From the StarTribune:

If the council approves the plans later this month, the department will lose 26 civilian positions, 21 crime prevention specialists, the mounted patrol and the police activity league. The chaplain corps, which works at tense crime scenes and notifies families when a loved one has died, is also on the chopping block. Even the employee assistance program will be a bare bones operation.

The cuts Dolan described Monday at a council committee hearing are on top of a $3 million deficit

From the StarTribune:

An aborted attempt to impose penalties on a northeast Minneapolis bar for the behavior of its patrons has cost the city $201,000.

A court has ruled that Gabby’s is not responsible for its patrons’ behavior once they leave the property:

In 2006, city licensing officials began meeting with the owners of the bustling business at 1900 NE Marshall St. to discuss customers' littering, urinating in public, yelling, and playing loud music in cars.

In February 2008, the city, backed by a ruling from an administrative law judge, fined Gabby's $25,000, ordered it to reduce maximum occupancy to 438 from 689, eliminate drink specials and create a new management plan.

The City Council has adopted Mayor Rybak’s revised 2009 budget. The budget required revision due to decreases in expected City revenue.

Contrary to the notion that Minneapolis is short on funds, R.T. and the City Council are spending $680,000 on fancy water fountains. That's the equivalent of about 9 cops for a year.

At this month’s 1st Ward Problem Properties meeting a couple of interesting points came up.

1) A house can be condemned for lack of water service. If, however, the occupants break into the water shut-off stop box and turn the water on themselves, City policy prevents condemnation. The house is considered to have water service even if the water is being stolen from the City.

The national political debate often seems largely irrelevant to our local quality of life. We focus on general principles that align with an ideology, while the actual regulation of our daily living is left to a small cabal of insiders and activists. I contend our lives are impacted more by the local application of ideology than by the corresponding Federal directives.

In response to Cam Gordon's reasons of why he supports repealing the lurking law, I would like to counter with these points.

In response to Cam Gordon's reasons of why he supports repealing the lurking law, I would like to counter with these points.

Cam Gordon, Councilmember for the 2nd Ward (Como, U of M, Prospect Park), has proposed legalizing lurking in Minneapolis. CM Gordon intends to:

repeal the City’s Lurking ordinance and increase the scope of the Loitering ordinance. Arrest records show that the Lurking ordinance disproportionately impacts homeless persons, people of color, and the poor. Council Member Gordon believes that we must redirect precious law enforcement resources to behaviors that actually harm someone, and laws that carry meaningful consequences.

The NECP has posted a fact sheet regarding lurking and loitering. That document highlights an important distinction:

Today's StarTribune reports that “Single-family homes in Minneapolis and nearby cities are turning into rental properties at such a fast clip that public officials are alarmed.” The story quotes south side Councilmember Gary Schiff:

April 4th; Minneapolis: The Northeast Community Development Corporation has issued a plea for public support toward the demolition of several blighted properties in the Logan Park neighborhood.

ACTION ON JACKSON ALERT

Feb 25, 2008: The StarTribune reports, "The owners of Gabby's Saloon and Eatery in northeast Minneapolis filed a federal civil rights lawsuit Monday alleging that city officials are trying to drive away its African-American patrons by imposing sanctions against its liquor license."

Feb 15, 2008: The City Council has adopted conditions on Gabby's liquor license as recommended by the Public Safety and Regulatory Services Committee. Among those conditions are $25,000 in sanctions and police time buy-backs, limiting occupancy to 438 patrons (down from 689), and the elimination of free drink specials.