Laserfiche WebLink
MINUTES <br />CITY COUNCIL <br />NOVEMBER 30, 1994 <br />contracting cities are also being asked to absorb more <br />of the cost of investigations, which is rightfully the <br />responsibility of the contracting cities. <br />Scalze reported that periodically the City has looked <br />at other options for police protection, and has always <br />found that the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department is <br />the least expensive on a per capita basis. <br />Morelan pointed out that as more people live in the <br />community and more buildings go up, police and fire <br />calls increase. Morelan reported that police services <br />are currently in a reactive mode trying to keep up with <br />the number of calls. Morelan felt that proactive <br />police protection is one of the answers to the problem, <br />the cost of which may be money spent on the front end <br />which saves the City money in the long run. <br />A resident pointed out that apartment buildings <br />generate a good share of the City's police calls, and <br />asked if the City could increase taxes or assess these <br />property owners for the number of police calls they <br />generate. <br />Morelan did not know if that were possible, but pointed <br />out that a few months ago the City and Sheriff's <br />Department met with representatives of the Alternative <br />Learning Center to discuss the number of calls being <br />generated by that facility. This meeting results in <br />some new procedures which have reduced the number of <br />calls to the Sheriff's Department. Morelan also <br />pointed out that the City is forming a Landlords <br />Coalition to meet with the owners of rental properties <br />in the City. One of the things the coalition will do <br />is try to come up with ideas to reduce the amount of <br />police calls generated by rental units. <br />Hanson felt that the rising cost of police and fire <br />protection is a nation-wide problem. With people come <br />problems, and people must begin to take responsibility <br />for their actions. There are certain things over which <br />the City Council has no control, but the City is proud <br />of what it is trying to accomplish. <br />Remerowski was concerned that the Legislature is not <br />listening to citizens with regard to the property tax <br />situation. Remerowski asked what the City oould do. <br />Remerowski felt the property tax system was an unfair <br />8 <br />