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• CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS
Date: August 27, 2003
Resolution number: 03-15
A RESOLUTION OPPOSING CLOSURE
OF THE RAMSEY COUNTY SUBURBAN COURT
AND REQUESTING RAMSEY COUNTYDISTRICT COURT
TO SHARE INFORMATIONAND COOPERATIVELYEXAMINE
POSSIBLE SOL UTIDNS FOR STATE FUNDING CUTS
WHEREAS, leadership of the Ramsey County District Court has announced that it will
consider closing the Maplewood Suburban Court in response to proposed state funding
decreases;
WHEREAS, Court leadership may have options for alternative revenue sources, such as
case fees, and cost-savings due to alternate staffing models and technology
improvements;
• WHEREAS, the closing of the Maplewood Suburban Court will result in the following:
• There will be much longer court calendars and overcrowding at the downtown
courthouse, which does not have the space to absorb additional defendants and the
court staff needed for the increased workload,
• Police officers will be off the streets for longer periods of time to travel longer
distances and to wait longer periods of time for overcrowded court schedules,
• Suburban police departments will incur increased costs to pay for longer waiting
times, parking costs, and additional officers to cover the longer absences,
• Suburban citizens will suffer major inconvenience from traveling longer distances
and waiting longer periods of time to be heard,
• Cooperation of civilian witnesses and crime victims with the prosecution will be
more difficult, particularly in domestic abuse cases, due to the remote location
and increased waiting time.
WHEREAS, suburban cities recognize the real need to cut costs at the district court
level;
WHEREAS, suburban cities continue to provide their communities with services at
lower staffing levels as a result of state aid cuts;
RESOLUTION 03-15
-2-
WHEREAS, suburban cities wish to cooperate with the District Court in analyzing other
alternatives that could avoid shifting the Court's budget cuts to the cities.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Falcon
Heights, Minnesota that:
1. The City Council opposes the closure of the Ramsey County Suburban Court
because of the consequences listed above.
2. The leadership of the Ramsey County District Court is requested to immediately
provide accurate budget and statistical information to the suburban cities and to
meet cooperatively to examine possible solutions to the proposed funding cuts.
3. The City Administrator and the City Attorney are authorized to cooperate with
other suburban cities in creating a task force of representatives to meet with the
Court.
4. The City Clerk is directed to provide copies of this resolution to the Chief Justice
of the Minnesota Supreme Court, the Chief Judge of the Ramsey County District
• Court, the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners, the Ramsey County District
Court Administrator, and the other suburban cities in Ramsey County.
ADOPTED, unanimously, by the Falcon Heights City Council on August 27, 2003.
Susan L. Gehrz, Mayor
ATTEST:
Bather M. Wo ~ 'ngton, City dministrator/Clerk