HomeMy WebLinkAbout022708 task force meeting notes
Prior Lake Area Community Safety Task Force Meeting Notes
February 27 , 2008
Minutes Approved 4 p.m. on March 11 , 2008
1. O’Rourke – Noted that seven were present. Suggested the group may need to meet more
often or perhaps on a different night.
2. O’Rourke – asked for reaction to the survey results. Tried to show frequencies in various
ways to see if there was consistency in the top five or six. There was. Using weighting
shows protection of kids as the top priority. Many of the others things prioritized would
protect kids. Also noted that “drugs” is pretty vague because it can include both prescription
and illegal drugs.
3. Wright – had protecting kids as a leader and everything else included under that. Thinks
protecting kids falls off and the rest re main.
4. Hadley – felt that weighting was a good way to handle it. Personally is protective of
domestic violence. Violence is related to gangs and suicide.
5. Anderson – working on little issues without working on the bigger issue is hard. Believes
tobacco and drugs should be combined into one category.
6. O’Rourke – concerned that by merging the categories, some of the detail would be lost and in
the process expands the top five to eight or nine.
7. Wright - thought the three were grouped together.
8. Anderson – these things can affect each other such as liquor and domestic violence and vice
versa.
9. Hadley – suggested looking at how we strengthen families (on the other hand, if we knew
how to do this, we would have).
10. Kyle Haugen – asked if the top five or six wer e chosen, what process would be used?
11. O’Rourke – would define what is meant by alcohol as an issue. Then look at what is being
done. If it is about alcohol and fatal car accidents, then we may work more closely with
those who are trying to prevent that. O r , we could look at what the school or police
department is doing and make recommendations regarding what else should be done to
address that problem.
12. O’Rourke – commented that there is supposed to be a presentation from this committee to the
Council i n June.
13. Hadley - asked whose initiative it is (safe communities) .
14. O’Rourke – Scott County, the police departments, Wilcox, got together to get grants to
address alcohol and driving fatalities. Scott County has fallen out of the top ten to 21. Now
they are looking at inattentive driving and seat belt usage. Mock crasher used at schools to
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provide awareness for kids around prom time. Focus is traffic safety. Also talked about
motorcycle laws.
15. Hadley - s uggested having Wilcox here to present to this ta sk force.
16. O’Rourke – talked about administrative tickets. This group could also suggest the City
pursue this. Administrative tags cost $ 40+ as compared with a typical fine of $122 for less
than 10 mph over the speed limit. Seat belt tickets are from $2 2 to $122. So tickets
sometimes are not given. The State gets $70 of each ticket. An administrative ticket does
not clog up the courts. Typically a $ 40 ticket does not go on a driver’s record. One freebie.
Attorney General found illegal. Need to de cide if, despite all the problems, it should be
made legal. Finds that most people on traffic stops are people who live in the neighborhood.
Right now cities can either give a warning or a ticket. Warnings are never recorded.
17. Loch – as if the task forc e could recommend such a thing.
18. O’Rourke – yes, or something like the social host ordinance if the task force thinks it
appropriate.
19. Wright – let people decide. Protecting our kids is too broad. Top five would be without
drugs and alcohol.
20. Kyle Haugen – listed the top five (without drugs and alcohol) as predatory offenders, traffic
and driving, active neighborhoods, social host ordinance. All are tangible things we can do
something about.
21. Wright – asked if the task force is looking for something to r ecommend to the City Council.
22. O’Rourke – not necessarily, could also be what we are doing.
23. Andersen – we want to show what we can do to help.
24. Loch – not just how we can pass law, but how can we stop those things before they happen.
25. Wright – asked if th e neighborhoods can be instrumental in getting these things done or
removing the likelihood that such things will happen.
26. Kyle Haugen – neighborhoods without violence will tend to work together.
27. Wright – would like to walk a neighborhood to get down to g rass roots level.
28. O’Rourke – wonder how differently the neighborhood request will be since we had 40 people
here. Seems like we are reasonable well identified.
29. Wright – in here neighborhood there is theft from vehicles where as in other neighborhoods
th ere may be something else. Then the neighborhood is involved.
30. Loch – so that’s under the category of active neighborhoods.
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31. O’Rourke – will contact by email and phone.
32. Andersen – believes five or six per committee will be enough.
33. Ringstad – suggested t hat everyone might want to be on the top priority committee.
34. Andersen – if that happens, the big groups would have to be subdivided.
35. Hadley – interested in the Internet , bullying, harassment, sex and whether kid or adult issue s .
36. O’Rourke – the idea is t o use the survey and identify five or six things we can impact.
37. Loch – suggested the top two.
38. O’Rourke – asked if there is agreement on the top five:
a. substance use and abuse
b. predatory offenders
c. traffic/driving/accidents
d. bullying/harassment
e. active neighbo rhoods
39. After considerable discussion, the above items were deemed to be the top five topics. Active
neighborhoods was considered to be part of all areas.
40. Wright – proposed that people here get to pick their subgroup.
41. O’Rourke – the top five won’t go aw ay and may be revisited next time. He will contact
people to ask them about:
a. the small group they want to be on, and
b. what is the best night to meet, and
c. the next meeting date.
42. Ringstad – asked if small groups will meet and the overall task force would no t.
43. O’Rourke – suggested that the people present chair the small groups.
Those present indicated interest in serving on the following subgroups.
Bullying/ Active Predatory Substance Traffic/Driving
Harassment Neighborhoods Offenders Use/Abuse Accidents
Sandra Wright Sandra Wright Jeanne Andersen Pat Ciliberto Scott Johnson
Gina Loch Kyle Haugen Susan Hadley Kyle Haugen
Linda Ringstad
Gina Loch
44. O’Rourke outlined tasks for the next meeting. The meeting adjourned at 5:22 p.m.
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