving Brookdale Bank (formerly the Brooklyn rental dwellings, including one and two improvements, and building code im- Center Bank) has informed the City family residences must be licensed. provements. Council that application has been made Applications are available from the The application procedure for this to the Minnesota Housing Finance license clerk or the inspection depart- program will be publicly announced Agency to participate in the housing ment. this spring. rehabilitation loan subsidy program. Under this program, eligible home- owners with incomes less than $16,000 can qualify to receive very low interest loans for home improvements. C o u n c i I To R Approval of the bank's application is expected in March or April, 1977, Liquor License Fees B uilding Permits this matter from representatives from The City Council has received a the Lions Club, Jaycees and the Cham- Are Required request from three liquor license holders ber of Commerce. A study will be con - Residents are reminded that building in the community, to review the present ducted prior to the Council review, with permits are required for re- roofing, re- $10,000 annual fee for the license. a policy determination expected prior siding and remodeling work as well as The basis for the request from Nino's, to September, 1977. new construction. Holiday Inn and Jimmy's Lemon Tree The City is now processing a liquor Residents should make sure that is that the City charges a higher fee than license application from the Ground hired contractors obtain the required most other communities. Round, for a facility to be located near The Council also heard comments on Bachman's Garden Center. permits prior t starting work. Information Side Yard Setback Variance A vailable At The City Council recently approved zoning ordinance, which previously set a variance to the ordinance regarding a minimum setback of 10 feet from B. C . C ity Hall residential side yard setbacks. the house to the lot line. The variance The action came after months of will allow a home to be located within Information sheets and pamphlets discussions, resident input, a survey five feet of the line, as long as certain are available through the City of Brook- conducted by the Brooklyn Center restrictions are met. lyn Center regarding: fences, hedges and Jaycees, and a 60 -day construction The ordinance change will allow walls; swimming pools; and accessory moratorium on October 4, 1976. many residents expansion of their structures. The variance is a major change of the homes as required by their needs. Residents Offered life Saving Course An excellent and proven life- saving against legal liability for rendering aid. 561 -5440. course, the "ABC's of Life Saving ", For additional information where An instructor will conduct the class is being offered by the Brooklyn Cen- these classes are presently being con- for a minimum of eight to 10 persons. ter Police and Fire Departments. ducted, call Brad Hoffman, administra- Civic organizations in need of a program This course was proven extremely tive assistant in the Brooklyn Center idea, should contact the department effective in Seattle, where nearly Office of Emergency Preparedness, regarding the course. 100,000 residents have received the training during the past five years, and officials credit the program with saving County Regional Library more than 500 heart - attack victims. According to the experts, the first two or three minutes of a coronary The Hennepin County Library Sys- These regional libraries will be ex- crisis are crucial in many instances. The tem has selected an area in Brooklyn panded into mini -court houses in an key is for people on the spot to admin- Center to be one of three sites for the effort to decentralize County services ister simple, emergency coronary care to location of a Regional Library Branch. and to provide them to the residents keep the victim's blood running until The area is a 10 -acre site located in a more convenient manner. Social, professional medical help arrives. west of Shingle Creek Parkway, opposite court, and correction services will be Irreparable brain damage from lack the Northwestern Bell Offices, with some of the services located within this of oxygen begins within four to eight construction expected to be completed facility. minutes after a heart failure. by 1978. The firm of Hodne Stageberg The existing smaller library located The goal of the program is to have Partners, Inc. has been hired to design on Brooklyn Boulevard will be sold and at least one person in every Brooklyn the new facility. converted for use by private business. t Center home trained in lifesaving tech- A Regional Branch is already in opera- For this purpose, the City Council has f niques. tion in Edina, near the Southdale Shop- rezoned all property south of the Slaugh- Persons taking the three -hour course ping Center, and another is planned ter House, a historical site in the com- receive a certification card and assurance near the Ridgedale Center. munity. i Please Include Information As Indicated IMPORTANT NOTICE Requested by A In what city, town, village, B Do you live within the legal C In what county and State do you live? D In what township do Census Bureau etc., do you live? limits of the city, town, etc.? County State you live? (See page 4.) for Revenue BROOKLYN CENTER Sharing ®Yes El o ❑Don't know 111kN. NONE Printed above is a copy of the block ter will receive its fair share of moneys which is requested will be used by the which appears on the current Individual from the federal government, under U.S. Bureau of Census to prepare per Income Tax Return Form 1040 and certain programs based on population. capita income estimates for general 1040A. Residents of Brooklyn Center The money received helps to offset the revenue sharing purposes. should fill the blanks as indicated. property tax you must pay. For additional information, please This is to assure that Brooklyn Cen- The place of residence information contact the City Hall at 561 -5440. CITY of BR0ok[yN CENTER BULK RATE 6301 SHINGLE CREEK PARKWAY U.S. POSTAGE BROOKLYN CENTER, MINNESOTA 55430 PAID CITY COUNCIL Minneapolis, Philip Cohen ..................... Mayor Minnesota Permit No. 2170 Maurice Britts ................ Councilman William Fignar ................ Councilman Tony Kuefler ................. Councilman Gene Lhotka ................. Councilman Donald G. Poss .............. City Manager BROOKLYN CENTER SERVICE DIRECTORY Emergency Numbers (24 hours a Day) POLICE - FIRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 561-5720 City Hall Offices ................ 561 -5440 (Monday through Friday — 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) Community Center ............... 561 -5448