City Council - 10/03/2006 - Workshop APPROVED MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP
& OPEN FORUM/OPEN PODIUM
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2006 CITY CENTER
5:00—6:25 PM, HERITAGE ROOM II
6:30—7:00 PM, COUNCIL CHAMBER
CITY COUNCIL: Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens, Councilmembers Brad Aho, Sherry Butcher,
Ron Case, and Philip Young
CITY STAFF: City Manager Scott Neal, Deputy Police Chief Rob Reynolds, Fire Chief
George Esbensen, Public Works Director Eugene Dietz, Parks and Recreation Director Bob
Lambert, Community Development Director Janet Jeremiah, Communications Manager Joyce
Lorenz, Assistant to the City Manager Michael Barone, City Attorney Ric Rosow, and Recorder
Lorene McWaters
SCHOOL BOARD: Chair Jill Scholtz, Vice Chair Greg Olson, Treasurer Carol Bomben, Clerk
Ann Haines, and Directors Phil Rose, Jan Eian, and Jim Mortenson
SCHOOL STAFF: Superintendent Melissa Krull, Larry Leebens, and Mary Bollinger
I. JOINT MEETING WITH THE EDEN PRAIRIE SCHOOL BOARD
Myron Orfield, Executive Director of the Institute on Race and Poverty at the University
of Minnesota, gave a presentation entitled Education and Demographics. Orfield focused
on how segregation in schools affects the entire community. Orfield said minorities face
housing discrimination in the Twin Cities and across the country, which in turn results in
school segregation. Orfield said data shows that minority students who attend segregated
schools are less successful. Orfield said one measure of success is completion of school.
He said students who complete high school go on to pursue higher education and get
better paying jobs with benefits.
Orfield reviewed maps showing the distribution of minority students in Eden Prairie's
elementary schools, and praised the City and School Board for having schools that are
more evenly integrated that those in Minneapolis and many other suburbs. He said Eden
Prairie's relatively well integrated schools are a result of the City's commitment to
developing affordable housing as the community grew. He encouraged the City and
Schools to continue to support this policy.
II. OPEN FORUM
John Mallo, Forest Hill Road, addressed the City Council about the possible renaming of
the Purgatory Creek Recreation Area. He said he and Jeff Strate have developed a couple
of suggestions, including Peace Lake Memorial and Peace Memorial Preserve.
III. OPEN PODIUM
IV. ADJOURNMENT