News from Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak - November 10, 2004

1. Snow Emergency Updates
The Public Works Department has mailed the 2004-05 Snow Emergency Information brochures to Minneapolis households recently. Watch for this helpful pamphlet in your mail. It lists all the information you will need to have at your fingertips for the upcoming Snow Emergency season. If you would like to receive an e-mail alert from the City whenever a Snow Emergency is declared this winter, go to the City's website, www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us and click the "e-subscribe" box at the bottom of the home page. Follow the easy instructions and you will be registered - and NEW this year, you have the option of selecting "short message alert" which is formatted to be received by your mobile phone or PDA device!

2. Budget Update
My 2005 Budget is moving through the City Council process towards approval in December.

Despite new Local Government Aid (LGA) cuts, increasing pension obligations, and reduced revenue from the parking fund, my budget proposal is balanced and in keeping with the City's adopted tax policy.

The budget prioritizes public safety and prevents layoffs of police officers through a variety of means developed over the summer months. The budget also minimizes overall force reduction over the next 5 years.

Other basic services are also protected and we've increased funding in the capital budget for street and streetlight renovation.

These budget fundamentals seem to have broad support on the City Council. The biggest change made by the Council so far is to cut back proposed new funding for public art. (This line item is in the capital budget which cannot be used to fund police officers or firefighters). I will continue to fight for these funds which have added neighborhood art amenities across our city like the rabbit on Minnehaha Parkway, the serpent in Seward, the Aldo Moroni sculptures in Marcy Homes and the "Circle of Vision" sculpture which will be dedicated this Saturday the 13^th at 2:00 p.m. at Farview Park in the Hawthorne neighborhood. In addition, this budget item will help establish new art works planned with the East Lake and North regional libraries next year.

The next City Council hearing on my 2005 Budget is November 15, 2004 at 9:00 a.m.

3. Fire Chief Nomination
Last week I had the pleasure of announcing the nomination of Bonnie Bleskachek for Minneapolis Fire Chief. She will be the first woman Fire Chief of a non-volunteer fire department in the state of Minnesota and one of the first among large cities in the nation.

Bonnie has been a key player in two areas where the Department excels: long-term business planning and creating a diverse workforce. More than that, Bonnie's innovative and compelling vision includes moving the department from a fire-suppression focus to include more community-based fire prevention and emergency preparedness.

Bleskachek, a 15-year veteran of the Minneapolis Fire Department, has held positions of increasing responsibility within the Fire Department, including Battalion Chief, managing five fire stations; Fire Captain, supervising fire and emergency medical activities of a fire company; and Chief Training Officer for the Department. She has served as Interim Fire Chief since former Chief Forte's appointment as Director of Regulatory Services and Emergency Preparedness last June. I made the announcement outside Fire Station 5, at 27^th and Bloomington Ave. S., where Bonnie served on the first all-woman fire crew in the United States (still in existence at the station).

Bonnie's career path is an example of how a highly directed, skilled employee in a department with a clear advancement plan can rise to the top. She was one of the founders and is past president of the Minnesota Women Fire Fighters Association. She serves as a gubernatorial appointee on the Statewide Radio Board, which coordinates interoperability of communications between public safety professionals, and the Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board, which is responsible for regulating and setting standards for emergency medicine in the state of Minnesota.

Today the Executive Committee of the City Council unanimously approved her nomination. From here, the Public Safety and Regulatory Services Committee is expected to hold a public hearing on the nomination, which would then likely be considered by the City Council in December.

The Minneapolis Fire Chief oversees 450 employees and manages a budget of $43 million.