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Home My WebLink About2019 Edition 212 Winter IN THIS ISSUE Africans Advancing Minnesota’s Economic Prosperity Summit 2 Opportunity Site Open House 3 Development Updates 4 Renters Count 5 Street Banner Sign Project Exhibit And Celebration 6 Prescription Drug Take Back Day 6 Save the Date 6 Safe Neighborhoods 8 Halloween Safety 9 Green Community 10 2019 Equipment Purchases and Surplus Sales 11 NEWSCi t y City of Brooklyn Center Celebrating the news, events & cultures that connect us OCTOBER 2019, Edition 211 Did you know that Minnesota’s projected Census 2020 undercount for Brooklyn Center is 7,156? The Brooklyns Census 2020 Coalition hosted a meeting and dinner at the Brookdale Library on September 25, from 6-8pm. The purpose of this meeting was to provide training to groups that may wish apply for census education grant funding. The grant process is not competitive and is available on a first come, first serve basis for up to 400 Complete Count Committees. The State of Minnesota funds grants of $750 and are available to all Committees that meet the following eligibility requirements: • Are a non-profit entity (501(c)(3), government entity, school district, college or university) or operate under a fiscal agent. • Agree to participate in one census outreach training provided by the MN State Demographic Center. • Agree to participate in the Commit to Be Counted (C2BC) digital organizing campaign managed by the MN State Demographic Center. • Agree to use the grant for at least one of the following purposes: 1) Digital organizing; 2) Outreach to residents in high-density housing; or 3) Efforts to target historically undercounted communities. Applicants will receive the money within three weeks of submitting their applications. More funds will be available after April 15, 2020 for those committees that have effectively used the tools provided and which serve historically undercounted communities. Those funds will help communities support a complete count during the Census Bureau’s Non-Response Follow-up Period, in which Census workers work to count residents who had not yet complete their Census form. The application for those fund can be found here: minneapolisfoundation.org/census. If you have not registered as a Complete Count Committee already, please see the instructions here: mn.gov/admin/2020-census/involved/ccc/get-started. For technical questions about the application process, contact Nancy Cerkvenik at grantsadministration@ mplsfoundation.org or 612-672-8665. For questions about your project proposal, contact Catherine Grey cgrey@mplsfoundation.com or 612-672-3876. APPLY NOW FOR CENSUS OUTREACH GRANTS 2 OCTOBER 2019, Edition 212 NEWS Ci t y Community Engagement AFRICANS ADVANCING MINNESOTA’S ECONOMIC PROSPERITY SUMMIT On Thursday, September 5, staff attended a summit hosted by Minnesota Africans United held at North Hennepin Community College. The summit, “Africans Advancing Minnesota’s Economic Prosperity” discussed the resilience and economic contributions of the African immigrant community in Minnesota. The goal was to discuss the vital and important role African communities plays in the future economic success of the State. It also highlighted challenges African immigrants face while trying to gain employment, start new businesses and access the Minnesota education system. A few speakers included Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, African Union Ambassador to the United State, H.E. Dr. Ambassador Arikana Chihombori Quao, H. E. Ambassador David Gilmour of the United States Department of State and Speaker of the Minnesota House, Rep. Melissa Hortman. Pictured right top, L to R, Mayor Elliott addressing attendees and Dr. Angel Smith (Communications and Community Engagement Manager) with African Union Ambassador to the United States, H.E. Dr. Ambassador Arikana Chihombori Quao. CONNECTING ENTREPRENEURIAL COMMUNITIES CONFERENCE On September 5 and 6, staff attended a conference organized by the University of MN Extension and in partnership with DEED called Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities. The conference focused on resources to support entrepreneurs and small businesses and provided great ideas for connecting small businesses to tools that are available at the state and regional level, which may not be well known. 3 www.cityofbrooklyncenter.org OVER 180 ATTEND OPPORTUNITY SITE OPEN HOUSE On Thursday, September 19 the City held a community open house on the Opportunity Site at the Brookdale Library. More than 180 people attended with some sharing their ideas about the future of Brooklyn Center. Earlier that week, Meg Beekman (Community Development Director) appeared on Empire Media’s podcast Voice of Hope as Pastor Loveth’s guest to talk about the Opportunity Site. The podcast offered an opportunity to reach the community about the project, answer questions, and encourage people to get involved in the planning process. Thank you to event partners and everyone able to attend. For more information on the opportunity site visit becomingbrooklyncenter.com A new state law took effect Aug. 1 banning drivers from talking on the phone unless they are using a hands-free device. Reminder— Keep Your Hands off Your Cellphone While Driving