Re: [Mpls] Who's not welcome at Christmas
R.T. writes remember when people sat ignored at the side of the room, were not allowed to speak, got cool receptions from some of the establishment...it's time to mend fences Seems like a good enough lead-in to invite you all to a come together. So red, green, black, white - come one, come all. The invitation reads: 2000 has been a difficult year of conflict and change but also of hope and success. Let's come together to celebrate Natalie Johnson Lee's city council victory and our collective accompishments and look to the future with solidarity. The co-hosts are Al McFarlane, R.T. Rybak, Natalie Johnson-Lee, Lorraine Smaller, Nikki Carlson, Travis Lee, Steve Washington, Sharon Tolbert-Glover, Martha Bolinger, Neva Walker, Jonathan Palmer, Randy Staten, Natonia Johnson and Becky Moyer. It's Friday Night, December 28th, 2001, 7-9 p.m. at Hands On Academy, 1010 Park Av. S. Minneapolis. There will be hors d'oeuvres, full bar and live music. This is a party! We hope you will come to enjoy the company, food, drinks and entertainment. Natalie has some campaign debt to retire, so we'll welcome donations, but no obligation. We will also conduct a silent auction of very interesting items to help pay off Jonathan Palmer's campaign debt. Everyone on this list is warmly invited. Call or e-mail me if you have any questions. -Nikki -- Nikki Carlson 4035 Sheridan Av. S. Minneapolis MN 55410 612.925.5884 ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Minneapolis commercial property taxes
Per square foot for the tax year 2000: Minneapolis$ 8.73 Seattle2.12 Denver 2.14 SanFrancisco 2.38 Dallas 2.56 Atlanta 3.18 Milwaukee 3.81 Boston8.56 (StarTribune 3/20/01 by Melissa Levy) Question: How will Minneapolis attract businesses to fill up all of those buildings that we built downtown? Point: If businesses don't pay a big hunk of the property taxes - homeowners and renters will. Note: It would be nice if someone at the StarTribune kept us posted on the vacancy situation and financial health of the developers since Minneapolis taxpayers co-signed the mortgages. We already know that Target Center and City Center are rolling over, but what about the rest of them? A few years ago, we lent the Radisson Hotel $20 million. What ever happened to that? Vicky Heller St. Paul ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
RE: [Mpls] Minneapolis commercial property taxes
Vicky Heller writes: Per square foot for the tax year 2000: Minneapolis$ 8.73 Seattle2.12 Denver 2.14 SanFrancisco 2.38 Dallas 2.56 Atlanta 3.18 Milwaukee 3.81 Boston8.56 Question: How will Minneapolis attract businesses to fill up all of those buildings that we built downtown? Point: If businesses don't pay a big hunk of the property taxes - homeowners and renters will. While Vicky's point is undoubtedly true, there are a couple of other things to note: 1. The survey was done by the Building Owners and Managers Association - a group lobbying for lower property taxes. They did not compare cities, they compared specific buildings in cities (in this case, the Wells Fargo Center in Minneapolis and the Wells Fargo Center in Denver). BOMA claims the buildings are equivalent, but we don't really know. How likely is it there's a signature Cesar Pelli 55-story tower in Denver, too? Remember, property taxes are (like it or not) a wealth tax - we have no way of knowing that assets of like value are being compared. This sort of fun-with-stats is easy to manipulate. 2. The Strib story also notes Wells Fargo (Minneapolis) taxes had dropped from $9.73 a square foot in 1998 to $9.12 in 1999 to the $8.73 2000 figure. Commercial property taxes will drop again - significantly - in 2001. The shift Vicky notes is already happening: businesses are paying a smaller chunk of the property taxes, and homeowners more. Perhaps she can work to reverse that! grin 3. Wells Fargo was built by private market forces in a high property-tax climate. The building has done just fine, whatever the cost-per-square-foot in property taxes is. Don't forget; taxes aren't money down the drain - they buy things too. Things that apparently helped made such a building a good investment over time. Note: It would be nice if someone at the StarTribune kept us posted on the vacancy situation and financial health of the developers since Minneapolis taxpayers co-signed the mortgages. We already know that Target Center and City Center are rolling over, but what about the rest of them? A few years ago, we lent the Radisson Hotel $20 million. What ever happened to that? As others have noted, Minneapolis retains high bond ratings from firms which professionally assess debt-to-wealth ratios. The recent slight downgrade by one of the three bond houses was due to internal City Hall budgeting, not external debt-to-wealth ratios. I wrote previously, Target Center's failure to pay its bonds is directly related to these big commercial