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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017 Edition 200 FallCity of Brooklyn CenterNWS Celebrating the news, events & cultures that connect us FALL 2017, Edition 200 According to the most recent census estimates there are 4,195 youth (ages 10-19) residing in Brooklyn Center, representing 14% of the City's total population. In this issue of City News we will highlight some of the efforts underway to promote our commitment to "Strengthening and Empowering the Youth of Brooklyn Center." Through several strategic partnerships the City seeks to educate, care for,mentor, protect, employ, and serve our youth. It is our goal and commitment to the proposition that Brooklyn Center will continue to be a place where youth can grow strong and thrive. We hope you enjoy this newsletter as we proudly acknowledge, recognize, nurture, and celebrate our youth. Curt Boganey, City Manager IN THIS ISSUE Brooklyn Bridge Alliance for Youth 2 Strengthen and Empower Youth 3 Fire Department Explorer Program 4 Hiring Paid On-Call Firefighters 4 Fire Department Open House 5 Notify Me 5 Distracted Drivers 5 Random Act of Kindness S New Neighbor Welcome 6 2017 Shingle Creek Clean-Up 7 Arbor Day 7 Adopt a Park Volunteers 8 Purpose • Rohhinsdle Schoolsand well-being. • North Hennepin Community College o Hennepin Technical College For information about the Alliance and its initiatives, please contact: Brooklyn Bridge Alliance for Youth, 6150 Summit Drive North, Suite 200 Brooklyn Center, MN 55430. Phone: 763-398-0780 o Authentic, timely, respectful www.brooklynsailionceforyouth.org communications Values • Courageous leadership and action o Positive development for each young person, in all places o Individual and collective learning, growing, assessing and celebrating o Youth engagement, voice and leadership T(ilfl I j7A4j ^ h Success_O^^_% r4nT 4 '10,14% MA, C^e'.We"WK:iP_ WwMm eiiiJ::_;ft4i Id -- JJL : IL.. - I BROOKLYN BRIDGE ALLIANCE FOR YOUTH connected to a trusting adult who is o Inclusive processes to maximize our vested in their healthy development as resources measured by educational success and Membership mastery of life skills. o City of Brooklyn Center Mission ° City of Brooklyn Park organization that was created by the cities of Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn To coordinate a system of high- o Hennepin County Park and supports organizations quality, accessible and fully-resourced . Anoka-Hennepin Schools that provide out-of-school-time opportunities that lead to an increase • Brooklyn Center Schools programming for youth. in high school graduation, pathways to • Osseo Area Schools college and career, and youth safety The purpose of the Alliance is to cooperatively support positive youth development in out-of-school-time opportunities for all youth in Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park. Shared Vision The Brooklyn Bridge Alliance assures the success of all youth by challenging the conditions that diminish their hope, by assuring that all youth are BE AT ThE CE N TF-P FOR A COMM UN I TY DIALOGU177 1. with the ookyn Center Cry Co u nc i l L Tuesday August 22 , 6prn-8pm ( S2 hoolsENTER Brooklyn Center Community Center - BROOKLYN CENTER AT THE CENTER Sh ing l e Creek Parkway City of Brooklyn Center along with our partners: SD 286, CEAP Outreach, Minnesota Acts Now, Brookdale Covenant Church, and Jehovah Jireh Ministries %f Empowering Brooklyn Center youth is, and continues to be, a priority in Brooklyn Center. The Brooklyn Bridge Alliance for Youth is an intermediary #V`^ STRENGTHEN & EMPOWER YOUTH lBrnkfiyn Center Hires 19 BrotikLmk lInterns fo r t h e Smrnic Brooklyn Center feels it is important to provide youth with real life work experience. This summer the City, school district and business partners employed more than 100 BrookLynk interns. Here are a few examples from departments that hosted summer interns: Police Our BrookLynk interns did research on what characteristics are necessary to be a successful police officer. As part of their research, they reviewed the operations and practices of the four divisions of the Police Department. They were responsible for helping to build a social media library including media video post and researching content for the Police Department. Public Works Our BrookLynk intern in Public Works and archiving maps and project plans in the Utility Department. By digitally storing historical hard-copy documents and well records, the full-time staff was better equipped to locate and reference information needed for planning future utility maintenance and rehabilitation. In order to give a well-rounded, professional experience to the interns and to provide a more complete understanding of our role within the City, the intern had a chance to explore all facets of Public Works including Parks & Streets, Engineering, and Central Garage. Building and Community Standards Our BrookLynk interns were provided experience and basic understanding of rental inspection, building inspections, and code enforcement. The inspectors helped them gain knowledge about the community. Every department at the City hosted one or two of the 19 BrookLynk interns. The interns will completed internship to demonstrate what they learned during the summer. CELEBRATECOI1MPIN Diversity brings