FIVE THINGS TO KNOW TODAY (6/17/2014) Your Post-Bulletin connection to late-breaking news, upcoming events and stories that will be talked about today: SCHOOL BOARD More than 100 parents spent Monday evening crowded in the Edison Board Room for the third, and last, public input meeting about the proposed changes to district elementary schools. And although much was discussed, many walked away with more questions than they walked in with. There was a lot of confusion, frustration, exasperation, and passionate discussion in the room. SOFTWARE FIRM RELEASE Another start-up is graduating from the Mayo Clinic Business Accelerator to lease office space in Rochesters Minnesota BioBusiness Center. And as a parting gift, it is providing the Accelerator with a short-term solution to its need to expand by providing space for it to double in size. Brandix i3, the healthcare technology arm of a Sri Lanka-based company, has signed a three-year lease with the City of Rochester for 2,000-square-feet of space on skyway level of the center at 221 First Ave. S.W. The space is half of a 4,000-square-foot area that has never been built out for a tenant, since the BioBusiness Center opened five years ago. AGGRESSIVE PANHANDLING The Rochester City Council on Monday discussed the possibility of enacting an ordinance that would ban an aggressive form of panhandling some people have experienced in downtown Rochester. Council members discussed an ordinance drafted by City Attorney Terry Adkins at their committee of the whole meeting; they plan to vote on its approval at their next regular meeting, July 7. “I’ve been looking at a lot of these (ordinances),” said council member Ed Hruska. “There are cities all over the country that are dealing with this. This isn’t just a problem in Rochester … This is what I believe responsible governments are doing for their cities.” ROUNDABOUT Despite the city staff’s recommendation, the Rochester City Council voted Monday to install a traffic signal instead of a roundabout at the intersection of 16th Street Southwest and Mayowood Road near Apache Mall. Council members said they had more confidence in the traffic signal option and found it to be the best idea for the area, where a 169-unit senior housing facility will be built in the future. “I’m just not convinced a roundabout is the safest way to get people around,” council member Mark Bilderback said. KUTZKY HOME HISTORIC The Rochester City Council deemed two Kutzky homes historic on Monday, allowing the relocation of the houses to move forward, but said the Conley house was not historic and will allow it to be demolished. The decision comes after months of debate focused on the two houses, located at 718 and 810 W. Center St., after the 83-unit Nicholas Apartments were approved for the site in May. The city’s Heritage Preservation Commission decided last week that both homes were historic and recommended that the city deny the demolition permit on the Conley House.
Posted on: Tue, 17 Jun 2014 13:50:20 +0000
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