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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026/01/20 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - RegularOfficial minutes City council meeting St. Louis Park, Minnesota Jan. 20, 2026 1. Call to Order Mayor Mohamed called the meeting to order at 6:15 p.m. Mayor Mohamed took a moment to reflect on the significance of the pledge, emphasizing its commitment to liberty and justice for all. She noted that given recent events in the city, it was important to remember what the pledge signifies, particularly in the face of what she described as trauma experienced from the federal government. Mayor Mohamed invited those present to join her in the pledge, emphasizing that it represented a commitment to uphold justice and liberty for all. a. Pledge of Allegiance Council Member Brausen thanked Mayor Mohamed for her words, noting that her remarks were emotional and important given current events. b. Roll Call Council members present: Jim Engelking, Sue Budd, Tim Brausen, Yolanda Farris, Paul Baudhuin, Mayor Nadia Mohamed Council member absent: Daniel Bashore Staff present: administrative services director (Ms. Brodeen), community engagement coordinator (Mr. Coleman), engineering director (Ms. Heiser), city manager (Ms. Keller), city attorney (Mr. Mattick), deputy engineering director (Mr. Sullivan), deputy city manager (Ms. Walsh), deputy community development director (Mr. Walther) engineering project manager (Mr. Wiesen) 2. Approve agenda. It was moved by Council Member Baudhuin, seconded by Council Member Farris, to approve the agenda. The motion passed 6-0 (Council Member Bashore absent). 3. Presentations. a. Proclamation observing International Holocaust Remembrance Day Mayor Mohamed read the proclamation declaring January 27, 2026, as International Holocaust Remembrance Day in St. Louis Park. The proclamation acknowledged the horrors of the Holocaust, the importance of educating people about these events, the commitment of St. Docusign Envelope ID: FDFD41E4-9A8C-4C83-8A28-73E9605E6B13 City council meeting - 2 - Jan. 20, 2026 Louis Park to racial equity and inclusion, and the opportunity this day presents to stand against government actions that dehumanize or bring violence to any group of people. Mayor Mohamed noted the rich history of Jewish residents in St. Louis Park and the city's commitment to their safety. She also remarked that parts of the proclamation echoed current events in a concerning way. Council Member Baudhuin emphasized the vital importance of remembering the Holocaust, sharing his personal experience learning about it as a child from a survivor who lived in his neighborhood. He expressed concern about efforts to remove the Holocaust from history books and noted that while the United States is not at the point of the slaughter of six million Jewish people, some current tactics are eerily similar to past events. b. Proclamation observing Winter Salt Week Mayor Mohamed read the proclamation declaring January 26 through 30, 2026, as Winter Salt Week in St. Louis Park. The proclamation highlighted the environmental impact of road salt on freshwater resources, the importance of winter maintenance best practices, and the need for community education on proper salt application. Mayor Mohamed noted that since she first joined the city council, balancing winter maintenance needs with environmental protection has been an ongoing challenge. Council Member Budd encouraged residents to participate in smart salt training, which she had personally found enlightening for maintaining safe driveways and sidewalks while preserving water quality. c. Recognition of donations Mayor Mohamed recognized donations from 281 individuals who contributed $4,060 to support Access to Fun programs, and from Westopolis, which donated $2,500 for Jason West to attend the Sports Events and Tourism Association symposium. 4. Minutes a. Study session meeting minutes of December 8, 2025 b. City council meeting minutes of January 5, 2026 It was moved by Council Member Budd, seconded by Council Member Brausen, to approve the minutes of the study session meeting on Dec. 8, 2025 and the city council meeting on Jan. 5, 2026 as presented. The motion passed 6-0 (Council Member Bashore absent). Docusign Envelope ID: FDFD41E4-9A8C-4C83-8A28-73E9605E6B13 City council meeting - 3 - Jan. 20, 2026 5. Consent items. a. Resolution No. 26-009 accepting donations to the city to support the Access to Fun scholarship program b. Resolution No. 26-010 accepting donation to the city for Jason West to attend the 2026 Sports Events & Tourism Association (ETA) Symposium c. Resolution No. 26-011 establishing 2026 Alley reconstruction project (4026-1500), approving plans and specifications, and authorizing advertisement for bids – Ward 3 d. Resolution No. 26-012 accepting previously awarded grant funds e. Resolution No. 26-013 authorizing application for the U.S. Department of Transportation BUILD grant f. Resolution No. 26-014 approving 2026-2028 International Union of Operating Engineer Local #49 labor agreement Mayor Mohamed noted she was particularly interested in item 5b regarding parks and recreation director Mr. West’s planned attendance at the tourism association symposium. She expressed curiosity about what conversations might occur regarding Minnesota's current situation and how it might impact tourism and sporting events coming to the state. Council Member Budd highlighted item 5c, noting she had attended the open house to review the plans for the alley reconstruction project in Ward 3. She shared that residents along those alleys were looking forward to the improvements. It was moved by Council Member Farris, seconded by Council Member Engelking, to approve the consent items as listed; and to waive reading of all resolutions and ordinances. The motion passed 6-0 (Council Member Bashore absent). 