strength, character and distinctiveness to the City. Join us in recognizing and celebrating the various ethnic groups and accomplishments through these nationally designated celebrations. :SEPTEIMBLkl^ylHISPANItHERITAGEMONTH Nearly 9.6% of Brooklyn Center's population reported as Hispanic or Latino in Census 2010. OCTOBER6GERMAN-AMERICAN DAY Celebrate the contributions of our citizens of German descent. NOVEMBERAMERICANINDIANHERITAGEMNITH 0.8% of Brooklyn Center's population reported as American Indian and Alaska Native in Census 2010. was tasked with scanning, organizing, capstone project at the end of their III 11111111 BROOKLYN CENTER FIRE DEPARTMENT EXPLORER PROGRAM The Brooklyn Center Fire Department (BCFD) is recruiting fire explorers. Fire Service Exploring is one of the career- oriented programs offered by Learning for Life, a branch of the Boy Scouts of America. Exploring is a program for both boys and girls who have completed the 8th grade and are between 14 and 18 years old. Exploring is a National program, focusing on Career Exploration and gives youth hands-on experiences in their career of interest. Exploring has been around for over 60 years. Being a part of the Exploring program is more than just learning about the fire service. It also gives youth an opportunity to • Improve self-confidence • Develope leadership skills and social network • Have fun and exciting "hands-on" career experiences • Try out leadership roles • Participate in our community and do community service events • Hang out with a great group of other explorers. The BCFD explorer post meets twice a month on the first and third Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., year-round. Typically this time is spent learning about the fire service, emergency medical skills, and the job of a firefighter. Explorers participate in both classroom and hands-on firefighting skills, with some limitations for the safety of the youth. The hands-on skills are highly supervised by Brooklyn Center firefighters who have also trained to be adult explorer leaders. In 2016 and 2017, our explorer post completed several hours of firefighter training, went on field trips to related emergency services agencies, participated in community events like the Earle Brown Days Parade, and competed in skills demonstrations against other explorer programs at the Governors Fire Prevention Day at the Minnesota State Fair. This is the perfect opportunity for Brooklyn Center youth that want to explorer emergency services careers, and want to prepare themselves to be a firefighter for Brooklyn Center or another municipality. Both the fire department and the police department have explorer posts. There is no cost to you. Uniforms, equipment and training is all provided by the fire department. Please visit the fire department web site to learn more: www.cityofbrooklyncenter.org/fire . For more information on exploring in general, visit wwwexp/orenow.org . NOW HIRING PAID ON-CALL FIREFIGHTERS The Brooklyn Center Fire Department has authorized 40 paid on-call firefighters operating out of two fire stations, covering a population of over : 30,000 and nine square miles. The department responds to approximately : 2,000 calls for service each year. This is an exciting and challenging part-time and on-call position in emergency services. We invite you to join us! Requirements r o l8y ears ofage High school diploma or GED o Reside within 6 minutes of a Brooklyn Center fire station o Successfully pass both a written and physical ability test - o Successfully pass driving and criminal background checks, as well as psychological and medical exams o Attend training, scheduled duty shifts and on-call response To apply, visit www.cityomrookIyncenter.org/fire or call 763-569-3307. : ••••••••••U I AY1 ARE YOU A DISTRACTED DRIVER? Preliminary numbers show the 100 day stretch between Memorial Day and Labor Day last year accounted for 120 of the 392 traffic fatalities, about 31% of all Minnesota traffic deaths in 2016. One of the most common reasons for multiple vehicle crashes is inattentive or distracted driving habits-followed by failure to yield to the right-of-way. This is not attributed to our elderly population or to the younger drivers. Inattentive drivers are typically over age 20 and under age 65. Ask yourself the following questions: CONNECT WITH US THROUGHIFY Mr The City of Brooklyn Center is offering more ways to connect with us. Stay connected and be one of the first to receive special announcements, alerts, and updates on news that interests you most. Visit us at www.cityofbrooklyncenter.org/ NotifyMe. From there, provide an email address and indicate whether you would like to receive notifications through email and/or mobile text. All contact information collected is considered private data per Section 13.356 of the 2016 Minnesota Statutes. No contact information will be published, used for solicitation, or provided to third party sources You can unsubscribe at anytime. Please call (763)-569-3300 with questions. LY, EXPL A E TRUCK - WATCH FIREFIGHTERS IN ACTION - FIRE SAFETY DEM RATIONS - EQUIPMENT DISPLAYS - COMMUNITY SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS - AUTO EXTRICATION DEMO - NORTH AMBULANCE BROOKLYN CENTER POLICE - H - 1N COUNTY SHERIFF K-9 KIDS ACTIV - SNACKSFRESHjs THE FIREDOG While Driving Do You: Talk on a cellular phone? Try to shave or put make-up on? Eat, drink, or smoke? Text or Read? t Look at passengers or kids while driving? