08-24-1988 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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DISPUTE RESOLUTION CENTER August 12, 1988 Mayor Michael Fahey City of Little Canada 515 E. Little Canada Road Little Canada, MN. 55117 Dear Mayor Fahey: 265 Oneida Street Saint Paul, Minnesota 55102 (612) 290 -0790 The purpose of this letter is two -fold. First, we want to reacquaint you with the services provided by the Dispute Resolution Center CDRC), and, second, we want your financial assistance so we can continue to offer DRC's services in 1989. As you know, the Dispute Resolution Center helps people involved in conflicts settle their disputes through mediation, a process of bringing disputing parties together voluntarily to talk about their disagreements and reach a settlement. Mediation works for many types of problems that otherwise might get hung up in the court system. Whatever the problem may be, when a case goes to court, the resulting frustrations are real, the time lost is substantial, the costs incurred great, and no guarantee exists that the decision will be satisfactory to the parties involved. Through DRC, people involved in a dispute meet with a trained and impartial mediator who will facilitate an agreement between the parties; the mediator does not decide the outcome of a dispute. When people work together in mediation they generally are more satisfied with the solution because they helped create the solution. Other benefits of using mediation are numerous. Costs are kept to a minimum, since the DRC charges only a ten dollar fee per party, per mediation session, which is waived if clients meet income eligibility guidelines. Mediation sessions are scheduled at a place and time convenient to all parties, thus eliminating the necessity of losing time from work. Also, mediation provides an option when all other doors may be closed. DRC's services are beneficial to the City of Little Canada. For example, our services have been used successfully by people involved in on -going "feuds" with their neighbors, and, as I'm sure you know, these cases can demand an inordinate amount of city staff time and energy. In addition, we assist cities to resolve disputes where the city is a party, including disputes over land use, contracts for service, special assessments, or other issues where litigation may not result in the most satisfactory long -term solution to the problem. In 1989, we hope to intensify our efforts in municipalities outside of St. Paul. Page 113