property tax cuts. Wolves owner Glen Taylor's payment-in-lieu-of-property-taxes (a property tax equivalent), fell dramatically, producing the shortage. Had commercial tax rates not been cut, the building would pay for itself just fine. For argument's sake, I'm not saying rate cuts are bad policy - but let's be clear that a big reason for Target Center's malaise are the very tax cuts I think Vicky supports. To be clear: I agree with Vicky that subsidizing dumb stuff is bad public policy. However, the mere high property-tax figures she provides doesn't make the case - she'd have to quantify what slice of the $8.73 Wells Fargo pays is due to bad Minneapolis subsidy decisions...and balance it against how much the asset value has appreciated with smart public subsidy decisions. David Brauer King Field - Ward 10 _ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Neighborhood Reps to NRP Policy Board
Lost in the shuffle of things or just lost in the tedium of things was the election of the neighborhood reps to the NRP Policy Board on November 29. Announced December 3, the folks and their neighborhoods are: Carol Pass (East Phillips--Redirection Rep) Jeffrey Strand (Shingle Creek--Protection Rep--and, interestingly, one of the eight DFLer's who have called for the DFL Central Committee meeting that Mayor-Elect Rybak so appropriately criticized) Julia Burman (Holland--Revitalization Rep) Ron Ravensborg (Hale--At Large Rep--former city council candidate) While the neighborhood reps to the Board are limited by the type of neighborhood (redirection, protection, revitalization), it's interesting to note that the representation (including alternates who were also elected) is predominantly South-centric. More significant is the lack of real ethnic diversity, both in those elected and those who ran. I was disappointed to see that a Hmong man from the Jordan neighborhood did not make it on the Board as a rep from a redirection neighborhood. I know NRP faces incredible financial issues in the future. I believe it also faces incredible representation and diversity issues as well, particularly in a city that has a number of neighborhoods where the populace has become or remains a majority of people of color--who are not truly represented in the NRP system. NRP was rightfully criticized for this in the evaluation of Phase I, but I'm not seeing active efforts to change this in Phase II. Sure, it's a difficult road to attract and engage those who have not participated in the past--but it's that difficulty that NRP folks, neighborhood reps, and others must pursue if NRP is to have any future vitality. Maybe that is what is partially included in Mayor-elect Rybak's 90-day plan to promote inclusive involvement in neighborhood-level and citywide planning. I hope it is. Gregory Luce North Phillips (work) ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Superintendent pay in tight budget times
I would suggest you have little choice. You won't stop buying anything because of the exorbitant executive pay of the manufacturers'/service providers' executives. And you won't stop using the services of the state, the city, the county and the school district, either. We all want all of the services we receive to be of high quality and effective. I would wager that it's all too easy to be critical of public employees and elected officials because we have more control over the public sector. And we should. That doesn't mean we expect any less of them than we do when buying groceries or a walkman or Scotch tape. But we're all too willing to pay a pittance for the professional quality we demand from our public servants while also feeding the profit margins of private corporations by paying whatever they tell you to pay. This has been a very interesting exercise. We should think more about this. My sense is that we find reasons to be critical of public pay without thinking about how totally dependent we are for the services they render. We take all of it for granted. That's OK; but a good deal more appreciation for the quiet, behind-the-scenes work that goes into maintaining them - keeping the semaphore flashing, keeping the streets plowed (most of the time), maintaining some order in our lives. In contrast, we've come to accept some of the most incompetently produced products and services in history - in retailing, manufacturing and service sectors - with a certain resignation that we have no power to change any of it. We're wrong, of course. We just feel powerless and we don't want to be bothered by the effort it takes to correct the circumstances. I'd never suggest for a minute that we loosen our grip on the public sector, but we should make the same demands on the private part of our world as well. I also believe we must start recognizing how deserving professionals in public service are for adequate and level compensation. September 11 seems to have created a keener awareness of