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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026/03/23 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study SessionOfficial minutes Special study session meeting St. Louis Park, Minnesota March 23, 2026 The meeting convened at 7:27 p.m. Council Members present: Mayor Nadia Mohamed, Daniel Bashore, Jim Engelking, Sue Budd, Yolanda Farris, Paul Baudhuin Council Members absent: Tim Brausen Staff present: city manager (Ms. Keller), administrative services director (Ms. Brodeen), engineering project manager (Mr. Elgaard), engineering director (Ms. Heiser), human resources director (Ms. Vorpahl), deputy city manager (Ms. Walsh), deputy community development director (Mr. Walther) Guests: Kate Noble and Nadia Akhtar, consultants for TerraLuna Collaborative; Jason Staebell, Hennepin County; Nick Turner, Alliant Engineering Discussion items 1. Discussion item - Vision 4.0 Strategic Priorities Ms. Noble and Ms. Akhtar presented the final strategic priorities developed during a facilitated session at the council’s retreat on Feb. 27, 2026. The priorities reflected the conceptual consensus reached during the previous session with minor adjustments for length and clarity. Ms. Noble and Ms. Akhtar asked the council members to share their reflections and rate each priority on a scale of one to five, where one means ‘cannot support; major reservations; want to discuss’ and five means ‘support; no reservations.’ Mayor Mohamed expressed strong support for all five priorities, rating them five out of five. She appreciated how the “welcoming and safe community” priority captured equity and belonging. She valued the “good governance” priority, recognizing it as essential in the current era and noted how “connected safe infrastructure” encompassed well-maintained infrastructure connecting neighborhoods. She praised the “diverse, affordable, dignified housing” priority for capturing missing middle housing, affordability and quality standards. She supported the “climate leadership and natural spaces” priority as fundamental. Council Member Baudhuin also gave all priorities a rating of five out of five despite his initial reservations about good governance belonging in a strategic document rather than operational guidance. He acknowledged the facilitators' excellent work in allowing priorities to emerge naturally and appreciated how the priorities provided room for both large initiatives and detailed implementation work. Council Member Farris rated the priorities five out of five and noted how all city departments were represented in the strategic priorities. She emphasized the need for more diverse businesses and services in St. Louis Park to serve all residents. Docusign Envelope ID: F2F73E59-882C-4EE4-8812-EE45A0ABFF22 Special study session minutes - 2 - March 23, 2026 Council Member Budd gave a five out of five rating. She shared that in preparation for the discussion tonight, she conducted an exercise to match city departments to the strategic priorities. She was impressed by how many departments aligned with “good governance” and appreciated the clear progression from the retreat's outputs to the final crisp statements. Council Member Engelking rated the priorities five out of five while offering two minor edits. He suggested swapping the order of clauses in “good governance” to prioritize responsible resource use before transparency, sharing that he believes this better reflects resident expectations. He also suggested replacing the second use of "vibrant" with "dynamic" to avoid repetition. Council Member Bashore supported all priorities with a five out of five rating, noting consistency with previous strategic priorities while reflecting current resident feedback and concerns. He specifically endorsed keeping “good governance” as a strategic priority given recent challenges in other jurisdictions. Ms. Noble and Ms. Akhtar confirmed two changes: replacing "vibrant" with "dynamic" in the “climate leadership” priority and reordering the “good governance” clauses to emphasize responsible resource use first. It was the consensus of the city council to accept the modifications to the Vision 4.0 Strategic Priorities statements. Formal adoption of the Vision 4.0 Strategic Priorities is scheduled for the next regular city council meeting on April 6, 2026. 2. Discussion item - Minnetonka Boulevard reconstruction project phase 2 update (4028- 7000) - Wards 1 and 3 Mr. Elgaard presented the staff report and introduced Mr. Staebell and Mr. Turner. The presentation detailed phase 2 of the Minnetonka Boulevard reconstruction project from Highway 100 to Aquila Avenue. The corridor was last reconstructed in 1956, and private utility construction is estimated to begin in 2027 with Hennepin County construction to start in 2028 and is estimated to be completed in 2029. The project represents a two-year, two-mile reconstruction effort. Mr. Staebell noted that the public engagement process included multiple phases with the last phase generating over 180 survey responses and 100 in-person attendees at recent events. Community input prioritized increased space for walking, rolling, biking and greening while reducing personal vehicle space allocation. Mr. Turner outlined three design concepts previously presented to the public. Concept A featured separate biking and walking paths similar to Cedar Lake Road with dedicated one-way bike facilities separated from sidewalks by boulevard space. This design minimized tree removal by maintaining existing boulevard locations but created a wider feeling roadway that could encourage higher speeds and required multiple maintenance passes. Concept B proposed shared-use paths on both sides allowing bidirectional travel without crossing Minnetonka Boulevard. This design maximized separation from traffic but required Docusign Envelope ID: F2F73E59-882C-4EE4-8812-EE45A0ABFF22 Special study session minutes - 3 - March 23, 2026 paving current tree areas, increasing tree removal impacts while providing better snow removal efficiency. Concept C combined a shared-use path on one side with a sidewalk on the other, creating trade-offs in user separation and maintenance complexity without maximizing benefits. The team evaluated five signalized intersections, determining four warrant signal renewal while Hampshire Avenue would receive a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) with median design. Additional mid-block crossings with RRFBs are planned at strategic locations. Roundabout analysis revealed significant challenges including steep grades, large truck accommodation requirements, and substantial property impacts that would affect businesses and buildings. All currently signalized intersections, besides Hampshire Avenue, will remain signalized. Mr. Staebell explained staff support and recommendations for Concept