RESIDENTS COME TOGETHER FOR AN END OF SUMMER EVENT Due to rain and thunderstorms, the annual Kick-off to National Night Out event was cancelled in August. The Police Department along with the BC Crime Prevention Association later hosted a cookout for Brooklyn Center residents on Saturday, September 21, from noon - 1:30 pm at Centennial Park. This FREE event featured a performance by the Brooklyn Community Band! This 50 piece community band is sponsored by the cities of Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park. Event attendees were entertained with a variety of music from movie themes to marches. Thank you to event sponsors Brooklyn Center Crime Prevention, Brooklyn Center Lions Club and Top Golf for providing residents an opportunity to come together for an end of summer event. Coming Soon! New Brooklyn Center Website A new City of Brooklyn Center website is on the horizon. A Request for Proposal (RFP) for the redesign of our website posted Monday, September 30. The proposal response deadline is Monday, October 21 (noon, CST). We hope to officially kickoff this project Tuesday, November 5 once our Website Project Team review proposals and interview vendors. The RFP is located on the homepage of the city’s website. 4 OCTOBER 2019, Edition 212 NEWS Ci t y City News APARTMENT MANAGERS RECEIVE “RENTERS COUNT” MESSAGE DURING CENSUS UPDATE On Thursday, September 12 staff presented to over 30 Brooklyn Center apartment managers during the ARMS (Association for Responsible Management) on the BC Count Campaign (2020 Census). Staff shared the timeline, key issues and outline of key steps for the 2020 Census. Staff sought to speak with the BC apartment managers specifically, because renters are historically undercounted in the Census count process. The purpose of the engagement was threefold including: 1) inform apartment managers of the Census process, 2) share information of the historical challenge of counting renters and 3) ask property managers for ideas regarding increasing the participation of renters in the 2020 Census. Pictured above, Dr. Reggie Edwards (Deputy City Manager) providing census update Under Construction/Coming Soon • Casey’s Gas Station and Convenience Store (2101 Freeway Blvd) – Anticipated Completion Date: Fall 2019 • Unity Place Modernization and Community Building Construction Project (7256 Unity Ave N) – Anticipated Completion Date: Fall 2019 • New Luther Mazda/Mitsubishi Dealership (4435 68th Ave N) – Anticipated Completion Date: Fall 2019 • New Brooklyn Center Liquor Store #1 (1350 Shingle Creek Crossing) – Anticipated Completion Date: Winter 2019/2020 • Earle Brown Elementary School Renovations and Expansion Project (1500 59th Ave N) – Anticipated Completion Date: Summer 2020 • Brooklyn Center Secondary School Renovations and Expansion Project (6500 Humboldt Ave N) – Anticipated Completion Date: Summer 2020 • Fairfield Inn and Suites (6250 Earle Brown Dr) – Anticipated Completion Date: Fall 2020 Approved Plans • Redevelopment of Former Jerry’s Food Site— 270-Unit Senior and Multi-Family Housing Project (5801 Xerxes Avenue North) – Anticipated Construction Start: Winter 2019/2020 • Centra Homes –30 Lot Subdivision (South of 69th Avenue North, West of Highway 252) – Anticipated Construction Start: Fall 2019 • Medtronic Chiller Plant Addition (6700 Shingle Creek Parkway) – Anticipated Construction Start: Fall 2019 • Christy’s Auto Service Addition (5300 Dupont Avenue N) – Anticipated Construction Start: Unknown DEVELOPMENT UPDATES NATIONAL PRESCRIPTION DRUG TAKE BACK DAY Saturday, October 26 The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the public about the potential for abuse of medications. Did you know that Brooklyn Center Police Department installed a medicine drop box in our lobby? It is our hope that the collection of unwanted medicines and proper destruction will have positive environmental effects and help prevent prescription drug abuse and accidental poisonings. For more, check out the CCX spotlight youtu.be/ IoyNKdFNE6c! Brooklyn Center Medicine Disposal Drop Box Locations: Brooklyn Center Police Department 6645 Humboldt Avenue N Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Brooklyn Center Hennepin Cty Library/District Court Brookdale 6125 Shingle Creek Parkway Hours: Monday - Thursday 9 a.m. - 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sunday noon - 5 p.m. 5 www.cityofbrooklyncenter.org Upcoming Events You are invited to BROOKLYN CENTER’S STREET BANNER SIGN PROJECT EXHIBIT AND CELEBRATION Brookdale Library - Creekside Room Monday December 16 from 5:30pm - 8:00pm Program starts at 6:00 pm. Refreshments will be served. Last year the City of Brooklyn Center had 230 street banners due for replacement. Over the past year, we held several citywide photoshoots in an effort to capture images of Brooklyn Center youth, adults, seniors, and community groups. We just wrapped up the final phase of the Street Banner Sign project. We invite you to attend a Street Banner Project Exhibit and Celebration. During the event, attendees can view all photos selected to replace each street banner sign. Plus, we will celebrate our community and thank residents and partners who participated in the project. For more information visit our website. BROOKLYN CENTER 2020 COALITION MEETING