the value of public employees, thanks to those in New York City. This should translate into less government bashing and a better understanding of the public-private partnership government is and ought to be with its citizens/taxpayers. Andy Driscoll Saint Paul -- The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who, in times of moral crisis, remain neutral --Dante From: Pamela Taylor [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 07:13:55 -0800 (PST) To: Gary Bowman [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Mpls] Superintendent pay in tight budget times Hey, That was going to be my reply as well. I am not in a boardroom hiring or firing those folks. There is no real comparison to make for us. Pamela Taylor (Shivering in Florida on the first day of winter, who is sure she will receive no sympathy from list members in Minnesota) --- Gary Bowman [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Andy makes a good point below. It IS insane that people don't throw a fit at indirectly paying towards astronomical salaries when we are getting upset about public servants salaries. I would suggest the difference is that I am not required to buy products from 3M if I feel that I'm supporting a $10M salary by buying Scotch tape. However, I am required by law to pay my taxes, unless I want to incur heavy consequences. Gary Bowman 1-1 On Thu, 20 December 2001, Andy Driscoll wrote: Why do we not seem to flinch at the outrageous CEO pay in corporate circles, even when thousands, nay, tens of thousands in those same corporations' employ are pushed out the door? We're speaking millions here. This insistence citizens have for low salaries for public servants while tolerating the inflationary spiral executive pay in the private sector generates is beyond me. I guess people don't feel privileged to bitch about, say, the 3M Chairman's pay at $10 mil (whatever) while screaming bloody murder over the $190,000 salaries paid CEOs of major urban school districts. But guess what: the cost of your Scotch tape and all of 3M's products just jumped 3%-5%, maybe more, because of it. We just want to complain about taxes, not the prices we pay in the marketplace for far more egregious financial assault on the consumer's pocketbook. --- Get your free web based email from Crosswalk.com: http://mail.crosswalk.com ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls __ Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctions for all of your unique holiday gifts! Buy at http://shopping.yahoo.com or bid at http://auctions.yahoo.com ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum
[Mpls] New director for our libraries
Robert Gustafson posted yesterday: The major stated reason for the non-renewal is that Ms. Lawson had pursued another job opening in Florida earlier this year. I have a hard time swallowing this one. Carol Johnson looks at another job, she gets a raise. Mary Lawson makes it to the final cut in Orlando, and she gets terminated? I don't think so. As a reporter who covered the meeting, let me point out that the complete explanation given by Library Board President Laurie Savran was this: I think the board wanted to move in a new direction and some members felt after Ms. Lawson had pursued other job interests THAT SHE WASN'T AS COMMITTED AS SHE HAD BEEN (emphasis added). Savran was in the awkward position of speaking for a decision she personally opposed. Without commenting on the accuracy of the board's perception, there's a difference between voting someone out for pursuing another job and doing so because of a feeling that she hasn't been as committed since doing so. Steve Brandt Staff Writer Star Tribune (Mpls-St. Paul) 425 Portland Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55488 612-673-4438 (voice) 612-673-4359 (fax) e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Neighborhood Reps to NRP Policy Board
A little correction Greg. I am assuming that by Southcentric you meant the reps were all from the South side. Holland and Shingle Creek are northside neighborhoods. East Phillips and Hale are Southside neighborhoods. 2 from each side seems equally weighted to me. The only weighting problem I see with the NRP Policy Board is that there are way more government jurisdiction reps than there are neighborhood reps. Perhaps that should be more equally weighted. __ Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctions for all of your unique holiday gifts! Buy at http://shopping.yahoo.com or bid at http://auctions.yahoo.com ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Neighborhood Reps to NRP Policy Board
Just an FYI: The population equator of Minneapolis is somewhere around 34th Street - SOUTH. Hence, it's not surprising or particularly inequitable that there is heavy representation of southside n'hoods in citywide groups. Ann Berget Kingfield ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Do We Use Our Libraries?