6. Public hearing. a. Public hearing for 2026 Pavement Management project (4026-1000) - Ward 1 Mr. Wiesen presented the staff report. He explained that the project focuses on maintaining residential streets in the Bronx Park neighborhood, which typically require reconstruction every 30-50 years. Mr. Wiesen detailed the project scope, which includes: ● Removing and recycling existing pavement ● Replacing water mains and services on select streets ● Repairing storm and sanitary sewer structures ● Installing new sidewalks in certain areas ● Incorporating stormwater management features He described the sidewalk recommendations, which included installing a new sidewalk on the north side of 29th Street between Louisiana and Brunswick Avenues while reducing street Docusign Envelope ID: FDFD41E4-9A8C-4C83-8A28-73E9605E6B13 City council meeting - 4 - Jan. 20, 2026 width from 30 to 26 feet. The project would remove four trees totaling 27 caliper inches. Tree replacement would follow city ordinance requirements. Mr. Wiesen explained the street width recommendations, proposing to reduce streets from 30 feet to 28 feet where curbs were being removed, and from 30 feet to 26 feet on 29th Street to accommodate the new sidewalk. The narrower streets align with the city's Living Streets Policy principles, including pedestrian safety, improved space for street trees, stormwater management, traffic calming and cost savings. The estimated project cost is $8,460,000, funded through franchise fees, utility funds and general obligation bonds. The council will be asked to vote on the project at the city council meeting on Feb. 2, 2026. Council Member Baudhuin asked clarifying questions about the sidewalk on 29th Street, tree removal, and the rationale for narrowing streets. Mr. Wiesen stated the sidewalk design included narrowing the street by four feet, then adding a four-foot grass boulevard and a five-foot sidewalk. For reference, the proposed sidewalk would be located in the vicinity of the back of the existing curb. There will be adjustments made to the five-foot sidewalk and a four-foot boulevard designed to preserve trees and limit private impacts. Mr. Wiesen described tree removal as including a 12-inch tree, a nine inch tree and several smaller trees. Most of the trees in the corridor can be preserved and will not affect the tree canopy in a negative way. The rationale for narrowing the street is alignment with the Living Streets Policy including tree preservation and snow storage. He offered to bring further data back for the Feb. 2, 2026, city council meeting, including factors on traffic calming and safety. Council Member Baudhuin inquired about examples of streets in St. Louis Park that are already at the proposed widths so residents could see how they function. Mr. Wiesen described Ottawa Avenue north of Minnetonka Boulevard as a good example of a 26-foot wide street with parking on one side of the street. Council Member Baudhuin described parking concerns and asked about alternative parking locations during snow events. Mr. Wiesen stated that he would gather some additional information on alternative parking and bring it before the council on Feb. 2, 2026. Mayor Mohamed noted that Council Member Bashore, who represents the project’s location in Ward 1, was unable to attend this public hearing. However, he had been working actively with city staff and neighbors to understand the project. She encouraged residents to reach out to Council Member Bashore to share their concerns. Council Member Budd asked Mr. Wiesen to reiterate the statistics regarding how much roadway would be reduced from 30 to 28 feet versus 30 to 26 feet. Docusign Envelope ID: FDFD41E4-9A8C-4C83-8A28-73E9605E6B13 City council meeting - 5 - Jan. 20, 2026 Mr. Wiesen stated that 1.7 miles of roadway are recommended to go from 30 to 28 feet and 0.6 miles are recommended to go from 30 to 26 feet. Mayor Mohamed reminded attendees that the city council would not be voting on the project until Feb. 2, 2026. Mayor Mohamed opened the public hearing. Abraham Ahmed, 2857 Jersey Avenue, expressed concerns about basement flooding if a tree that absorbs water is removed. He shared potential safety issues with narrower streets, referencing a similar corridor on Cedar Lake and Louisiana Avenue where drivers have driven through barriers. Dave Schreck, 2908 Jersey Avenue, opposed the street narrowing, stating it would not leave enough room for emergency vehicles, especially in winter when snow further reduces street width. He also expressed concerns about pedestrian safety when entering or exiting vehicles on narrower streets. Robin Carney, 2809 Kentucky Avenue, questioned the