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2 4 City Council Regular Meeting Minutes October 22, 2013 Page 2 IV. PUBLIC HEARING - NONE. V. REPORTS FROM COMMISSION AND STAFF - NONE. VL GENERAL BUSINESS OF COUNCIL. A. Presentation by Hennepin County Commissioner Linda Higgins 9 Mayor Faust introduced Hennepin County Commissioner Linda Higgins. 10 11 Commissioner Higgins reported that the Hennepin County Board has begun its 2014 budget 12 hearings that will continue until December when the final budget is passed. She advised that the 13 Board has been working on finding a site for household hazardous waste collection and the 14 County has been looking for a collection site in northeast Minneapolis for several years, however 15 the proposed site was met with resistance and the County is looking for a different site. She 16 stated the County purchased new voting equipment with many localities in the midst of elections 17 including Minneapolis that has 35 people running for mayor. She advised that a Hennepin 18 County Works project has recently started on Lowry Avenue east from the river to the city limits 19 of St. Anthony and Minneapolis and the project will look at intersections rather than wholesale 20 changes along the avenue. She reported that the County is embarking on a new round of sports 21 grants and requested that the City send her a copy of its application if it submitted a grant 22 application for this round. She thanked the City Council for inviting her to visit. 23 24 Councilinember Roth asked about the traffic barrier on Lowry Avenue east of Central Avenue. 25 26 Commissioner Higgins agreed to look into this and report back to the City. 27 28 Councilmember Stille thanked Commissioner Higgins for her presentation and stated the City 29 appreciates its relationship with Hennepin County. He expressed thanks on behalf of the 30 community and the school district for the sports grants as well as the County's work with St. 31 Anthony on the Silver Lake Road project and the library project. He indicated he has received 32 some calls from residents indicating they would like to see more grants for the arts and theater 33 and asked if the County has any grant money available for the arts. 34 35 Commissioner Higgins stated when the arts and cultural legacy sales tax was enacted, part of that 36 money goes to the arts and the grants are administered through the State Arts Board that delivers 37 grants to communities throughout the State. She added the State Historical Society also offers 38 grants for arts work that has a historical bent. 39 40 Mayor Faust stated the library is an important part of the community and commended Hennepin 41 County for taking over the Minneapolis library system. He expressed appreciation to the 42 counties for working together on hazardous recycling to make it easier for residents in the seven 43 county metro area to dispose of hazardous materials. He commended the County Board for 44 working with the City and asked that Commissioner Higgins extend the City's thanks to the 45 Board. 46