HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026/05/18 - ADMIN - Agenda Packets - City Council - Regular
AGENDA
MAY 18, 2026
5:15 p.m. Special study session – Council Chambers
Discussion item
1. Prevailing wage policy panel discussion
Written reports
2. Climate Leadership and Natural Spaces system kick-off
3. Solid waste program update
4. Construction & demolition waste reduction
5. Update on the Climate Action Plan amendment
6. Climate action annual report
7. Connected infrastructure system wrap-up
8. Wooddale Station redevelopment update - Ward 2
9. Revisiting proclamation guidelines
6:00 p.m. Economic Development Authority meeting – Cancelled
6:15 p.m. City council meeting – Council Chambers
1. Call to order.
a. Roll call.
b. Pledge of Allegiance.
2. Approve agenda.
3. Presentations.
a. Proclamation honoring William E. Davies
b. Recognition of donations
4. Minutes.
a. Study session meeting minutes of April 27, 2026
b. City council meeting minutes of May 4, 2026
c. Special study session meeting minutes of May 4, 2026
5. Consent items.
a. Resolution accepting donation to the city for the fire department
b. Resolutions authorizing intent to reimburse with bond proceeds for 2026 debt-issued projects
c. Approve professional services agreement for 2028 Surface Water Management Plan update
d. Resolution approving 2026 -2028 LELS Local #482 Police Lieutenant labor agreement
e. Resolution to amend final plat of Minnetonka Boulevard Twin Homes subdivision - Ward 1
f. Approve temporary seasonal premises amendment for liquor establishment
6. Public hearings - none.
Agenda city council and special study session meetings of May 18, 2026
7. Regular business - none.
8. Communications and announcements – none.
9. Adjournment.
Following city council meeting – Council Retreat – Community Room
•Welcome
•Follow-up facilitated conversation on Public Statement Guidelines
•Wrap-up
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Meeting: Special study session
Meeting date: May 18, 2026
Discussion item: 1
Executive summary
Title: Prevailing wage policy panel discussion
Recommended action: 1) Review draft policy and consider perspectives of industry experts
reflecting on the draft policy. 2) Clearly define the goals of a prevailing wage policy should
council wish to pursue adopting a policy.
Policy consideration:
1. Does adopting a prevailing wage policy further the city's strategic priorities:
• A welcoming, safe community;
• Good governance;
• Connected, safe infrastructure: ;
• Diverse, affordable, and dignified Housing; and
• Climate leadership and natural spaces.
2. Does city council wish to direct staff to prepare for adoption of a prevailing wage policy?
Summary: During the study session on Oct. 13, 2025, staff presented a report examining the
policy, fiscal and practical considerations of adopting a prevailing wage ordinance in St. Louis
Park, including benefits such as equitable compensation and workforce quality, as well as
drawbacks including increased project costs, administrative complexity and impacts on
development feasibility. The council directed staff to draft a policy and convene a spring 2026
panel of industry experts to review the draft and discuss implications. A panel representing
development, construction, labor and municipal finance perspectives will respond to council
questions drawing on their experience with prevailing wage policies and requirements.
Financial or budget considerations: Implementation of a prevailing wage policy will result in
new administrative costs and increased costs for city-supported capital improvement projects
and is expected to increase the required investment for city-supported development and
capital projects. To sustain current levels of capital investment and redevelopment activity, the
city may need to consider a combination of increased tax levy support, adjustments to the pace
or scope of annual capital projects, and/or longer repayment periods for Tax Increment Finance
(TIF)-supported investments.
Strategic priority consideration: St. Louis Park is committed to being an inclusive, equitable and
vibrant city where everyone feels safe and experiences a strong sense of belonging.