Mark your calendars for our next meeting on Thursday, November 14, 6pm at the Brooklyn Park Community Activity Center (Gardenview Room). Whether you’ve attended a meeting in the past and know a lot about the Census or if this will be your first, please come out. There will be something for everyone and we need all perspectives. Also, consider bringing someone with you! 6 OCTOBER 2019, Edition 212 NEWS Ci t y Save the Date REGISTER FOR POLCO AND CONTINUALLY HELP IMPROVE BROOKLYN CENTER Brooklyn Center residents are the hope, heart and wisdom of our community and we continually want your input. Brooklyn Center is utilizing a new electronic tool called “POLCO” to gain insights from residents on a number of topics, issues, and projects. Interested in providing input? We encourage you to create an account. You will be asked for your contact information and ZIP code to ensure you are receiving Brooklyn Center-specific input opportunities. After you have signed up, it is quick and easy to give feedback on all current and future surveys! Stay connected by signing up for alerts at cityofbrooklyncenter.org/notifyme UPCOMING POLCO SURVEYS:  Website Redesign  2020 Citywide Yard Sale Dates Upcoming Heritage Celebrations 2019 Take time to learn more about the history of ethnic populations and how they have contributed to the culture and heritage of our community. Here are upcoming Heritage Celebrations. SEPTEMBER 15-OCTOBER 15 HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH OCTOBER ITALIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH OCTOBER 6 GERMAN-AMERICAN DAY NOVEMBER INDIGENOUS AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH 7 www.cityofbrooklyncenter.org 2019 HERITAGE CELEBRATION FILM AND DISCUSSION SERIES The City of Brooklyn Center is collaborating with Hennepin County Public Library (Brookdale) to host a film and discussion series. Join us monthly as we celebrate and learn about the history of ethnic populations and how they have contributed to the culture and heritage of various communities. Remember to mark your calendar for upcoming film and discussions to be held at Brookdale Library room ABC or Creekside*, 1:30-3:30pm. Saturday, October 26: Roman Holiday Saturday, November 23*: Squanto: A Warrior’s Tale Visit cityofbrooklyncenter.org for upcoming films. Thanks to everyone who is planning to join us. CITY OFFICES CLOSED VETERAN’S DAY MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11 THANKSGIVING NOVEMBER 21 & 22 SHARE YOUR COMMUNITY EVENTS ONLINE Need a place to share your public event with the community? The Community Bulletin Board is offered as a free public service. For more information regarding eligibility or to see the latest updates visit cityofbrooklyncenter. org/BulletinBoard. MUM’S THE WORD In this time of online oversharing, it’s only natural that burglars are actively searching Facebook and other social media sites for keywords that could let them know when it's a good time to strike! Be careful not to post information that could tip off criminals that you’re going out of town. This warning is especially true for those who have hundreds or thousands on their friends list! While the first impulse for many vacationers is to share every detail about their trip on social media sites, security experts warn that tech-savvy criminals could see your posts. You may think that checking in at the airport is a nice way to let your friends and family know that you’re going on holiday, but in reality you are also letting people know that your home is empty and an easy target. If you want to share your holiday plans, don’t do it in real time, wait until you are safely home. FIRE PREVENTION MONTH Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during October in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire. This fire caused devastating damage, killing more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres of land. In a typical home fire you will only have a couple minutes to escape safely once the fire alarm sounds. Having working smoke alarms and an escape plan can mean the difference between a safe escape and tragedy. Over the month of October, Brooklyn Center Fire will visit the Elementary Schools and talk about fire safety to over 1,200 Pre –K, kindergarten and first graders. Fire safety education isn’t just for school children, teenagers, adults and the elderly are also at risk in fires and it’s important that everyone knows and understands how to stay safe in case of a fire. Please take the time to make sure your smoke alarms are working, make an escape plan and practice with every member of your family. BROOKLYN CENTER FIREFIGHTERS HAVE RARE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE- FIRE TRAIN Brooklyn Center firefighters received the opportunity to live-fire train on Monday, September 16. Brooklyn Center Firefighters along with those from Robbinsdale and Oak Grove learned fire flow, fire attack, and teamwork in live burn training scenarios. The Fire Department used a city- owned vacated home, located at 7014 Brooklyn Blvd., which is scheduled for demolition. During the training, Firefighters did a pre-walk through which they rarely get a chance to do in a typical house fire call. They worked in three-person fire attack teams and held the training in two sessions, one in the day and one at night. Thank you to all who helped make this unique training experience a success! Interested in joining the Fire Department? Visit us on the web at cityofbrooklyncenter. org or call 763-569-3307. 