rationale for narrowing selected streets, noting the streets are already tight, especially during winter. She reported polling neighbors who did not understand or want the changes and expressed concern about high taxes. She added concerns about future parking issues with multiple drivers in her household. Andy Carney, 2809 Kentucky Avenue, raised concerns about wider sidewalks requiring more salt, questioned whether emergency services had evaluated the impact of narrower streets on their operations, and asked about snow emergency routes and parking arrangements. Kathy Pitcher, 2843 Kentucky Avenue, stated that she was also speaking on behalf of five neighbors. She strongly opposed narrowing streets from 30 to 28 feet. She disputed the stated benefits, noting there were no speeding problems, wider boulevards would require more fertilizer, and narrower streets would create difficulties for large vehicles including emergency vehicles. Jane Ahrens, 2844 Kentucky Avenue, expressed her appreciation for new street surfaces and water mains but opposed street narrowing. She described witnessing tight situations with delivery trucks, a disabled neighbor's service vehicle blocking a snowplow, and a pedestrian with a dog making a street temporarily impassable. Sonya Gondeck, 2854 Kentucky Avenue, expressed concern about the impact on both sides of her corner property. She stated she has never felt unsafe with the current street configuration but fears narrower streets would create more safety issues for her children by giving cars less room to maneuver around them. Virg Hammack, 2013 Kentucky Avenue, supported previous speakers' concerns about street width, recommending council members drive through 28th Street and Alabama Avenue to experience two cars passing each other in a tight space. Docusign Envelope ID: FDFD41E4-9A8C-4C83-8A28-73E9605E6B13 City council meeting - 6 - Jan. 20, 2026 Tim Werts, 2712 Kentucky Avenue, noted that a 26-foot road with single-side parking is not comparable to a 28-foot road with double-sided parking, as parking reduces the effective width to just 12 feet for emergency services. John Simonson, 2856 Edgewood Avenue, addressed the sidewalks on 29th Street, noting previous assurances that no sidewalks would be installed there. He questioned the $400,000 cost estimate for the sidewalk and expressed concerns about trash collection operations and snow storage if the street is narrowed. Sylvie Hyman, 9200 West 28th Street, spoke in support of street narrowing as a forward- thinking approach to reduce the footprint of car space. She suggested that new sidewalks should be publicly maintained rather than by property owners, noting the inconsistency of privately maintained sidewalks in winter. She recommended investing in smaller emergency vehicles and snowplows that can navigate narrower streets. Phil Smith, Avenue, 2844 Kentucky Avenue, raised concerns about utility poles and other infrastructure that would need to be relocated due to the project. Christine Gensinger expressed concerns about neighbors who could no longer park in their driveways if they were shortened, which would force more street parking though less would be available. She also mentioned property owners potentially losing fences and gardens. Carol Donlin, 2729 Brunswick Avenue, asked about the impact on utilities like USI Internet, which had recently installed equipment in her boulevard, and what would happen to her recently replaced sidewalk. Mayor Mohamed closed the public hearing. Council Member Baudhuin asked whether the project would infringe on private property. Mr. Wiesen confirmed it would remain within public right-of-way. He noted some fences in the public right-of-way might be impacted and the city responsible for replacement costs. Mayor Mohamed asked for clarification on emergency vehicle access. Mr. Wiesen explained that the city had established guidelines with the police and fire departments for emergency services. To ensure emergency vehicle access, 28-foot streets allow two-sided parking, streets 24 to 27 feet wide allow one-sided parking and streets under 24 feet have no street parking. 7. Regular business – none. 8. Communications and announcements. Mayor Mohamed announced that approximately 400 students at St. Louis Park High School had participated in a walkout that day. Docusign Envelope ID: FDFD41E4-9A8C-4C83-8A28-73E9605E6B13 City council meeting - 7 - Jan. 20, 2026 Ms. Keller made three announcements: ● A warning about bitterly cold weather expected Thursday through Saturday ● A new rental assistance program called "Bring It Home" offering 52 additional vouchers, with applications opening January 26 through 28, 2026 ● An upcoming meeting about signal replacement at Trunk Highway 169 and Cedar Lake Road on Jan. 26, 2026, at Westwood Hills Nature Center Mayor Mohamed noted that the city had held its fourth annual day of racial healing, led by SOAR students, the previous day. 9. Adjournment. The meeting was adjourned at 7:32 p.m. ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Melissa Kennedy, city clerk Nadia Mohamed, mayor These minutes were created with the assistance of a generative AI transcript service, then edited and finalized by a city staff person. Docusign Envelope ID: FDFD41E4-9A8C-4C83-8A28-73E9605E6B13