01/12/1998 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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COUNCIL MINUTES JANUARY 12, 1998 indicated that the increase in activity is due to the Outreach Program being more accessible to Lino Lakes and the Willow Ponds Senior Housing Complex. Pat Prinzevalle, Executive Director of Alexandra House, Inc., spoke next, explaining that Alexandra House provides services to battered women and their children within Anoka County. Her request is for CDBG funds to help Alexandra House to provide intervention services to Lino Lakes women and families who are victims of domestic violence. Alexandra House works very closely with the Lino Lakes Police Department as well as the City and County prosecutors to create a coordinated response and accountability for domestic violence. Ms. Prinzevalle expressed appreciation for support in the past, and that Alexandra House looks forward to continued support and cooperation. Marianne Reich, Executive Director of ARC of Anoka & Ramsey Counties, explained that her organization provides services to children and adults with developmental disabilities, primarily mental retardation. She stated that her organization's request is for funds to support two of its core programs: Individual advocacy for adults within the community, and its toy and adaptive equipment lending library. The ARC's advocacy program serves to assist developmentally disabled adults in the community to deal with issues which they might not be equipped to handle on their own, and the lending library provides therapeutic equipment as well as toys that can be borrowed by families with disabled members or insufficient income to otherwise acquire such items. Mayor Sullivan asked about the difference between ARC and Rise. Ms. Reich explained that Rise is a direct service program which runs a workshop and assists individuals to find employment within the community. Arc specializes more in information, referral, and advocacy for the purpose of assisting in solving problems. The representative from Forest Lake Youth Service Bureau pointed out that in 1989 her organization assisted 89 young people from the Lino Lakes community while in 1997 it served a total of 1,174. Of that total, funds from the City directly served 149 of those individuals with the balance of services funded through other areas. Youth Service Bureau works very closely with the Lino Lakes Police Department, particularly with regard to the curfew program. The hope is that such cooperative efforts will continue to result in the majority of the community's youth not entering the criminal justice system. Counseling and prevention services are also offered to the school district. Maggi Novak, Program Director for Meals on Wheels, explained that she has directed this service for approximately 15 years, and that Meals on Wheels has served the Lino Lakes area since 1981. The program serves primarily senior citizens, as well as handicapped adults under age 60. One hot, balanced meal per day is served, and in addition Meals on Wheels workers check on housebound individuals and, in some cases, attend to those who are in dire need of assistance. Ms. Novak expressed appreciation for past support, and indicated that the present request is for the site coordinator's salary ($3,156), as well s $577 to subsidize meals for one person for a six-month period. 6