06-12-1995 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE REGULAR ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON AJNE 12, 1995 (94 - Adult Shelter - Continued) • Tim Justice, 3114 Brooks Lane, Minnetonka Beach, said the neighborhood meeting on June 11 was spirited. He said the Westonka Intervention group were good but were not all knowing. He feels there will be an impact on the neighborhood. Justice referred to the Mound shelter application from 1994. From the Mound shelter application file, Justice said the need was not established. He contacted 10 police departments, which handle 25 cities and towns in the western suburban area. He was told there were 204 domestic abuse cases in the calendar year 1994. Justice then asked whomever he was speaking with whether shelter placements had taken place. One department had one referral, four departments had none, and 4 departments weren't aware of any but there could have been some placements. The 1993 Mound file showed one shelter referral. He did note that this was not the only avenue by which shelters were entered. Callahan said if a shelter was nearby, looking at statistics, the shelter would be used. Justice said an abuser goes to jail, and the victim is provided information by the officer or Westonka. Help is also sought from friends and family. He believes the need exists, but for this community, Justice said shelter assistance was not the first remedy. Peterson said the Planning Commission had looked over the police calls. The Orono Police Department was asked if a shelter was within the community, would the police department use it. The department replied that it would. At this time, referral cards are • given out. Police officers are undergoing sensitivity training to update themselves on this issue. Vouchers are also available and used to send victims to motels. • Callahan said we are trying to establish whether there is a need for the shelter; and if so, would it be used by west suburban people. Rick Haefner, 2324 Shadywood, says he lives next to the church and opposes the location for the shelter. He believes the victims should be housed out on a farm not in town. He said he takes care of a 16 year old, and if abuse occurs, it will affect lives and affect the community. Patti Herzog, 2883 Halstead Lane, said she had visited four shelters. She checked into the police records going back seven years for any problems and reviewed the city minutes regarding Sojourner. She found that some of the neighbors were interested in supporting the shelter, while others were antagonistic. The planning commission of Minnetonka had spoken with neighbors and found no filed complaints. In checking the police activity in the neighborhood of Sojourner between 1987 -1994, there was only one call of suspicious activity. Herzog spoke with Lisbeth Wolf of Womens Advocate Shelter in St. Paul, located in a busy neighborhood with alot of businesses, who said there had been no police calls as a result of any perpetrators on the shelter property. Home Free in Plymouth showed no calls in 1994, 1 call in 1993, where it was thought a perpetrator was coming but no one did, and 2 calls in 1992. 11