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Home My WebLink About2026/01/20 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study SessionOfficial minutes City council special study session St. Louis Park, Minnesota Jan. 20, 2026 The meeting convened at 7:38 p.m. Council members present: Jim Engelking, Sue Budd, Tim Brausen, Yolanda Farris, Paul Baudhuin, Mayor Nadia Mohamed Council member absent: Daniel Bashore Staff present: City manager (Ms. Keller), deputy city manager (Ms. Walsh), administrative services director (Ms. Brodeen), community engagement coordinator (Mr. Coleman), planning manager/deputy community development director (Mr. Walther) Guests: Kate Noble and Nadia Akhtar, TerraLuna Collaborative Discussion item 1. Vision 4.0 strategic priority facilitated discussion Mayor Mohamed welcomed everyone and expressed excitement about the Vision 4.0 strategic priorities discussion. Ms. Brodeen introduced the TerraLuna consultants who would be facilitating the session. Ms. Akhtar from TerraLuna Collaborative introduced herself and her colleague Ms. Noble. She explained that TerraLuna is a member-owned cooperative firm in the Twin Cities whose mission aligns with the city's values around centering people's experiences and building a just and equitable world. Ms. Noble explained that the purpose of the session was to orient council members to the work ahead focusing on Vision 4.0 strategic priorities. She outlined how community input combined with staff and council expertise would help create consensus on priorities that would guide city staff action. Council members and staff introduced themselves with brief personal statements about their connection to the city: Mayor Mohamed shared she was starting her seventh year with the city, having served as a council member for four years before becoming mayor. She appreciated the compassion and strategic approach the city takes on important issues. Council Member Engelking noted he had been in his role for 15 days and appreciated that St. Louis Park's size allows the council to make meaningful differences and execute strategies effectively. Docusign Envelope ID: FDFD41E4-9A8C-4C83-8A28-73E9605E6B13 Special study session minutes - 2 - Jan. 20, 2026 Council Member Farris explained she was appointed in 2023 and joined the city council to connect communities that did not know or trust the city, particularly focusing on helping underprivileged residents. Council Member Brausen mentioned he was in his thirteenth year on council and appreciated the city's diverse, progressive, welcoming and caring character. Council Member Budd stated she was beginning her second term as council member, now in her fifth year. She valued the ability to connect with people locally within the community. Council Member Baudhuin shared that he was starting his third year on council. He explained that St. Louis Park was the first place that felt like home when he moved there 14 years ago, which motivated him to run for council. Ms. Keller noted she was completing her fifth year with the city in August 2026. She appreciated the thoughtful dialogue in St. Louis Park, even on contentious issues. Ms. Noble presented an overview of the timeline for developing strategic priorities, explaining that after this meeting, consultants would schedule one-on-one check-ins with each council member to understand their individual perspectives and priorities. Ms. Akhtar led an interactive exercise where council members provided feedback on five thematic areas from the Vision 4.0 report: safety, infrastructure, sustainability, community and belonging, housing and affordability. A sixth area on governance was also included based on staff recommendations. Council members discussed patterns they noticed in the feedback: Council Member Brausen observed that everyone seemed to like the idea of public spaces. Council Member Budd noted there were many concerns listed under sustainability. Council Member Engelking suggested that financial sustainability should perhaps be separated from environmental sustainability, with the former possibly being placed under governance. He explained that people typically associate "sustainability" with environmental concerns. Mayor Mohamed emphasized the importance of acknowledging that the definition of safety in the plan was created before recent events, and the language would need to reflect current realities while remaining relevant for the next decade. Council Member Baudhuin added that recent safety concerns would necessitate a new approach to policing that was not reflected in the initial work. Council Member Engelking appreciated that safety encompassed both physical and psychological aspects, and while specific threats might change over time, these core principles remain important. Docusign Envelope ID: FDFD41E4-9A8C-4C83-8A28-73E9605E6B13 Special study session minutes - 3 - Jan. 20, 2026 Ms. Noble then led a reflection activity on four questions related to establishing strategic priorities: ● How council members felt about establishing one strategic priority for each Vision 4.0 theme ● Reactions to including a priority on governance ● What number of strategic priorities feels realistic ● Whether the outlined roles for city council and staff felt appropriate Council Member Brausen suggested adding a public hearing before adopting the strategic priorities and including explicit references to equity and inclusion. This was a previous strategic priority he felt had not been fully achieved. Council Member Baudhuin expressed concern that staff feasibility assessments might limit what priorities could be considered. He emphasized that priorities should drive staffing structure rather than existing staff structure limiting priorities. Ms. Keller clarified that city staff would provide input on what would be required to implement priorities, which might include additional resources or staff changes. Council Member Budd suggested that boards and commissions should have a role in the process and potentially provide input before a public hearing. Council Member Engelking recommended periodic check-ins every few years to ensure the priorities remain relevant as conditions change, without necessarily changing the priorities themselves, but possibly adjusting implementation. Council Member Baudhuin agreed, citing how the affordable housing priority had evolved over time to focus more specifically on "missing middle" housing as needs changed. Most city council members supported including a governance priority, though Council Member Baudhuin noted he had an undefined concern about it that he needed to reflect on further. Council Member Brausen emphasized that financial and fiscal responsibility should be included in the strategic priorities but should not be placed under sustainability. Regarding whether to have one priority per theme, Council Member Budd highlighted the advantage of simplicity. She noted that having fewer, clearer priorities helps keep them as “living” guidance that is regularly referenced in city communications and staff reports. Council Member Baudhuin added that priorities need to be malleable enough to adapt to change while being specific enough to guide decisions about what not to do. The council agreed to continue discussions at the upcoming retreat; Council Member Engelking volunteered to connect with Council Member Bashore to update him on the discussion. Ms. Akhtar mentioned that photos of the feedback boards would be sent to council members before their next meeting. Docusign Envelope ID: FDFD41E4-9A8C-4C83-8A28-73E9605E6B13 Special study session minutes - 4 - Jan. 20, 2026 Written reports 2. Environment and sustainability commission advisory communication to the city council regarding Vision 4.0 report themes Council Member Brausen expressed appreciation for the Environment and Sustainability Commission's thoughts shared with the council, noting that their input was important and aligned with his own thinking. 3. Greenway-Cedar Trail Connection and Streambank Restoration project update (4025- 2000) - Ward 2 Council Member Engelking commented on the Cedar Trail project, noting that the trails serve as superhighways for bikes but currently have limited access points. He explained that adding connections to the Meadowbrook and Minnehaha Creek areas would be a significant enhancement for the city. Council Member Baudhuin agreed with the assessment. The meeting adjourned at 9:18 p.m. ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Melissa Kennedy, city clerk Nadia Mohamed, mayor Docusign Envelope ID: FDFD41E4-9A8C-4C83-8A28-73E9605E6B13