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are a distracted driver! Being behind the wheel of a vehicle is a huge responsibility; often our most precious cargo is with us, our children. Please use caution while driving. The Department of Public Safety stresses that... 66Driving is a privilege. Aggressive driving is not. Do not drink and drive! Slow down! Pay attention! Aid BC w- —'- ARD For more information on safe driving and driving statistics, please visit the Department of Public Safety's website at: www. dps.state. mn . us! ots/crashdata. Do you know someone whose compassionate deed has made Brooklyn Center a great place to live and work? The City Council wants to hear these stories. To nominate someone who has performed an act of kindness in the past year, you may send a card or letter, drawing or photograph of people performing kind acts, or use the City's nomination form, which can be found on the City's website (search Random Acts of Kindness). •IITI Omm ii IoTi i ISIS ii. Creating a focal point and a gathering spot for the community was the intentic when the Civic Center building Hall/Community Center) and Centennial Park were construLLu III LIIC: early 1970's. Today they continue to serve that purpose and are being reshaped to serve the next generations. • While the Civic Center buildings have seen significant changes Please submit your Random Acts of Kindness over the last few years, Centennial Park is also seeing renewal. In nominations by September 21, 2017. The City 2013, a little used baseball field was repurposed as much needed Council will recognize Random Acts of Kindness ° youth soccer fields. In 2015, a new Veterans and Memorial nominees at an October meeting and present each Amphitheatre was constructed. recipient with a certificate acknowledging their kind act. S S S S S S S S• 5G•S• SI One constant in all of this improvement has been the Luther Automotive Group. Luther provided the initial funds to "kick-start" the youth soccer field conversion, provided a significant donation for the amphitheater construction and provided funds and staff labor to construct the new playground. Community Activities, Recreation & Services Director Jim Glasoe noted, "1 have been in the recreation business for over 30 years and Luther Automotive is the finest example I have seen of local businesses giving back and helping to create community." If you have not been to Centennial Park lately, come check it out. Or better yet, come over and play! NEW CENTENNIAL PARK PLAYGROUND NEW NEIGHBOR PROGRAM The City of Brooklyn Center's Housing Commission welcomesjiresidents who choose to make Brooklyn Center their home. Since 2010, the Housing Commission has been welcoming people to Brooklyn Center. The Commission volunteers their time to assemble and personally deliver hundreds of welcome bags each year. In 2016, there were 223 bags delivered and over 1,800 total since the program started. The packets that are provided to new residents contain important information about the city such as parks and trail maps, community center information, and local ordinances. The Commission wants to make sure new residents feel welcome and connected to their community. For 2017, residents will find a newly upgraded playground to support this destination park. Built on the site of the former playground, the new, fully accessible playground can accommodate almost three times as many youth. The playground was constructed following a citizen engagement process that helped establish what types of playground equipment the community wanted to see installed. Community input sessions were held in 2016, and residents provided feedback on equipment types, colors, configuration and locations. All of this input was put into action this spring with the installation of the new playground. .IIIf1III NO R [11I GREAT SHINGLE CREEK CLEAN-UP 2017 Thank you to the volunteers who participat- ed in the Great Shingle Creek Clean-Up in Brooklyn Center on Saturday, April 22, 2017, as well as those who volunteered through- out the entire cleanup week! This year, more than 75 volunteers collected more than 80 bags of trash during clean-up week. In addition to removing garbage and debris from open spaces along the creek and some of our roads, many City parks and trails were also cleaned. Keeping the land clean helps keep the rivers clean as well. The City of Brooklyn Center proudly salutes you! Thanks for making this community a better place to live, work and play. (PICK UP THE POOP! Dog poop is a major contributor to stormwater pollution. Rain and melting snow flows across yards, dog parks, down trails, etc. on its way to creeks via our streets and storm drains. Dog poop contains bacteria and is high in nitrogen and phosphorus. Leaving dog waste on the ground allows harmful bacteria and nutrients to wash into the storm drain and eventually into local water bodies. In Minnesota your best bet is to: Trash it. Seal the pet waste in a plastic bag and dispose of it in your trash can. Biodegradable bags are fine but they won't break down in a landfill, so our vote is to go reused, rather than new and biodegradable. Flush i L. You can flush plain dog poop down the toilet and it will be treated at a waste water