In her last comments, Wizard Marks wrote: ...how will the library get more lifetime library users. It is now something less than 20% of the population who use the library. If we're spending $140 million (plus), shouldn't the library attract a bigger segment of the population? While I believe the library has a permanent mission to reach out to new users, Wizard's numbers are way off. The Friends of the Library conducted a citywide phone survey of residents in the spring of 2000. At that time, we found that 75% of Minneapolis households had visited the public libraries within the past year. Of those who use the libraries, 24% accessed the libraries 20 or more times. I think these numbers were substantiated by the incredibly positive response to the referendum (67% yes vote). Another way of looking at this is to remember that one of the core reasons to include the community libraries in the referendum is that virtually every single one is bursting at the seams -- especially in the after school hours. Not only is library high, the trends are positive. The Library's circulation was up 8.4% in 2000 and another 6% this year - even with the Linden Hills Library closed for renovation. These high rates of usage can be attributed to many factors, including the fundamental appeal and importance of libraries. But the Minneapolis Public Library should also get credit for: 1) developing/maintaining an excellent collection that is very reflective of its citizenry: 2) strong outreach programs, like Library Links, which works to bring new immigrant populations into the libraries, and Homework Helper, which; and 3) a remarkably skilled staff. I'm a huge fan of the Hosmer Library, and I have great respect for the contributions Wizard made to it, but at this point, she's not doing justice to the system as a whole. Yes, of course -- the Library should always strive to serve as much of the population as it can, and good ideas should always be circulated. But the Library should also get credit for the excellent work that it does. I consider serving 3/4s of the City in a single year an incredible achievement. Colin Hamilton Executive Director Friends of the Minneapolis Public Library 612/630-6172 612/630-6180 (fax) [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] GRAND JURY DECIDES NOT TO INDICT NEIGHBORS FOR LARSON
MEDIA RELEASE - MEDIA RELEASE Media Contact: Ken Bradley 612-728-8962 GRAND JURY FAILS TO INDICT NEIGHBORS FOR CRAIG LARSON Colvin Roy's Treasurer claims vote on public financing for a stadium was misrepresented On Thursday December 20th, a Hennepin County Grand Jury failed to indict former 12th Ward City Council Candidate Craig Larson for alleged violations of the Fair Campaign Practices Act. A claim was filed by Sandy Colvin Roy's treasurer, Ms. Carol Becker, that Neighbors for Larson violated the act by stating that Colvin Roy voted for a countywide half-cent sales tax for stadium development in a resolution that she co-authored in June of 1999. Neighbors for Larson's campaign manager, Ken Bradley and potential defendant to the compliant, testified to the truth and accuracy of the campaign literature before the 24-person grand jury. Neighbors for Larson ran an aggressive campaign for the DFL-endorsement against incumbent Sandy Colvin Roy for the Ward 12 City Council seat. Council Member Colvin Roy asserted to the DFL delegates that Neighbors for Larson had misrepresented her voting record. Mr. Larson dropped from the race after agreeing to abide by the DFL endorsement, which he failed to receive. Mr. Larson said "during the campaign my intent was to contrast our priorities such as neighborhood-scale development, affordable housing, living-wage jobs and the environment in contrast to Sandy's voting record, which supported public financing for a stadium, subsidies for large-scale downtown developments and tepid support for affordable housing. By failing to stand behind her voting record, Sandy prevented us from going forward with an honest debate about the differences in our priorities for Minneapolis." Council Members Sandy Colvin Roy and Jim Niland testified before the Grand Jury. Jim Niland, who served on Larson's advisory committee, testified to the accuracy of the statements. The Jury's decision not to indict shows that there was no probable cause that Neighbors for Larson violated the Fair Campaign Practices Act. If the jury decided to send the case to trial, Colvin Roy's Campaign would have been held to a higher legal standard for the complaint to be successful. Ken Bradley said "The grand jury decision vindicates Neighbors for Larson, unfortunately Sandy Colvin Roy's campaign decided to use the legal system to intimidate Mr. Larson. These cases create a burden for the county court system and result in unnecessary taxpayer expense to bring forth cases with little or no merit. Frivolous claims like these should have no place in our political system." Click a to send an instant message to an online friend = Online, = OfflineDo You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctions for all of your holiday gifts!
