Agenda Packets - 1984/02/13 - Laserfiche WebLink

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A MEMO TO: Mayor and City Council ( FROM: Clerk -Administrator \ �J DATE: February 8, 1984 SUBJECT: RAMSEY COUNTY MUNICIPAI, COURT CONSOLIDATION Attached please find a letter from the Ramsey County League of Local Governments, dated January 25, 1984, updating the City of Mounds View on recent actions taken by Ramsey County towards the consolidation of the Ramsey County municipal court system. As indicated in this letter, Ramsey County staff has recently completed a report entitled, "Ramsey County Suburban Municipal Court Consolidation: A Preliminary Cost -Effectiveness Study". A copy of this report is attached to this memorandum. As a result of this report the Public Safety and Justice Committee of the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners instructed the County's Executive Director to conduct a study of the County's space needs for the court system in terms of a suburban multi -service center as part of a comprehensive capital improvement plan. In their letter, the League encourages member cities to adopt position statements for submission to the County on the matter of municipal court consolidation. Attached please find Resolution No. 1718 prepared by staff, encouraging a cooperative effort in the planning of Ramsey County municipal court consoli- dation. Staff has developed this resolution on the basis that we feel that the consolidation of a municipal court system is nearly inevitable even though present statutes prohibit such consolidation without the approval of the suburban cities having court locations within their communities. Rather than continuing to fight the issue, staff is suggesting that the City recognize its inevitability and encourage the County to allow suburban municipalities to participate in the planning for such a consoli- dation effort to ensure that the interests of both the cities and the County are served by the consolidation of the municipal court system. This would particularly be the case should the County determine that they wish to establish a multi -service center or centers whereby residents of the County's suburbs would be able to obtain County services presently only being provided out of the County courthouse in downtown St. Paul. RECOMMENDATION: Staff would recommend Council adoption of R^.SplUt10.^. No. 1718 Lr.^_ouraging a Cooperative Effort in Ramsey County Municipal Court Consolidation Planning and the lobbying of our County Commissioner, Robert Orth, to allow for the participation of the suburbs in the planning of municipal court consolidation to serve the interests of all parties. DFP/pf Attachments