Eagan seeking citizens for four advisory groups

The city of Eagan is accepting applications from residents interested in serving on one of its four advisory commissions.

The deadline for applications is March 21. They will be reviewed and appointments will be made by the mayor and City Council in April.

The Advisory Planning, Advisory Parks and Recreation, Airport Relations Advisory, and Energy and Environment Advisory commissions help the city get the community's perspective on a variety of issues. They also recommend options to the council.

"The citizens that serve Eagan's Advisory Commissions provide an invaluable service with the time they provide, the research they conduct and the interactions they have with the community," says City Administrator Dave Osberg.

All applicants must complete an application and a protected information form in order to be considered for appointment. Both are available on the city's website http://www.cityofeagan.com.

The mayor's annual State of the City address is 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Burnsville Performing Arts Center, 12600 Nicollet Av.

The speech by Elizabeth Kautz will also be broadcast live on Burnsville Civic Channel 16, available to cable subscribers, and at www.burnsville.org. An optional luncheon will follow the speech. Anyone can attend the address for free, but the luncheon is $25 per person, and registration is required at least 24 hours in advance.

A $200,000 grant will help an Eagan-based nonprofit teach new job skills to adults with disabilities.

The grant from Minnesota Southeast Technical will help about 140 ProAct employees over an 18-month period by funding entry-level training and retraining programs that emphasize greater productivity and self-sufficiency, better value to business customers, increased wages and a higher level of professionalism, according to a ProAct news release. The training intends to make ProAct's workers with disabilities more employable.

ProAct is headquartered in Eagan and has additional operations in Red Wing and Zumbrota and Hudson, Wis. Its mission is to serve individuals experiencing barriers to employment and self-sufficiency because of intellectual and developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, mental health issues, traumatic brain injuries and other challenges. To learn more, see www.proactinc.org.

Mayor John Zanmiller was appointed last month to the National League of Cities Public Safety and Crime Prevention Steering Committee. The committee takes the lead in developing the league's federal policy positions on crime prevention, corrections, substance abuse, municipal fire policy, juvenile justice, disaster preparedness and relief, homeland security and other issues.

Zanmiller will play a key role in shaping NLC's policy positions and advocate on behalf of America's cities and towns before Congress.

State Sen. Katie Sieben and state Reps. Denny McNamara and Dan Schoen are scheduled to address constituents at Cottage Grove City Hall later this month.

Sieben, who last week took her name out of the running for lieutenant governor, and McNamara and Schoen, her fellow legislators from District 54 — which encompasses Cottage Grove, Newport, St. Paul Park and South St. Paul — plan on taking questions and comments from voters. The event is Feb. 24 from 10 a.m. to noon at City Hall, 12800 Ravine Pkwy. S.

Sieben and McNamara met voters at a similar event in Hastings this month.