Re: [Mpls] Who's not welcome at Christmas
It is encouraging to hear our new mayor decry the petty shenannigans of insider politics. I would like to point out that what he is protesting are the the oh-so-human tried and true political persuasion tactics used in almost every organization since time immemorial. What is encouraging is that RT is in a position to set the tone for the new administration's culture. That is, he has the power to make a change from business as usual. Overcoming the foibles human nature is not a task to be taken lightly, and I want to commend him for taking a stand, early on, that demonstrates low tolerance for this kind of hooliganism and for demonstrating his expectation that votes should be primarily based on pragmatism and rational analysis of the issues rather than partisan ideology. It is said that organizations, like fish, stink from the head down. His post indicates that RT will be the fresh catch-of-the-day. Score one big one for RT. Barbara Nelson formerly Seward now Burnsville ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Superintendent pay in tight budget times
--- Andy Driscoll [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I would suggest you have little choice. You won't stop buying anything because of the exorbitant executive pay of the manufacturers'/service providers' executives. We will, and do, if executive pay increases the price of goods and services above what we're willing to pay. And you won't stop using the services of the state, the city, the county and the school district, either. Geeze...If you mean to say, that we CAN'T stop using State, City and County services, you're right. So what's your point? We all want all of the services we receive to be of high quality and effective. I would wager that it's all too easy to be critical of public employees and elected officials because we have more control over the public sector. And we should. That doesn't mean we expect any less of them than we do when buying groceries or a walkman or Scotch tape. Exactly right! So how come I can buy a top quality VCR for less than $400.00, that has twice the features of the one I had to pay $1000.00 for three years age? Those DAMN CEO's? How come I'm paying 50 times more for public schools than I did in 1975 and getting kids that can't read at all? This has been a very interesting exercise. We should think more about this. My sense is that we find reasons to be critical of public pay without thinking about how totally dependent we are for the services they render. We take all of it for granted. That's OK; but a good deal more appreciation for the quiet, behind-the-scenes work that goes into maintaining them - keeping the semaphore flashing, keeping the streets plowed (most of the time), maintaining some order in our lives. Sure, but we also owe it to ourselves to demand our governmental services be brought to us at a competitive price and with competitive features and services. Why should we be completely dependant on Government? In contrast, we've come to accept some of the most incompetently produced products and services in history - in retailing, manufacturing and service sectors Like WHAT? Your car, you know, the one that doesn't rust through after three winters anymore? The one that you do not have to touch for 100K miles? Your computer, yea, the one your using right now, the one that's 100 times faster and 1/4 of the cost of the one you threw away last year? Your house furnace that is 95% efficient? September 11 seems to have created a keener awareness of the value of public employees, thanks to those in New York City. Good point Andy. There has been some finger pointing toward conservitive voters, they being accused of trumpeting the government they usually bash. But here's a clue. Emergency services, (Police, Fire, Public Health) are exactly the sorts of services we conservitives argue the government SHOULD be involved with. It's the other 30% of the digging that government does that we oppose. The public schools are bad folks, they are costing more and delivering less, at least as far as academics. That's the fact. For those us us lucky enough to have bright children and those of us involved enough to give a damn the public schools will suffice, just. But the kid's that everyone will be subsidizing for the next 60 years are being cheated, and we are being cheated. Jack Welch was paid millions for his work as CEO of GE. When he left, GE was and is the #1 corporation, by any neasure you care to make, in the World. The managers he trained are now sought after worlwide (one now leads 3M). What has Dr. Johnson and Dr. Harvey done in the same period of time? What is MPS known for other than one of the highest birth rates in the country? I do support Dr. Harvey over here in Saint Paul, and she has made some small improvements, but I cannot say that I would have awarded her any bonus. Whew! TJSWIFT Saint PAul [EMAIL PROTECTED] __ Do You Yahoo!? Send your FREE holiday greetings online! http://greetings.yahoo.com ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Who's not welcome at Christmas
I thought that Minnesota was a good government state. Nothing at all like New Jersey where I come from. How much do these upper midwest tactics compare to machine politics? How much do these Dfl operatives compare to Tony Soprano and crew? David Wilson Loring Park ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Who's not welcome at Christmas
David Wilson writes: I thought that Minnesota was a good government state. Nothing at all like New Jersey where I come from. How much do these upper midwest tactics compare to machine politics? How much do these Dfl operatives compare to Tony Soprano and crew? David, please - I hope you're kidding. Tony S. whacks guys in private...whatever you think of this food fight, everyone's cards are on the table...the DFLers have announced their meeting publicly, the mayor-elect has criticized the event publicly, Paul Ostrow has publicly announced his slate, Barb Johnson has made her case publicly. There is obviously no machine precisely because both sides are doing their business publicly (journalists win awards because they have to dig so hard to find out how other cities' machines work). The current leadership fight may not be pretty, but it is not dirty. And likening it to the mafia, however fictional, is unfair, I think. David Brauer King Field - Ward 10 -- End of Forwarded Message _ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Reflections on the water- Above the falls