Supporting documents: Discussion, draft prevailing wage policy, racial equity and inclusion
impact analysis summary and notes
Prepared by: Dean Porter-Nelson, redevelopment administrator
Jennifer Monson, economic development manager
Reviewed by: Sean Walther, deputy community development director
Karen Barton, community development director and EDA executive director
Debra Heiser, engineering director
Approved by: Cindy Walsh, deputy city manager
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 1) Page 2
Title: Prevailing wage policy panel discussion
Discussion
Background
October 2025 study session: In January 2025, city council directed staff to analyze a prevailing
wage policy and to prepare a fall 2025 study session discussion on the topic. The study session
on Oct. 13, 2025 (agenda, minutes) included a detailed staff report analyzing the benefits and
implications of implementing such a policy. The staff report and the discussion reflected the
tradeoffs between benefits to workers on impacted projects and the economic and cost
impacts of a prevailing wage policy.
Prevailing wages set compensation standards for construction labor that include both pay and
benefits and are generally higher than typical market wages paid to construction workers. The
report noted that such policies promote fair pay, attract skilled labor, improve construction
quality, generate local economic benefits and pose tradeoffs, including increased project costs,
reduced development feasibility, administrative complexity and potential barriers for smaller
subcontractors who often do not have the systems and administrative infrastructure in place to
comply with prevailing wage policies. The report also noted that many local projects are
required to comply with state or federal prevailing wage laws and that a new local policy would
add another layer of compliance monitoring to an area that is already regulated at state and
federal levels.
Staff recommended that if a prevailing wage policy was pursued, its scope should be focused on
larger projects and that it should be complaint-based with periodic compliance reviews of
specific projects. A more wide-reaching policy would have more significant implementation
costs and would require new city functions and staffing to implement responsibly. Staff
recommended this approach to balance fair wage goals with maintaining project feasibility,
affordability and participation by smaller developers.
City council directed staff to draft a policy that applies to projects receiving $250,000 or more in
direct city investments (i.e. direct investment in a city capital project; or the provision of TIF,
city grants, or city loans to a development). The council expressed support for including
exemptions for affordable housing developments with a small number of units (similar to state
and federal prevailing wage exemption for small projects), and for projects funded entirely
through pass-through public sources or conduit bonds.
Summary of staff direction: On Dec. 1, 2025, the housing and neighborhood oriented system
wrap-up report included a summary of the prevailing wage study session. The report noted that
a majority of council expressed interest in further exploring the adoption of a prevailing wage
policy. The council directed staff to develop a draft policy based on council feedback at the
meeting and to convene a panel of stakeholders to present to the council at a future study
session. The following steps were outlined:
o May 2026: Staff will prepare a draft policy for council review, gather information on
which past city projects would have been impacted by a prevailing wage policy, and
gather additional information to analyze the impacts of a prevailing wage policy.
o June 2026: Staff will convene a stakeholder panel for discussion of the draft
ordinance/policy at a council study session.
o July–August 2026: Staff will seek input from the Human Rights Commission.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 1) Page 3
Title: Prevailing wage policy panel discussion
o Fall 2026: Staff will present the final draft policy to council during the housing and
neighborhood-oriented development system discussion.
Present considerations
Overview of draft policy: A copy of the draft prevailing wage policy is attached to this staff
report for city council’s review. The draft policy establishes a consistent standard requiring
workers on certain city-supported construction projects be paid wages comparable to those
prevailing across the Twin Cities region. The policy applies to:
• City-funded capital improvement projects
• Private redevelopment projects receiving city or EDA financial assistance, including tax
increment financing (TIF) or Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF) support
The policy would apply when a project receives at least $250,000 in direct city investment or
assistance. Contractors and subcontractors would be required to comply with prevailing wage
rates set by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI) and standard labor hours,
generally limited to eight hours per day and forty hours per week.
The draft policy is intended to ensure that public investment supports fair wages and quality
construction, while remaining practical to administer. It establishes clear contractor
expectations and aligns with regional wage standards. In addition to wage requirements,
contractors would be required to:
• Post wage notices at job sites
• Maintain certified payrolls
• Respond to compliance monitoring as requested
A city-designated compliance officer would oversee monitoring and enforcement. At least one
active capital improvement project per year would be randomly selected for detailed payroll
review, and the city could review payroll records for any covered project at any time, especially
in response to complaints or suspected violations. The compliance officer would review payroll
submissions, coordinate investigations, refer potential violations to the Minnesota Department
of Labor and Industry for enforcement when appropriate, and may work with a consultant to
support compliance activities.
