Board considers all-out smoking ban on county property (including in your own vehicle)

Last week the County Board heard an update on a plan to institute a total smoking ban on county property (minus county roads).  This would include a ban on smoking in one’s own vehicle if it is on county property.

The county currently has a policy in effect that bans smoking inside of or within 45 feet of any of our many county buildings.  Apparently, some employees and/or visitors are violating that policy and smoking near or even in the doorways of buildings, especially on cold winter days.  I’m told the problem is particularly acute at the downtown Hennepin County Government Center where smokers sometimes crowd a lower level entrance and leave behind cigarette butts and a lasting haze of smoke.

I’m not a smoker (save for an occasional cigar on the golf course).  Frankly, someone who chooses to start smoking knowing what it will eventually do to you is making a pretty stupid choice.

Having said that, I have two problems with this potential policy.

First, barring people from lighting up in their own vehicle is a significant overreach of government.  When I asked at our meeting why we would extend the ban to someone’s car, I was told that if a smoker opens his or her car window a crack, they putting others at risk of second-hand smoke inhalation.  That seems a bit of a stretch, to say the least.

My Third Year on the Board Begins

Two weeks ago, we opened the 2011 season of the Hennepin County Board by reelecting Mike Opat as chairman and returning all seven commissioners to the same chairmenships we held over the past two years.  I will again be chairman of the Public Safety Committee and co-chairman with Peter McLaughlin of our Intergovernmental Affairs Committee.

As you can see in my last post from 2010, we finished the year on a relatively positive note, with a small overall tax cut for Hennepin County property tax payers.  The cut was not as large as it could have or should have been, but Hennepin County is taxing less and spending less in 2011 than 2010 – and that’s a good thing.

We still have a LONG way to go before I’ll be willing to argue that we’re spending wisely on the right priorities in the county, but we should always recognize and appreciate steps in the right direction.

Tax levy will be smaller for the first time in nearly 20 years

The county board unanimously voted yesterday to pass a 2011 budget containing a 1% general property tax levy decrease.  This is the first time since the early 90′s that the county general levy has been cut (and only the second time in over 30 years). 

We came into yesterday’s final 2010 meeting with a proposed budget holding the general levy flat.  Commissioner Opat proposed the 1% decrease (which represents about a $6.8 million tax cut).  I moved to amend his proposal to cut the levy by 1.7%, which is the amount we would need to cut this year in order to hold the “average” home in Hennepin County harmless from a county tax increase.  My amendment failed on a 2 – 5 vote, with Mark Stenglein joining me.

The good news was tempered a bit by the fact that the board raised the other two county tax levies.

The county’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority levy (which was just created 2 years ago) was increased from $3.6 million to $5.6 million and the county’s Rail Authority levy was increased from $15 million to $18 million.  So, in the end, we cut taxes by about $6.8 million and raised taxes by $5 million – overall a net win for the taxpayers of Hennepin County.

On Tuesday, the board approved a resolution I offered to begin planning work on a new 911 communications facility for the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office at the adult corrections facility site in Plymouth.  The resolution passed on a vote of 4 – 2.

The county has been discussing the need for a new 911 facility for many years.  Currently, the Sheriff’s Office dispatches 911 calls in an outdated 60-year-old facility in a Golden Valley residential neighborhood.  Earlier this year, the county hired a national expert on emergency communication facilities from D.C. to take a look at our current facility.  His report is not public, but the message in it was simple and stark: Hennepin County needs to replace the Golden Valley facility and we need to do it soon.

The two commissioners voting against the proposal had various reasons for their opposition, including the $30 million plus price tag of the project and disagreement about its location in Plymouth.  I have no reservations, however, about the dire need for this new facility.  Public safety is the first responsibility of government and we are clearly putting public safety in jeopardy if we don’t finally act on a new 911 facility.  Failure of our 911 system wouldn’t be an inconvenience, it would be a disaster.

I’m constantly complaining about our inability to prioritize spending on the county board, but this week I’m happy to say the board chose to make public safety a priority.

Nothing, however, happens up here without a little drama:

For fix of politics, dial up 911 plan

Kevin Duchschere, Star Tribune

The Hennepin County Board voted Tuesday to proceed with plans to develop a new 911 dispatch center at the county’s workhouse in Plymouth. That was the expected part.

Yesterday’s StarTribune carried a commentary I wrote about the county board’s spending priorities.  Bottom Line:  Until we stop spending on things like library art and garbage burner beautification, don’t let anyone tell you that government is broke and needs more of your money.

Cut to the bone? We haven’t even cut library art.

Recently, I offered a resolution to place a moratorium on the requirement that Hennepin County automatically spend 1 percent of every large library building project on public art. We are scheduled to spend almost $1 million in our capital budget over the next four years on library art.

My resolution failed on a 2-5 vote.

My rationale was simple: At a time when we are making actual budget cuts almost across the board in the county, it makes absolutely no sense to be automatically dedicating hundreds of thousands of dollars to every library building project for art. Most of my colleagues, however, disagreed.

There has been considerable coverage and interest in this story and some have asked why I’m making such a big deal out of something that represents a minuscule portion of Hennepin County’s $1.6 billion annual budget.

