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MINUTES <br />CITY COUNCIL <br />JULY 11, 2012 <br />Bastian explained the court system as well as the court calendar. He also <br />provided the Council with copies of the County's Jury Handbook. Bastian <br />reported that the numbers of cases in the courts remains fairly constant <br />over the course of the year. He also reported on efforts in the juvenile <br />justice system to keep kids out of juvenile facilities even if it is for <br />overnight, unless they need some kind of treatment. Bastian reported that <br />studies show that juveniles that spend even one night in a juvenile facility <br />have a 60% chance of getting back into the system. <br />Bastian talked about the level of domestic abuse cases as well as DWI. He <br />noted that the City's prosecutors take domestic abuse cases very seriously, <br />keeping in contact with victims, and seeing these cases through to <br />conclusion. <br />Bastian reported that one initiative that he would like to see is a night and <br />weekend court. Bastian pointed out that people have jobs or, if their <br />driver's license is suspended, need rides to court. I -Ie felt a night and <br />weekend court would be beneficial to people and would help them keep <br />their jobs and also ensure that they show up to court. <br />Keis asked if there was anything else that the City Council could do. <br />Bastian noted that while the City has its ordinances, most of the law that is <br />dealt with in court is State Law. He also pointed out that the Ramsey <br />County Sheriff's Department provides a good service to the community. <br />Bastian encouraged the City to continue to do what it is doing, i.e. provide <br />a good park system, work cooperatively with the School District on <br />programs for kids, and provide programs and activities for children. <br />Bastian felt there was never enough for kids to do. He also noted the <br />bullying issue and suggested running informational sessions on bullying, <br />increasing awareness of the problem. Bastian pointed out that schools are <br />aware of the issue and making efforts to educate people on this problem. <br />Blesener stated that he was pleased that the City's prosecutors are being <br />aggressive in dealing with domestic abuse cases, noting several cases <br />where this problem has resulted in tragedy. Blesener asked about the issue <br />of providing a night court. Bastian indicated that to move forward with <br />that initiative, there will have to be some renegotiation of employee <br />contracts to trade day hours for night hours. Bastian felt there were ways <br />to work through the contract issues and make court more available for the <br />general public. <br />Bastian thanked the Council for the opportunity to address them, and the <br />Council expressed their appreciation for Bastian's report. <br />Joe Kelly and Kevin Beck, Kelly and Lemmons, City Attorney, appeared <br />before the Council reporting on the City's prosecution activity. The <br />3 <br />