City Council - 02/15/2005 - Workshop APPROVED MINUTES
EDEN PRAIRIE CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP/FORUM
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2005 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, Police Chief Dan Carlson, Fire Chief George Esbensen, Public Works
Director Eugene Dietz, Parks and Recreation Director Bob Lambert, Community Development
Director Janet Jeremiah, Communications Manager Pat Brink, Assistant to the City Manager
Michael Barone, City Attorney Ric Rosow, and Recorder Lorene McWaters
Heritage Room H
I. HUMAN SERVICES IN EDEN PRAIRIE
Housing and Human Services Manager Molly Koivumaki, Human Services Coordinator
Mary Keating, Rehab Program Assistant Jan Schneider, and Human Services Technician
Khadra Duale provided a PowerPoint overview of the services their division provides.
Koivumaki explained how the office is funded and which programs it is funding this
year. Some of the programs the City helps to support include:
— The Shopping Bus with Southwest Metro Transit
— PROP local food shelf
— WHAHLT (West Hennepin Affordable Housing Land Trust) with Hennepin Tech
— Eden Prairie Apartment Managers Group
— HSSC (Hennepin South Services Collaborative) and FamiLink
Koivumaki also discussed the City's ongoing partnerships with the School District, the
Chamber of Commerce, and the faith community. Human Services also participates in a
number of community events, including the International Festival, the Gatherings, and
"How are the Children."
The City's Rehabilitation Program provides loans for eligible residents for home
improvements.
Mary Keating described some of her responsibilities, including housing and other
services for senior citizens.
City Council Workshop—February 15,2005
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Khadra Duale spoke about the services she helps coordinate for the community's Somali
immigrants, including assistance with:
— INS procedures
— Employment
— Transportation
— Education
— Housing Assistance
Councilmember Case asked how funding levels are determined for human services. Koivumaki
said the new 2-year budget process will allow for the department to request more specific
funding for particular programs than in the past. City Manager Scott Neal said he has been
impressed with amount of monitoring of the programs performed by staff throughout the year.
Councilmember Butcher said she likes the information provided by the Human Services group,
because you can see how many residents are actually being served by each program.
Mayor Tyra-Lukens said over the years she has had number of calls about distressed properties.
She asked if this is how the rehab loan program gets referrals. Koivumaki said they get this type
of referral a couple of times a year. They also get referrals from the building inspector, zoning
inspector, etc., and flyers promoting the program are mailed out in utility bills.
Councilmember Butcher asked Koivumaki how the relocation of the office to the mall space is
working out. Koivumaki said it is working wonderfully. The location lends a sense of
anonymity that clients did not have at City Center. Being located in the same building with
businesses is also advantageous, since some of these businesses provide internships for job
readiness. Koivumaki said being away from the central office can be challenging, and she makes
an effort to ensure she and her staff connect with the rest of the organization.
Council Chamber
II. OPEN FORUM
No one requested to speak at open forum.
III. OPEN PODIUM
No one requested to speak at open podium.
IV. ADJOURNMENT