06-12-1995 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE REGULAR ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON JUNE 12, 1995 (#4 - Adult Shelter - Continued) the Planning Commission, explained the investigation and • Steve Peterson, Chair of g xP recommendations made as a result of many meetings. The skeptical beginning questioned the need for such a shelter. Information, positive and negative, was gathered from police departments, a Hennepin County judge, and other sources. The public was shown to be both for and against the shelter, for both residential and commercial zoning with a shelter, and for commercial zoning change only. Peterson reported the Planning Commission felt strongly that the zoning should remain residential with a conditional use permit used as the vehicle for shelter approval. The public did not seem concerned about the zoning issue itself. Peterson felt a need for such a shelter was established. Peterson, past -Chair Charles Schroeder, and other members of the Commission felt they went beyond the normal measures in scrutinizing the issues involved. The public was notified by newspaper and mail and were involved in the information gathered process. Callahan noted that all members of the Planning Commission gave the issue careful consideration. Callahan opened the meeting to public comment. Kent Carlson, 3498 North Shore Drive, asked about the need for a shelter as spoken by Peterson. Carlson said the word, need, is a powerful word and questioned how strong the need was in Orono. Callahan said it was difficult to answer this numerically. The question of whether a large number of women in Orono are trying to get into shelters does not exist, but there are women in Orono who are in need of a shelter. Callahan said • the shelter would be for those in the Lake Minnetonka area and to the west. Melody Versailles, 3472 Livingston, asked how children from St. Bonifacius would get to school if at the shelter for a long time. Versailles wondered if an abuser knows where the victim is, will they approach the shelter residents in front of the homes and businesses of Orono, and at the parks. She said we cannot afford for this to happen. Versailles did not want our chidlren exposed to such incidences. Versailles also wondered if a liason would be on the shelter board to work with if such incidents occurred. If the shelter was under Hennepin County contract, Versailles asked how often they would be reviewed, and questioned whether this would be good for the community. Val Hessburg said what would be done with the children was a choice of the mother. As far as the perpetrator was concerned, these incidents just do not occur. Research has shown that the shelter is not where the perpetrators go. The shelter is very secured and police would be called if an event of this sort would occur. Versailles said she was not concerned with the shelter itself but in areas like our parks. Hessburg reminded the public that the perpetrator was not angry at their children. Versailles responded that she did not warn children exposed to this situation. is 6