1980s

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Northwest River Quadrant reportA Power Point presentation including photos created by the City of Burnsville.

Burnsville Capital for a Day 1981It is an honor for Burnsville to have been selected as one of the Capital for a Day cities in Minnesota. Participants include: Governor Al Quie, Lt. Governor Lou Wangberg, Mark Mason - Director Minnesota Energy Agency, John Feda - Commissioner of Education, James Solem - Director of Housing Finance Agency, Wes Cochrane - Assistant Commissioner of Economic Development, Richard Braun - Commissioner MInnesota Dept of Transportation, Clyde Allen - Commissioner of Revenue, Charles Weaver- Chair Metropolitan Council and Arthur Noot - Commissioner of Welfare. The lunch on November 9, 1981 was at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. (Original printed blue ink on blue paper.)

Mayor Paul Scheunemann Paul and Hap Scheunemann, Paul and Joan Hoover and Dave Ahlgren at Burnsville Fire Muster 1982.

Mayor Paul Scheunemann Paul Scheunemann for mayor sign, October 1982.

1982 Burnsville Opinion SurveyThe Burnsville City Council invites residents to complete this survey in order to do a better job in providing services.

Running for Council 1982 ElectionOctober 28, 1982 Dakota County Tribune includes statements from: Wally Day, Paul Hoover, Dan McElory MaryAnn Schulten and Ken Wolf, each running for City Council.

1984 Burnsville Opinion SurveyDuring 1984 the City Council invited residents to respond to their third annual opinion survey.

Mayor Paul ScheunemannPaul Scheunemann,mayor 1979 - 1987. Official portrait at City Hall.

Jim and Joan Spore 1981James Spore selected as new city manager.

Burnsville Ice CenterBurnsville Ice Arena addition shown in this newspaper clipping.

Around the GarageToday these city garages are part of the "GARAGE". THE GARAGE is a non-profit all-ages music venue and recording studio in Burnsville, Minnesota, United States, a southern suburb of Minneapolis. It is a mutli-functioning facility that not only offers shows on a weekly basis, but is also home to a number of programs centered around the music industry such as: recording engineering, live sound production, arts journalism, concert photography, and venue operations.

Named "Best All Ages Venue" in the Twin Cities by City Pages THE GARAGE has been a launching point for many young artists as well as music industry professionals.

No ambulance for Burnsville yetOctober 6, 1983 Dakota County Tribune:

The City of Burnsville will not operate its own ambulance service yet.

Arts to have common home in Alimagnet Arts Center 1989October 26, 1989 Dakota County Tribune -

Arts groups now have a home at the "House" at Lake Alimagment...

Bernie Peroz, Burnsville's newest council member 1985April 24, 1985 Burnsville Current reports: As Peroz joins the city council, one of his first duties will be interviewing for a new city manager.

City seeks bids for remodeling council chambersMarch 10, 1986 - Burnsville Current:

The council's former meeting room will be used for office space as more office space is needed. Council meetings move to the high school.

Ziegenhagen editorial on Botched Court dealWhat a botched bit of Inter governmental non-cooperation has been the attempt to site a new court facility in Burnsville.
And what a terrible blow to north western Dakota County it will be if we lose the court that has operated in Burnsville since 1965.
But the danger looms.
Here’s the story: Some months ago, the county decided that Burnsville would be the place for a new jail and court facility assuming that the city donated the land.
It was thought by some that in ex change for that land, Burnsville might use the courtrooms for some City Council meetings (its council chambers are small) and the jail cells as needed to accommodate occasional overflow at Burnsville’s three-cell lockup.
But when the issue came before the Burnsville City Council, the whole thing started trickling down a dismal drain.
The council asked the county to pay half the going price for a parcel of land adjacent to City Hall estimated to be worth $260,000.
Of course it’s worth no such thing to the public. And, there’s no reason tax payers should have to buy something we already own.

That land was sold to Burnsville by Jack Young, proprietor of Jack’s Place, after he bought it from Pat Con nelly and moved some dirt around. Backinthemid1960s,itwasworthonly a few thousand dollars.
Land prices have soared since then, which may be significant if the city were selling to developers. But having the county buy it seems like taking a tax bite where none ought to exist. Why in the world should the county buy what is already public land?
Then, last week when the Burnsville Council reversed itself and agreed to donate the land, the County Board balked—some say because the judges got into the act, making it clear that they don’t like sharing courtrooms with anyone, and there is talk that we’ll lose the court, perhaps to Eagan, perhaps to Hastings.
Meanwhile, the county may be look ing to purchase land elsewhere which is nonsense when free land is available in Burnsville.
County-government watchers ob serve that only recently has the County Board come to recognize that this end o f the county has settlers.
Until the mid 1970s, at County Board meetings one got the feeling that com missioners—the closest o f whom lived

n Farmington—thought Burnsville and Apple Valley were blueberry patches and cornfields, not burgeoning suburbs
in need of coujity services.
Finally, though, after Russ Streef-
land won election, county services came to the area and better balance was achieved across this sprawling county.
Crime statistics show that a large shareofcourtcasescomefromthisarea and that the most appropriate place for a new court and jail is here.
Perhaps the long-term remedy to all this is a better way for elected officials within the county to communicate. Reportedly, some members of the Burnsville City Council first heard about the county’s expectations by reading them in the newspapers. That’s a perfectly good way to get most news, of course, but when public officials must make weighty decisions it’s only good sense to grease the wheels of decision-making with advance informa tion, if not with courtesy.
Apple Valley and Burnsville are clearly a major retail business center and soon will be a medical center as well, as the Ridges Hospital draws medical providers and other profes sional workers to our cities.
Losing the County Court to Eagan or

returning it to Hastings would diminish the institutional base wc must have, not only for community identity but for ser vice—such as easing the problems fami ly members have getting to court at critical times. Dakota County, after all, isnotadmiredfortheconvenienceofits transportation systems.
---- Mary Ziegenhagen

Burnsville Fire Department History 1980October, 1980 the Dakota County Historical Society published in its quarterly magazine OVER THE YEARS the history of the Fire Departments throughout Dakota County. This is the information they published about Burnsville's.