Several exemptions are proposed to avoid undue burden on smaller or already regulated
projects. The policy would not apply to the following:
• Any project not receiving direct city financing
• Projects already subject to federal or state prevailing wage requirements
• City capital improvement projects with a cost below $250,000
• Projects receiving financial assistance of less than $250,000
• Small scale residential developments of ten or fewer units
• Housing Improvement Area (HIA)* projects
• Work performed by registered apprentices, mirroring the State of Minnesota’s
prevailing wage policy
The draft policy was reviewed by the city attorney and by multiple development and
construction firms to ensure it is clear, consistent and straightforward to administer. Staff
drafted the policy to align with the structure and terminology of other Twin Cities prevailing
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 1) Page 4
Title: Prevailing wage policy panel discussion
wage policies to support regional consistency. The draft policy includes exemptions designed to
streamline compliance and reduce duplicative reporting requirements, particularly for smaller
projects.
Racial equity and inclusion impact analysis:
A racial equity and inclusion impact analysis (REIIA) of the proposed prevailing wage policy was
conducted on April 9, 2026, with city staff and external partners from the construction and
development finance sectors. Based on current industry demographics as evidenced by reports
from ongoing St. Louis Park projects, the near-term benefits of a new prevailing wage policy
would largely impact the existing construction workforce on city-assisted projects, which is
currently 92%-100% male and 85%-96% white. Participants identified that a prevailing wage
policy could increase wages and benefits for some construction workers on city supported
projects, including a small percentage of BIPOC and women workers currently employed in the
field. It was noted that the Minnesota construction workforce is approximately 13% women
according to a recent University of Minnesota report, with BIPOC representation varying by
trade. For the City of St. Louis Park, Racial Equity and Inclusion (REI) reporting data from city
assisted developments under construction shows roughly 0–8% women workforce participation
and 4–15% BIPOC participation.
The analysis identified implementation challenges and potential unintended consequences.
Increased compliance requirements, including certified payroll tracking, may create barriers for
smaller contractors and subcontractors, including some minority owned firms, while larger
firms are better positioned to absorb administrative costs. Participants also noted common
industry practices used to manage prevailing wage exposure, including:
• Splitting projects into smaller bid packages to stay below thresholds
• Separating labor and materials contracts to reduce covered wage exposure
• Structuring subcontracting to isolate covered work classifications
Some firms may avoid bidding on prevailing wage projects or increase bids to account for
compliance costs, which could affect participation and higher costs. The council may wish to
consider the distribution of fiscal impacts across the city's diverse tax base when determining
the appropriate scope for this policy. According to the 2024 American Community Survey, the
city’s population is 77.9% White and 22.1% people of other races or ethnicities, including those
identifying as Hispanic or Latino ethnicity.
While the apprentice exemption aligns with state law, complementary workforce strategies
would be needed to support wage growth for entry-level workers, who represent a significant
portion of the BIPOC and women construction labor force.
Overall, the REIIA concluded that while prevailing wage requirements may improve
compensation for some workers, achieving long-term racial equity goals through this policy
may require integration with broader workforce development strategies to diversify the
participating labor pool, such as contractor outreach and workforce recruitment initiatives. The
REIIA summary and supporting notes are attached to this report for reference.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 1) Page 5
Title: Prevailing wage policy panel discussion
City supported public and private projects:
During the housing and neighborhood-oriented development systems discussions, council
directed staff to gather data on which city projects would be impacted by a prevailing wage
policy. Information on public works and engineering capital projects that commenced
construction in the past year and on redevelopments that were completed or had plans
approved in the past five years is included.