8 OCTOBER 2019, Edition 212 NEWS Ci t y Safe Neighborhoods Walk Safely • Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. • Look left, right and left again when crossing and keep looking as you cross. • Put electronic devices down and keep heads up and walk, don’t run, across the street. • Teach children to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them. • Always walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible. Children should walk on direct routes with the fewest street crossings. • Watch for cars that are turning or backing up. Teach children not to dart into the street or cross between parked cars. Trick or Treat With an Adult Children under the age of 12 should not be alone at night without adult supervision. If kids are mature enough to be out without supervision, remind them to stick to familiar areas that are well lit and trick-or-treat in groups. Keep Costumes Both Creative and Safe • Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers and, if possible, choose light colors. • Choose face paint and makeup whenever possible instead of masks, which can obstruct a child’s vision. • Have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights to help them see and be seen by drivers. • When selecting a costume, make sure it is the right size to prevent trips and falls. Drive Extra Safely on Halloween • Slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods. Children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways. • Take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians and on curbs. • Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly and carefully. • Eliminate any distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings. • Drive slowly, anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic and turn your headlights on earlier in the day to spot children from greater distances. • Popular trick-or-treating hours are 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. so be especially alert for kids during those hours. Everyone loves a good scare on Halloween, but not when it comes to child safety. There are several easy and effective behaviors that parents can share with kids to help reduce their risk of injury. Everything you need to know to keep your kids safe on Halloween. 9 www.cityofbrooklyncenter.org Halloween Safety FALL CLEAN UP As the temperature cools, and the leaves start to turn colors, another season of yard work begins. Take time to rake leaves and get rid of any grass clippings and brush piles that have been stored during the summer. The City of Brooklyn Center does not pick up yard waste such as brush, grass clippings or leaves. It is the responsibility of the owner to arrange for pick up with their trash hauler. Residents should not dump grass clippings, rake leaves or leave brush on the curb or in the street. Raking grass and leaves into the street can clog storm drains and create localized floods. The City does not allow leaves to be burned or put into your regular trash. Residents may dispose of leaves and grass clippings in a compost pile or at the Maple Grove yard waste site for free. The Maple Grove yard waste site will require a picture ID. For more on proper disposal, visit mgyardwaste.com or hennepin. us/residents/recycling hazardous waste/yard tree waste disposal. PARKING RESTRICTION REMINDER In the case a snow event of 2 ½ inches or more, parking restrictions take effect. There is no on-street parking until the roads are plowed curb to curb. Vehicles not removed are subject to issuance of a citation as well as towing. Even after streets are plowed, no parking is allowed on any City street between 2:00 and 6:00am or for more than 6 consecutive hours at any other time. For details, please visit: cityofbrooklyncenter.org. LEAVE THE STREET CLEAN As beautiful as the fall leaves are, they are a lot of yard work for homeowners. One option for reducing your workload is to use a mulching lawn mower to mulch leaves into your yard. It is less time consuming than raking, and the shredded leaves act as a natural fertilizer during the fall. While tending your yard, please take a moment to sweep or rake leaves, grass, and branches out of the street in front of your house. If left in the street, leaves 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. 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. 