facility or septic system. If you do this, never include a bag or any extra material with the poop DO NOT put dog or cat poop in your backyard compost pile. The temperatures in backyard compost piles do not get high enough to kill bacteria that can make humans sick. ARBOR DAY & TREE CITY USA 25 YEARS AND COU KI TNG! This year's Arbor Day event saw staff from Public Works and Engineering planting trees in both of the Cahlander Park and Centennial Park West ponds on April 28, 2017. These areas were recently dredged as part of the City's ongoing storm water pond sediment maintenance program and replanting trees that were impacted is part of the City's reforestation program. Between the two sites, 17 trees were planted by the staff and covered with mulch. Through a generous donation from the Brooklyn Center American Legion Post #630, lunch was provided to the employees. LEAVE THE STREET CLEAN As beautiful as the fall leaves are, they mean a lot of yard work for homeowners. One option for reducing your workload is to use a mulching lawn mowerto mulch leaves into your yard. It is less time intensive than raking and the shredded leaves act as a natural fertilizer during the fall. While tending to your yard, please take a moment to sweep or rake leaves, grass and branches out in the street in front of your house. If left n the street, leaves may - clog storm drains, contributing to localized flooding. When washed into nearby lakes, rivers and streams via storm drains or -. ditches, the leaves become a major source - of phosphorus, the nutrient that allows algae to bloom in the summer. Please dispose -. . of leaves by composting them into your yard, bringing them to a compost facility, or bagging them for curbside pick-up, if you have that service. Keep leaves and yard waste out of the regular garbage, and never dump them in the wetlands or buffer areas - it's illegal. 0 KL .4/ ICENT,R AT T HE CE NT ER 6301 Shingle Creek Parkway Brooklyn Center, MN 55430-2199 www.cityofbrooklyncenter.org e-mail: info@ci.brooklyn-center.mn.us City Hall (763) 569-3300 Job Information Line (763) 569-3307 VOLNTEERS NEEDED: ADOPT A PARK! Thank you Adopt-a-Program volunteers! You are an integral part of our outreach and it is with your time and effort that City green spaces are maintained Our parks trails gardens and streets thank you tool We are always on the lookout for more "resident warriors" to join our group of volunteers. Whether you prefer a leisurely stroll and roll or are the most avid power-walker, we encourage you to inquire about adopting your favorite space. Your efforts are appreciated and valued by the City. The Public Works Department provides bags, gloves, grabbers and safety vests and will pick up any trash bags you collect at your site. Interested in learning more? Contact Renee Anderson at (763) 585-7100 or rcinderson@ci.brooklyn-center.mn.us . Qy CONTACTS City Manager Curt Boganey (763) 569-3300 Council Members Mayor Tim Willson Voicemail: (763) 569-3450 mayorwillson@ci. brooklyn-center. mn . us Councilmember Marquita Butler Voicemail: (763) 569-3446 councilmemberb u tler@ ci. brooklyn-center. mn . us Councilmember April Graves Voicemail: (763) 569-3448 councilmembergraves@ci. brooklyn-center. mn. us Councilmember Kris Lawrence-Anderson Voicemail: (763) 569-3444 councilmemberlawrence-anderson @ci. brooklyn-center. mn. us Councilmember Dan Ryan Voicemail: (763) 569-3445 councilmemberryan @ci.brooklyn-center.mn . us Cy PHONE NUMBERS Administration ..............................................(763) 569-3300 Building/Community Standards ...................(763) 569-3330 Inspection Scheduling ..............................(763) 569-3344 Code Enforcement ...................................(763) 569-3473 Ownership Services ..................................(763) 569-3310 Business & Development .............................(763) 569-3335 Public Works/Engineering ............................(763) 569-3340 Finance ............................. .............................(763) 569-3320 Utility Billing .............................................(763) 569-3390 Community Center .......................................(763) 569-3400 Activity Weather Line ...............................(763) 569-3442 Earle Brown Heritage Center .......................(763) 569-6300 Centerbrook Golf Course ..............................(763) 549-3750 Fire ................................................................(763) 549-3600 Police (General Info) .....................................(763) 569-3333 Emergency & Non-Emergency Officer Assistance ......911 CFy COUNCIL MEETh\GS City Council Regular Session meetings are held the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month at 7 pm. Informal Open Forum is held at 6:45 pm before Council meetings for persons who wish to address the City Council about issues not scheduled on the agenda. City Council Work Sessions are held immediately following the Regular Session City Council meetings City Council Meetings are broadcast live on cable Channel 16. Replays shown Tuesdays at 6:30 pm and Wednesdays at 2:30 am and 10:30 am. You may also watch City Council meetings on-line, on demand at your convenience through a link on the City website. Call City Hall to verify meeting dates or visit the City's website at www.cityofbrooklyncenter.org . Arl Printed on recycled paper