All the agencies that adopted the Above the Falls plan were committed to making it happen. The first step of this plan revealed some of the actual problems of implementation. The JADT request for a zoning change was granted by the City Council. I would have preferred an anchor, regional park on that site. There are lessons to be learned from this process. First of all, I like Tim Baylor and wish him well on the project and I appreciate the kind of process that tailored this project so that there are some very positive benefits built into the proposal. I guess I take some umbrage at those people that took umbrage about this process. Council member Johnson was particularly strident in her dissing of neighborhood activists. The Mayor and Council president Cherryhomes both played the race card in their speeches and said that Tim Baylor deserved an apology for how he was treated. From my perspective this was a difficult question for the council to decide and the process both improved the proposal from Mr. Baylor and shook out some funding sources for purchasing and maintaining a regional park that connects green space on the upper river. Zoning will play a huge part of how land is acquired and how it is used. Right now zoning decisions are not part of the comprehensive zoning plan, therefore what the city says it wants and the basis for findings about zoning changes are not connected in a way that will actually create the agreed upon vision. The city council will have to figure out a structural way that the desired outcome of zoning by the river is a part of the comprehensive plan. The plan also calls for a Community Development Corporation set up to acquire and assemble parcels to form the regional park. That would really help. Also missing was the ongoing structure for citizen involvement in the planning. My suggestion is that a clearer structure and process needs to be in place before the next battle at the water's edge. Thanks, Scott Vreeland, Seward, home of the only true gorge on the third largest river on the planet. ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Whose not welcome at Christmas
Bravo RT!!! In this day and age when we still cannot accept the fact that our party is not being widely accepted, we only perpetuate the perception that we are out of touch and or not capable of adult behavior. In short - quite yer' cryin and try and do something for the common good. You may find that this WILL get you support. And in turn you may get some of your delegates elected. Valdis Rozentals SAW ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
RE: [Mpls] Library Site Selection
My location choice for the new downtown Central Library is the North block for the following reasons: 1. If you look at aerial photos, the development potential north, east and west of both library sites is enormous over the next decade or two. The riverfront is developing rapidly now with housing, hotels, recreation and theater amenities. The Library will be a destination for not only the current downtown business users, but for downtown residents and businesses that will be located in these new development areas to the north and along the river, as well as visitors from around the region. The North block site will be closer to those living and working in these new development areas on weekends as well as during the week. We should not restrict our development view to current business users south of the library. 2. If you look south from the river along Hennepin/Nicollet, past the Federal Reserve on the right, and the Towers and the white insurance bldg (name escapes me) on the left, the prominent sight lines of the North block site are clearly evident-- the Gateway view. The North block, with adjacent green space, offers the striking location for our new downtown library. 3. If the housing project (roughly 20+ stories, 200+ units) is located on the North block with the library on the South block, the new library will be completely hidden from view when looking from the north. It will be surrounded by taller buildings. The natural sight lines will place a high-rise housing unit in prominent view and the 4-6 story library/planetarium will be completely hidden behind it-- surrounded by taller buildings. 4. Placement on the North block will likely necessitate adding an extra floor to the building. This will not necessarily compromise space planning and operational efficiencies as some are saying. Ask the architects and space planners and they will verify that operational efficiency and programmatic integrity will be maintained even with an added floor-- let them do their design work and don't presuppose what they can and cannot do. Onsite parking for either block will require use of vertical space, above and/or below ground, so this should not be a deciding factor for either location. Let the Cesar Pelli/Architectural Alliance team design a masterpiece that can be viewed from the Gateway in all seasons; a masterpiece that is readily accessible from riverfront developments. Don't restrict them to a hidden structure on the South block. Michael Hohmann 13th www.mahohmannbizplans.com -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Hamilton, Colin J Sent: Friday, December 21, 2001 3:15 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Mpls] Library Site Selection The question about the library site continues. Should the new library be built on the current (south) block or be moved across 3rd Street to the Nicollet Hotel (north) block? The Implementation Committee is supposed to decide the issue in mid-January, so there is still time for public comment. The major advantages of the north block are: 1. A more visible building at the meeting point of three major streets (Hennepin, Nicollet and Washington). 