10 OCTOBER 2019, Edition 212 NEWS Ci t y Green Community 11 www.cityofbrooklyncenter.org Public Works 2019 EQUIPMENT PURCHASES/SALE OF SURPLUS Central Garage had a busy year for equipment purchases and sale of surplus. Staff did a great job forecasting prices so we were easily able to stay under budget with our new purchases, and also sell off retired vehicles and equipment for much more than we projected by using the online auction sitepublicsurplus. com. This site is a very effective way to dispose of retired equipment and has been successful since we moved to it exclusively in early 2016. Our 2019 equipment purchases include: Bomeg Roller – Staff ordered and took delivery in June a new Roller from Ruf- fridge-Johnson, which is used by our Streets Division for road and trail patching. The new unit cost the City $36,290. We were offered only $6,000 to trade in our old unit so we decided to sell it outright. We received $9,500 for the sale of the old unit. Single Axle Plow Truck – Staff ordered a new single axle plow to replace our oldest plow truck in the fleet. The current truck, a Mack, will be replaced by a Western Star Chassis. This plow truck will also be the city’s first single axle plow with a rear wing. The purchase price of the chassis with snow equipment is $213,000. Due to long build delays on the chas- sis at Freightliner and long line for building the truck with the snow- plow equipment at Towmanster, we hope to take delivery on the new snow plow early in 2020. Paint Striper – Staff also ordered a new compressor and paint striper. The compressor is a trailer unit that allows staff to use air tools out in the field. The new unit cost the City $21,000 after re- ceiving $8,000 for trade of our old unit. The paint striper replaced a 1999 model and cost the City $94,000. Sewer Jetting Truck – Staff ordered a new Sewer jetting truck on a Freightliner Chas- sis. The cost of this vehicle after receiving $30,000 for our old unit is $198,000. We hope to take delivery of this unit by the end of 2019. Emergency Trash Pump – Staff replaced an existing 6-inch emergency trash with an 8-inch pump. This pump is used to pump sewage from lift stations if all con- trols were out of service. The pur- chase price was $44,000 from American Pump. We will be selling the old pump soon. New Garbage Hauler – The last big purchase for Public Works was a new Garbage Truck. This gar- bage truck is an 8-yard Dia- mondback garbage hauler on an Isuzu chassis. The cost of this piece of equipment was $99,000. Police Vehicles - Staff pur- chased two new squads, one marked and one unmarked. Ford quit developing the 2019 SUV model early to get ready for the 2020 models, which in- clude a hybrid op- tion. After originally ordering two 2019 models, staff learned that our order was not filled. We have to wait for the 2020 models and collectively with the Police Department decided to purchase the hybrid model. The purchase price was $3,000 more at $34,000 as opposed to $31,000 for the gas model. According to all studies, the new hybrid should save around $3,500 a year in fuel costs. This would recover the extra cost for the vehicle over the course of one year. We also ordered two more Police Department staff vehicles, and the Police Department purchased a new swat van to replace an old 1985 Ford swat van. The funds for this purchase came from forfeiture funds. In addition, we re- placed our speed smart trailer/ message board. This speed trailer unit is seen around town, informing you how fast you are driving. Fire Department Vehi- cles – We ordered a new 18ft Lund Predator rescue boat. This was a holdover re- placement from 2016 as the Fire Department searched for the best re- placement. They felt this purchase would best fit their needs as this is a flat bottom boat and should work well on the Missis- sippi River as well as the Twin Lake chain. The final price for the boat, motor, and ac- cessories was $26,000. The new boat will replace our 1984 Boston Whaler, which will be sold on once we take delivery. Staff ordered and took delivery on two Ford Escapes. One for our Building and Community Standards Inspectors and one for Public Works. Staff also delayed the purchase of a re- placement F-350 dump box truck be- cause it was determined that this vehi- cle has valuable life remaining and did not need to be replaced at this time. We have delayed this purchase to 2021. When all is said and done, with purchases and sales of old equipment, a total of $900,000 was spent for new vehicles and equipment. City CONTACTS Council Members Mayor Mike Elliott Voicemail: (763) 569-3449 mayorelliott@ci.brooklyn-center.mn.us Councilmember Marquita Butler Voicemail: (763) 569-3446 councilmemberbutler@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 City Manager Curt Boganey (763) 569-3300 Printed on recycled paper City PHONE NUMBERS Administration ..............................................(763) 569-3300 Community Development ............................(763) 569-3330 Inspections, Code Enforcement, Ownership Services Public Works/Engineering ............................(763) 569-3340 Parks, Streets, Utilities ...............................(763) 585-7100 Finance .......................................................... (763) 569-3320 Utility Billing .............................................(763) 569-3390 Recreation & 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 City COUNCIL MEETINGS City Council Regular Session meetings are held the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month at 7pm. Informal Open Forum is held at 6:45pm 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 6:30pm and Wednesdays at 2:30am and 10:30am. 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 cityofbrooklyncenter.org. 6301 Shingle Creek Parkway Brooklyn Center, MN 55430-2199 cityofbrooklyncenter.org e-mail: info@ci.brooklyn-center.mn.us City Hall (763) 569-3300 Job Information Line (763) 569-3307 PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES MN PERMIT NO. 2170