Memo/Decentralization of Group HomesMEMORANDUM
DATE: February 17, 1989
TO: Zoning & Planning Commission
FROM: Nancy S. Anderson
SUBJECT: Decentralization of Group Homes
Enclosed for your review is an article dealing with the
decentralization of group homes.
Staff wants the Commission to be aware of the impending
legislation that will decentralize group homes within
Hennepin County from Minneapolis to the suburbs. At this
time we do not know what the cities response will be.
However, in the future we may need an ordinance to regulate
the group homes. We just want the Commission to be informed
of what is happening.
•
County defers tolocal-zoningiaws
for suburban residential facilities
By John Rajkowski
Hennepin County's five -year
plan to solve the problem of
overconcentration of group
homes in south Minneapolis was
amended last month to allow
more power to local planning
boards.
Commissioners unanimously
passed a resolution that said a
group home would not be per-
mitted unless it was in com-
pliance wiht local zoning or-
dinances. This despite the fact
the Legislature has given the
county power to override local
zoning in order to meet decen-
tralization goals.
John Derus said the county's
image of. haying all the say in
where group homes should be
located needed to be changed if
the decentralization goal was
ever going to be achieved.
Commissioner Mark Andrew,
whose district includes south
Minneapolis, said without local
support, decentralization will
never be accomplished. Plus, he
said it's wrong for the state to
fine the county if it doesn't meet
its decentralization goals within
the next two years.
"If we are really going to have
decentralization, the
Legislature has to give up the
power to override local zoning,
at least until we get the ball roll-
ing for a year or so," Andrew
said.
Andrew also wanted the state
to lift its threat of sanctions and
to provide the $25 million one-
time cost to begin decentraliza-
tion. He pointed out that groups
homes in the suburbs will be
more expensive to operate
because of higher rents. "It's
really going to be a significant
financial hardship for us," he
predicted.
But John Derus tried to shed a
more positi re light on the situa-
tion. He paid moving more
group homes to the suburbs will
improve the living conditions for
the residents. "This is an oppor-
tunity to say to operators, 'What
is your track record ?' " He said
he wants to try to ensure that
quality of care doesn't suffer
when decentralization does
occur.
Besides the question of quali-
ty, Derus said he was also upset
that the group homes "include
the whole continuum from
developmentally disabled to sex
offenders. I don't think that's a
good idea."
He suggested that prior
notification should be given
before a group home goes into a
neighborhood. "After all," he
said, "these programs are paid
for by property taxes by the peo-
ple who will be living next to
these facilities."
Jeff Spartz said, "We will
have a say in the efficacy of
these programs because the
county pays for most of them.
Those operators that try to
educate neighbors have had the
best success."
But Derus questioned whether
decentralization would work
without specific language allow-
ing for prior neighborhood
notification. "We are just
rushing willy-nilly into this," he
said.
Derus was reminded by
Spartz that the county is being
pressured into decentralization
by legislators and the Associa-
tion of Retarded Citizens.
The issue will take on added
urgency this year because the
Legislature is expected to go
along with a recommendation
by the Department of Human
Services to close the state's
regional treatment centers, a
move backed by ARC.
If the centers, formerly known
as state hospitals, are closed,
the majority of the residents
would return to their
hometowns, which are in Hen -
nepin County. That means the
county would have to have ade-
quate group homes to accom-
modate them.