I have actually made no bigger deal out of this spending issue than I have numerous others over the past couple years; this one just caught people’s attention — as evidenced by numerous media stories, letters to the editor and e-mails to my inbox (the most recent with the salutation: “Hey, Pukebreath”).

Art in libraries is simply the freshest example of a much bigger problem in government: Our inability or unwillingness to set spending priorities.

Board Votes Down Resolution to Place a Moratorium on Art Spending

Yesterday, I offered a resolution to place a moratorium on the requirement that Hennepin County automatically spend 1% of every large library building project on public art.  Currently, we are scheduled to spend almost $1 million in our capital budget over the next four years on library art.

My resolution failed on a 2-5 vote (with Randy Johnson joining me in voting “yes”).

My rationale was simple: At a time when we are making actual budget cuts almost across the board in the county, it makes absolutely no sense to be automatically dedicating hundreds of thousands of dollars to every library building project for art.  Most of my colleagues, however, disagreed.

Last night, Jeff Passolt on Fox9 hosted an arts advocate and me to debate the issue:

County Board Votes Unanimously to Kill the Medina Wind Turbine

For about six years the county board has been talking about erecting a wind turbine at the county’s public works property in Medina.  In 2008, the Medina City Council granted the county a revision to its Planned Unit Development permit on that site to erect a wind turbine as long as the county applied for a construction permit by November 18, 2010.

As that deadline was approaching earlier this year, county administration determined that the numbers could not justify the county purchasing, erecting and owning the turbine.  In August 2010, the county issued a request for proposal seeking a private investor to partner with the county on this project.  A private investor would have been able to take advantage of significant federal tax breaks on this project and, therefore, arguably improve the “payback” period for the county’s portion of the project cost.

The resolution before the board yesterday was to continue negotiating with one of the two private companies that responded to the RFP and potentially return to the board with a contract to move forward (prior to Nov. 18).

The initial negotiations with this company (which had never previously been involved with a wind energy project) yeilded an offer that projected a 15-year simple payback for the county’s eventual investment.

All five commissioners present yesterday voted “no” on the resolution, likely killing the wind turbine project.

Golden Hydrant goes to Hennepin County for providing free non-emergency health care to illegal immigrants

Today the county board voted on some significant changes to Hennepin County Medical Center’s (HCMC) admissions policy, including changes to whom HCMC provides free subsidized non-emergency care. Hennepin County taxpayers subsidize HCMC to the tune of over $30 million each year to cover free and reduced-cost services to the poor.

The new policy proposed to deny free non-emergency services (federal law requires all hospitals to provide emergency services to everyone, regardless of ability to pay) to those who do not live in Hennepin County. In the past, HCMC has provided services to anyone who walked in the door, regardless of residence or ability to pay. Under this new policy, HCMC would continue to provide free services to ANYONE who claims to live in Hennepin County, including illegal immigrants.

I offered an amendment to the policy stating simply:

“Free and Discounted Care provided through Hennepin County Medical Center will be limited to U.S. citizens or legal noncitizens except as otherwise required by state or federal law…”

My proposal failed on a vote of 6 – 1.

The latest Golden Fire Hydrant goes to HCMC’s decision – and the county board’s blessing of that decision – to spend taxpayer dollars to provide free non-emergency health care services to illegal immigrants.

My Golden Hydrant last week to the county policy requiring we spend big money on art in libraries (which, if nothing changes, will total in excess of $1 million over the next few years) has stirred up great interest and emotion.

I’ve kept some of the nastiest emails/letters I’ve received over the years just so I can fondly reminisce over them on occasion.  I received one last week that will permanently find a place in my Top Ten.  The salutation:  “Hey Pukebreath.”  The author also unfavorably compared me to Adolph Hitler and noted that I’m a “buttlicking moron.”  Pukebreath, Adolph Hitler, buttlicking moron.  I hit the trifecta!

Tom Hauser did a nice story on the issue last week as well.  You can see it here.

Also, the Star Tribune ran a story yesterday written by Laurie Blake that I thought addressed the issue fairly:

Artwork on the way for 2 new libraries
LAURIE BLAKE, Star Tribune

Sculpture, stained glass and textiles will ornament the newly opened Plymouth and Maple Grove libraries next year, over the protest of a Hennepin County commissioner who says it’s no time to be spending money on artwork.

Golden Hydrant goes to plan for spending $342,000 on new art in Plymouth and Maple Grove libraries

The county board voted 6 – 1 yesterday (with me being the “no” vote) to spend $60,000 on a public art project in the new Plymouth Library. Another $60,000 project for this facility is soon to come, followed by $220,000 worth of art projects for the recently completed new library in Maple Grove.

The newest Golden Fire Hydrant goes to the Hennepin County Board’s policy requiring that 1% of total project cost be added to the top of every large library project for public art.

I had the honor of helping cut ribbons for the grand openings of two beautiful new Hennepin County libraries in western Hennepin County recently. The costs for these new libraries in Plymouth and Maple Grove were approximately $12 million and $22 million, respectively.

I learned a few weeks ago, however, that despite being open for months to rave reviews from everyone, these new libraries are not complete, as we have not yet spent the required $342,000 on public art.