Burnsville took opportunity to shine 1989Burnsville Current editorial - March 22, 1989: It was Burnsville's day to shine Thursday, and the community grabbed hold of the opportunity. It was Capital for a Day. Governor Rudy Perpich, Lt. Governor Marlene Johnson and a number of state commissioners lent their ears to city and school officials, business people and residents for the day....

Burnsville to be site for jail and courtby Linda Hanson
Burnsville Current
December 1, 1981

The Dakota County Board of Commissioners last Tuesday voted to build a new $1.6 million satellite jail and court facility next to Burnsville City Hall on land donated by the city of Burnsville.

Chairman Russell Streefland said, ‘‘The thing that appeals to me about the Burnsville site is that it’s on Highway 13 and has good visibility.”

The board Nov. 2 approved building a jail and court facility in the northwestern part of Dakota County as recommended by a task force, but left
until last week choice of a location. The
task force recommended this area of the county because of the increase in population, which results in an increased need for jails and court space.
The county staff contacted officials in Eagan and Apple Valley to see if they had land to donate for a jail and court. They said they didn’t.
The Eagan City Council, however, suggested two sites—Lebanon Hills Regional Park and the University of Minnesota Research Center. The Research Center site would have had to be purchased by the county, and the park site would probably be rejected by the Metropolitan Council, staff members reported.
The satellite facility will have 24 jail beds, two courtrooms, and County Court and Court Services offices. It is scheduled to be built in 1983 with money from the county’s building fund.
The board selected the firm of Winsor-Faricy Architects for the design work, which is scheduled to be completed by April 1, 1982.
Voting for the 5.4 acre Burnsville site were Streefland, John Voss and Gene Atkins. Voting against it were Joe Harris and Gerald Hollenkamp.
The project is part of a jail expansion plan that also calls for a $6.9 million,
60-bed jail in Hastings in 1989, when money is expected to be available.
The county jail in Hastings, built in 1961, has 54 beds even though Minnesota Department of Correction
(MDOC) officials authorize the use of only 27.
Construction of the satellite facility
is considered the first step toward correcting the deficiencies of the county jail system.
In related action, the County Board authorized spending $63,140 to renovate the Hastings jail, the minimum amount needed to satisfy MDOC standards.

Burnsville to get new county jail Burnsville Sun Newspaper 11/30/81 Issue
Burnsville to get new county jail
Burnsville will get a new Dakota county branch jail and courtroom, the county board decided last week.
The $1.6 million facility will be built on a 5.4acre tract adjacent to the Burnsville city hall, a site donated by the city.
The site on Highway 13 east of Interstate 35W was chosen by the board over two others under consideration: the U. of M. Research Station in Rosemount and Lebanon Hills regional park in Eagan.
The board had voted in October to build a 24-bed jail and courtroom in the northwestern part of the county but hadn’t selected a site.
The Burnsville tract was chosen because of its proximity to major highways and availability of park ing space at the city hall.
The building, which probably will be completed by late 1983,is the first step toward upgrading the county’s jail and court facilities. The old jail in Hastings has been declared in adequate by the state. A new 60-bed main jail,in Hastings is expected to be completed in 1989.

Winter in BurnsvilleCity equipment at work during winter months. Photo compliments of the City of Burnsville.

City Maintenance building equipmentOne of the City trucks in the 1980s, compliments of the City of Burnsville.

Burnsville Ice CenterInterior Burnsville Ice Center compliments of the City of Burnsville.

Mayor Daniel McElroyDaniel McElory mayor, 1987 - 1994. Portrait hanging in the City Hall.

State officials participate in Capital for a day 1981The Burnsville Sun reports that Governor Al Quie was guest speaker at the Capital for a Day luncheon of November 9.

Burnsville Capital for a Day 1989Independent School District 196 - Valley Middle School - Jazz Ensemble II - Directed by David Miller at the
Burnsville Capital for a Day - Education Breakfast - March 16, 1989

Capital for a Day 1989Burnsville Current - March 22, 1989 reports: Education breakfast kicks off Burnsville Capital for Day with Governor Rudy Perpich. He visited the Cedar Alternative Center.

Burnsville Capital for a Day 1989Students in the Early Childhood Special Education program at Cedar Alternative center were greeted by Perpich during his visit to the school.

Burnsville Mayor Dan McElroy presents the governor with a sweatshirt bearing the city's name during the Chamber of Commerce Luncheon at the American Legion. Burnsville Thisweek March 20, 1989

Burnsville Capital for a Day 1989Governor Rudy Perpich stepped off a Snow-Cat after riding it to the top of Buck Hill March 16 to get a panoramic view of Burnsville. Perpich and other high-ranking state officials were in town for Capital for a Day. Burnsville Thisweek March 20, 1989.

Burnsville Capital for a Day 1989March 20, 1989 Burnsville Thisweek reports on Governor Perpich participating in the Burnsville "Capital for a Day" event.

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