B based on comprehensive evaluation. The design provides optimal all-ages-and-abilities network functionality, eliminates crossing requirements based on travel direction, balances mobility with maintenance efficiency, and creates robust green space for new tree plantings. The 66-foot right-of-way allocation includes 26 feet for roadway, 20 feet for shared-use paths (10 feet each side) and 20 feet for green space (10 feet each side). Current bicycle usage ranges from 25-40 riders daily with expectations for increased usage following improvements. Tree impact analysis revealed water main replacement requires removal of 35 trees with an additional 28 for service connections regardless of design concept. Concept B requires 95 additional trees compared to 63 for Concept A and 71 for Concept C. However, the roughly 30 additional trees in Concept B are primarily newer plantings with three-inch or smaller diameters. Concept B enables planting approximately 320 new trees in nine-foot boulevards compared to limited planting opportunities in Concept A's narrower boulevards. Mr. Elgaard detailed operational challenges for each concept. Concept A would double sidewalk maintenance from four to eight miles, requiring additional full-time staff and specialized snow removal equipment that operates slowly and costs more per snow event. Concept B transfers four miles of snow maintenance from utilities to the parks department, sidewalks to trails, requiring one versatile piece of equipment, which is usable year-round with faster operation and lower per-event costs. Concept C requires both departments to maintain different facility types with coordination challenges. Mr. Elgaard presented photographic evidence of unintended uses in back-of-curb facilities, including delivery vehicles and maintenance crews using bike lanes for parking. He showed how narrow boulevards in winter create waste collection challenges when snow storage prevents proper bin placement, forcing waste collectors to manually move containers and increasing collection time while blocking facilities. Council Member Budd asked about the community preference chart showing prioritization differences between existing conditions and desired allocations. Mr. Staebell clarified that blue bars represented current right-of-way usage while orange bars showed community priority Docusign Envelope ID: F2F73E59-882C-4EE4-8812-EE45A0ABFF22 Special study session minutes - 4 - March 23, 2026 voting, each community member was allowed to vote for different priorities up to a set number of times. Council Member Budd inquired about Hennepin County's cost responsibility for Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs). Mr. Staebell explained the county funds RRFB installations replacing existing signals like the one located at Hampshire Avenue, but additional mid-block locations require cost-sharing if not meeting county criteria. Ms. Heiser clarified this is a cost- share project. Approximately $13 million would be contributed by the city toward the $30 million total project cost. Council Member Bashore asked about transit accommodation near signals. Mr. Staebell explained that signalized intersections expand to three lanes with left-turn lanes where green space narrows, providing space for bus stops. Metro Transit is evaluating optimal stop locations during this opportunity. Council Member Baudhuin questioned whether boulevard placement at the curb creates appropriate speed reduction visual cues compared to back-of-curb pavement. Mr. Turner confirmed that boulevard placement helps drivers perceive narrower roadways and accept slower speeds, especially when trees provide vertical elements. Council Member Baudhuin expressed initial support for Concept A due to user separation but found the operational arguments for Concept B compelling. He noted concerns about fast recreational cyclists who prefer on-street facilities and may struggle with shared-use paths, requesting better signage and markings to indicate cyclist access rights. Council Member Engelking raised intersection safety concerns about bike-vehicle conflicts at signalized crossings and specifically mentioned Hampshire Avenue's proximity to Lenox Community Center which primarily serves seniors who may need additional protection for left turns without dedicated turn lanes. Ms. Heiser clarified this represents staff's first presentation to the city council with community engagement scheduled for April 15, 2026. A public hearing is set for May 4, 2026, with the council’s decision on preliminary layout expected at the city council meeting on May 18, 2026. City council members generally supported the Concept B recommendation while noting the importance of upcoming community feedback. 3. Discussion item - Consider proposed study session topic: protection of Automated License Plate Reader camera (ALPR) data Council Member Engelking explained this topic represents his top constituent concern, particularly regarding potential misuse of license plate reader data for immigration enforcement considering current federal immigration policies. He stated that while the staff reports provided some reassurance about data protection safeguards and his independent research offered additional technical comfort, significant community segments remain concerned. Docusign Envelope ID: F2F73E59-882C-4EE4-8812-EE45A0ABFF22 Special study session minutes - 5 - March 23, 2026 Council Member Engelking emphasized the value of a public study session for transparency, allowing the city to explain data protection measures and address community concerns about potential misuse. The focus shifted from needing additional protective measures to improving communication about existing protections and the city's role within the data-sharing consortium. Mayor Mohamed confirmed four council members had expressed support for the study session request. Ms. Keller announced that this item would be scheduled as a discussion item on April 6, 2026, in addition to a discussion item related to a separation ordinance. She noted extensive staff analysis is taking place in response to both study session requests; comprehensive staff reports are forthcoming. Council members who are interested in technical demonstrations before April 6, 2026, should contact staff to schedule virtual sessions. Council Member Bashore and Council Member Engelking stated that they have completed demonstrations; Council Member Budd has a session scheduled. 4. Written Report - Elections and voter services update Council Member Budd praised the election staff report as informative and reassuring, specifically thanking Marcus Harris-Paul, elections specialist, and Melissa Kennedy, city clerk, for their work in preparing for the fall election cycle. The meeting adjourned at 9:03 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: F2F73E59-882C-4EE4-8812-EE45A0ABFF22