06-12-1995 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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rvnNUTES OF THE REGULAR ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON JUNE 12, 1995 • (#4 - Adult Shelter - Continued) Peterson said safety was a major issue addressed in the review process. Judge Davidson of Hennepin County informed the commission and statistics show that the shelter is the last place an abuser would go. Most abusers are under court orders and are restricted from going near the shelters. Peterson said what we would think would happen just does not occur. The abusers would more likely go to friends and relatives homes to approach the victim They would run into problems with the police at the shelters. Robert Albertson, 2100 Shadywood Road, said he is a 32 year resident of Orono. Albertson has a family member who is a psychiatrist and heads up a shelter. That particular shelter is well run with counselors and security but sees problems for this new shelter. Albertson questioned how this operation would be run. He felt the staff was not qualified and anyone needing a job could get one there. Albertson did not think the Westonka people knew how to work with these people. He fears this would be more of an open boarding house. John Anderson, 2195 Shadywood Road, said he is against the shelter and says there is no need for one in Orono. Anderson said this would only bring other people to Orono. He said he never got a letter from Orono or heard anything regarding the shelter. Anderson said there is a need for abuse shelters, citing the Simpson case, but questioned the need for this community. Callahan said that 300 households in a certain radius around the • proposed shelter site were notified by mail and would like to know if he had a problem with getting his mail. Anderson suggested contracting with individuals to temporarily help residents of Orono. Dr. Bryant Powers, 3701 Shoreline Drive, a psychiatrist in Navarre, said his last client of the day was an Orono resident. He is unable to disclose names but knows of the need for the shelter. He also works with offenders, supports the need for a shelter in this area. Powers said victims ask where a shelter is and find they need to go into Minneapolis. This is a major decision to break this cycle of violence, and then they are asked further to go outside of their city of residence as well as away from their support system. Powers said this causes them to feel like they are being punished. He felt more will use a shelter if one is located here than if they had to go into the city and make major changes. The issue of children in school is major. In Powers work with offenders, he says he has never had a case where a victim was stalked. The offenders are aware that the shelter is not where they can go. Callahan asked Powers about the issue of offenders approaching victims outside the shelter, for example, at a park. Powers said we need to know the dynamics of the problem. These are people who have problems of dependency and control. The people are frustrated but not crazy; they need help. The spouse being battered is in need of support. The issue of stalking is being well handled by the criminal justice system, and the offender knows this. It has never been Powers' experience of children being snatched. • This would occur more in a divorce situation. 7 -