2. Adjacencies to green spaces on the Marquette and Gateway Plazas. 3. The convenience of not having to run a skyway through the Library (the Library would be the terminus point). It now seems that even if the Library is moved to the north block, there will still be an interim site so that housing construction could begin ASAP. In other words, moving to the north block would not eliminate the inconvenience of interim operations, nor would there be any obvious cost savings. The major advantages of the south block are: 1. Because it is a larger block, there should be fewer compromises to the Library program. (The Library would be a very tight fit on the north block, and that could mean shrinking or dividing departments, or losing valuable internal adjacencies.) 2. Because it is a larger block, there is more opportunity for on-site parking. 3. It is closer to the downtown core and the majority of Library users. Most of the Library leadership prefers the south/current block, because they believe that *internally* it will be a better library. There seem to be others on the Implementation Committee who prefer the north block, mostly because of its significance in the city. What do you think? Colin Hamilton Executive Director Friends of the Minneapolis Public Library 612/630-6172 612/630-6180 (fax) [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe,
Re: [Mpls] Library Site Selection
Build the best operational library possible. The city changes. How the library fits the city should not compromise the function of the library. Happy Holiday everyone. -- DeWayne Townsend, PhD. Research Associate University of Minnesota 515 Delaware St. SE., 16-212 MMHST Minneapolis, MN 55455 952-020-1996 Ext.14(voice) 952-929-1895 (FAX) -- ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
RE: [Mpls] Minneapolis commercial property taxes
If anyone's interested in learning more about local government perspective on property tax policy, check out The Property Tax Study Project at: http://www.mncn.org/bp/ptsp.htm The last article in the May/June 2001 newsletter responds to the BOMA study and examines the impact of property taxes on net income for Minneapolis office building owners: http://www.mncn.org/bp/TFv3n3.pdf Dan Kenney Hale Neighborhood ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Who is supporting the old leadership?
Which Council Members have said they are supporting the old leadership? Which are on board with the new leadership? = Mark Johnson CARAG, Ward 10 __ Do You Yahoo!? Send your FREE holiday greetings online! http://greetings.yahoo.com ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] need Issues List volunteers at Citizen's Fair--Jan.2
Just to be clear--WE STILL NEED SOMEONE to staff the table. I'll bring the banner and the electronic town square model (it attracts people) sheldon seward [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hey List Folks: Got a call from a guy on RT's transition team. They're having a Citizens Open House on Jan. 2 from 3-6 p.m. at City Hall. And they wanted to know if the Minneapolis Issues List wanted to have a table there. I'll will be out of town that day, so I can't do it. But we do have this banner (from the DFL City convention) and we could rustle up some copies of articles about the List and an Info sheet. So if anyone wants to organize this or staff the table for a stint, lemme know off-list. Many thanks. Lynnell Mickelsen Linden Hills, Ward 13 -- ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Neighborhood Reps to NRP Policy Board
Barb Lickness wrote: A little correction Greg. I am assuming that by Southcentric you meant the reps were all from the South side. Holland and Shingle Creek are northside neighborhoods. East Phillips and Hale are Southside neighborhoods. 2 from each side seems equally weighted to me. ___ [GDL] Actually, to nitpick a bit, I said that the elected reps and the alternates were a bit southcentric, as in: Nokomis East Holland (NE) East Phillips Whittier Hale Lowry Hill East East Calhoun (ECCO) Shingle Creek But that was not my real point, which was the lack of ethnic diversity at this level of the NRP as well as on neighborhood boards, etc. That, at least, deserves some honest and open discussion, as well as more work. Gregory Luce North Phillips (well within the northern hemisphere of Minneapolis) North Phillips Press is a publication of Project 504, a housing related neighborhood organization based in the Phillips neighborhood. ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
RE: [Mpls] Library Site Selection
DeWayne said: Build the best operational library possible. The city changes. How the library fits the city should not compromise the function of the library. The best operational library would probably be built on a 10 acre site so all the adjacencies and functional relationships could be solved appropriately, but that is not the case. And the context of placement of a downtown library IS a part of the best operation possible. Listen to your architect, Cesar Pelli. You hired him for a reason. He has experience and knowledge from all over the world and has recognized the best location of the two available sites is the north block. Function is important, but I do not believe it will cause operational problems that can't be overcome in other ways. The chance to make the connection of this site between Nicollet Mall and the river is tremendous. It also leaves a much better development opportunity between the south block and the Ritz hotel block or the blocks south of that. In the financial times we are in, Minneapolis is going to need all the leverage it has to make development happen. So make a great statement and a wonderful library at the entrance to Nicollet Mall on the North block, connect Nicollet to the river and gateway in a sensitive way and build the best functioning library on that block (don't forget to think 3 dimensionally by using boxcars and connections above and below the street to the other blocks including the vast old Federal Reserve underground). Then leverage the south block against development in other blocks. Good luck. Russell W. Peterson Saint Michael ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
