[Mpls] No Cost Graffiti Solution Seeking City Approval

[Scott Moore]

The Lyndale Neighborhood is working on a long-term solution to the 
graffiti scourge that plagues our city. Below is a proposal that will 
soon be presented to the Minneapolis City Council. It is an elegant 
solution that can be easily implemented.

All those interested in the problem of graffiti please respond.

Thank you,
====================================================
Lyndale Neighborhood Association
Crime and Drug Committee

The Graffiti Project


Council action needed to eradicate graffiti - at no cost to the City

According to reliable estimates, the City spends about $180,000 each 
year to remove graffiti from City property. That money can be recovered 
by invoking a new law (Minn.Stat. §617.90), which empowers the City to:

·	collect from the culprit up to three times the cost of restoration,
·	collect from the culprit attorney fees, and
·	collect from a parent up to $1000 of a judgment against a minor


Problem is, civil lawsuits filed by the City Attorney benefit only the 
City. A better solution would be to have civil lawsuits filed by private 
counsel on behalf of the City. That procedure would benefit both the 
City and the neighborhoods. At no cost to the taxpayers, an expertise 
would become available to victims of graffiti throughout the City.

Action: The Crime and Drug Committee urges the City Council to develop 
the expertise needed to eradicate graffiti throughout the City by 
adopting the following resolution.

"Resolved:
The City Attorney is directed to retain private counsel to recover 
damage to City property from graffiti."


Background

A bill to eradicate graffiti was crafted by the Lyndale Neighborhood. 
Senator Linda Berglin and Representative Jim Davnie introduced the bill 
to the legislature in February 2002. They both lobbied hard and reworked 
the bill until it passed both houses during the 2004 session. Signed by 
Governor Tim Pawlenty on April 2, 2004, the new law (Minn.Stat. §617.90) 
took effect the following August 1.


LNA's attempt to recruit attorneys was not successful

Lyndale Neighborhood News began posting ads to recruit attorneys in its 
October 2004 issue. The ads had five purposes:

·	To recruit an army of lawyers who are willing and able to defend 
victims of graffiti in the Lyndale Neighborhood
·	To give fair warning to culprits and parents that the Lyndale 
Neighborhood is a graffiti-free zone
·	To encourage residents and business owners to use the new law
·	To encourage the City of Minneapolis and other branches of government 
to use the new law - to deter graffiti AND to convert the mischief of 
culprits into funds for needed public services
·	To encourage all victims of graffiti to share damage estimates with 
Minneapolis' Graffiti Task Force


A year of active solicitation has produced no attorney willing to defend 
victims of graffiti in the Lyndale Neighborhood. Council action is 
needed to recruit the attorneys needed to eradicate graffiti.

Approved
LNA Crime and Drug Committee	29 Aug 05
====================================================
-- 
Scott Moore - 612.791.2333
Happy Accident Productions, LLC
Lyndale