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City Council Regular Meeting Minutes June 9, 1998 Page 3 • 1 Motion carried unanimously. 2 3 E. Commissioner Mark Stenglien. 4 Commissioner Mark Stenglien thanked the Council and brought regards of thanks from 5 Hennepin County for the good property values and contributions St. Anthony makes to the 6 County. 7 Stenglien reported that the Hennepin County Jail is currently overcrowded. The Minneapolis 8 Code Force Strategy has made the situation even worse. He stated the County is committed to 9 providing service to the communities and is annexing space as far as Wright and Stearns 10 Counties. The current jail facility has 509 beds and has the booking facilities for 24,000 cases 11 per year. Last year the jail booked 48,000 cases and this year is projecting to exceed 54,000 12 cases. Stenglien reported that a new facility is on line. It will add 270 more detention beds 13 which can be double-booked. The booking capacity will be 88,000 cases per year. The cost of 14 the new Public Safety Facility is $96 million. 15 Stenglien reported the County is working on Welfare Reform. The County has 25% of the State 16 population and includes 60% of the welfare recipients in the State. There is a large section of 17 people who have never had to work before and the County is working to train these people in soft 18` skills to help them become employable. • 19 Stenglien reported the development of a Light Rail System is in process. The route will start in 20 downtown Minneapolis in the Milwaukee Depot area, will make eight stops, travel under 21 Highway 61, stop under the baggage concourse at the International Airport, and proceed to the 22 Mall of America. Construction will begin at the end of 1998. 23 Stenglien reported that Hennepin County prevailed in the Garbage Haulers Lawsuit. The County 24 also continues to hold a AAA bond rating which they share with only five other counties in the 25 State. Stenglien stated he is committed to the City of St. Anthony and also to the St. Anthony 26 Library. 27 Mayor Ranallo thanked the Commissioner for the update and also for his work at the State 28 Capital with the City in regard to the flooding problem. 29 Stenglien stated the flooding issue was of personal interest to him as he grew up on Pahl Avenue. 30 Cavanaugh asked that as the Light Rail Transit develops,that the bus service be protected so that - 31 both will be able to thrive. He also stated that at times it appears that the City exports more 32 funds to the County than they import. _ 33 Stenglien stated the Light Rail System will provide the "spokes" but the bus service will still 34 have to provide the connections. He commented that at times the City may export more funds 35 than they import. He stated that his office is always open for comments and ideas.