City public works and engineering capital improvement projects: The table below includes
public works and engineering capital improvement projects that started construction during the
past 12 months. Nine city-funded engineering and public works projects would have been
impacted if the draft prevailing wage policy had been in effect, while two projects would have
been exempt due to their smaller size and cost. This list does not include projects that are
already required to follow prevailing wage because they have state or federal funding, or
projects from other city departments, such as parks and recreation, that would also be subject
to such a policy. For instance, parks and recreation’s annual Park Improvement Fund averages
$1-2 million per year. The number of park projects costing more than $250,000 is typically low,
but it varies from year to year. The majority of Park Improvement Fund projects are awarded to
non-union labor.
City PW & E capital improvement projects (CIP) started in 2025-2026
Impacted by draft policy
(exceeding $250,000 CIP value)
Not impacted by draft policy
(less than $250,000 CIP value)
4025-1200 Street- Mill and
Overlay (Area 1) $ 300,000
4025-2000 MCWD trail
construction $240,000
4026-1000 Street - Local
pavement management (Area 4) $7,760,000
4026-1200 Street- Mill and
Overlay (Area 2) $210,000
4025-1000 Street - Local
pavement management (Area 3) $4,985,000
4025-1050 Street - Raleigh and
35th street reconstruction $2,604,000
4025-3100 Sanitary sewer -
Webster lift station #10 $ 618,800
4025-3000 Sanitary sewer- Lining $ 570,000
4025-1500 Alley construction $ 517,000
4026-1500 Alley construction $ 532,000
4025-0003 Concrete replacement $ 375,000
4026-0003 Concrete replacement $ 370,000
Total costs $18,631,800 $450,000
Cost impacts on city capital improvement projects: The city currently monitors prevailing wage
compliance on public works and engineering capital projects that use state or federal funds
with a prevailing wage requirement. For these projects, a local prevailing wage requirement
would not impact project cost and compliance with the new local policy would not be required.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 1) Page 6
Title: Prevailing wage policy panel discussion
The projects on the list above are those that do not currently require prevailing wage. The total
capital improvement plan (CIP) value for all of these projects is $19.1 million, of which $18.6
million would have been subject to prevailing wage if the city had an adopted policy.
City public works and engineering staff contacted several contractors that work on city projects
to better understand the potential cost impacts if a prevailing wage policy is adopted. Feedback
from contractors and subcontractors who currently submit bids on city projects indicates that
prevailing wage requirements could result in higher project costs. These subcontractors
reported that, due to increased labor costs and market conditions, bids for prevailing wage
work may be approximately 20 to 25 percent higher compared to non-prevailing wage projects.
Contractors that already use union labor, on the other hand, noted a negligible cost impact, if
any, as unions negotiate prevailing wages.
For 2025-2026 CIP engineering and public works projects, a prevailing wage policy may have
resulted in a range of $1.8 million (10% cost escalation) to $3.7 million (20% cost escalation)
higher capital costs. To ensure continued participation by small, BIPOC, and women-owned
firms, the city may need to evaluate the administrative and cost structures these firms face
when complying with prevailing wage standards.
While non-union labor rates may be lower overall, bid pricing is influenced by competitive
market conditions for wages. As referenced in the Oct. 13, 2025, staff report, a comparison
table of prevailing and non-prevailing wages across multiple trades showed that non-prevailing
wages represent a livable wage within the Twin Cities region.
Overall, prevailing wage requirements would increase costs for locally funded capital
improvements that are not already subject to prevailing wage because the city currently bids
projects in an aim to receive the lowest responsible bid and not all bidders are required to
utilize union labor. Implementation of a prevailing wage policy would result in higher labor
costs and higher capital improvement costs.
Private redevelopment: The following table includes private redevelopments that were
approved, started construction, or were completed in the past five years. The table shows 11
developments that would have been required to comply with the policy since they received
more than $250,000 in TIF or AHTF. In addition, the table shows 12 developments that would
not have been required to comply with the policy because they would either be exempt or they
did not seek city financial assistance.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 1) Page 7
Title: Prevailing wage policy panel discussion
St. Louis Park private redevelopment approved between 2021 - 2026
Impacted by draft policy
(exceeding $250,000 city investment,
and more than 10 housing units)
Not impacted by draft policy
(less than $250,000 city investment, or fewer than
housing 10 units)
Terasa (TIF and AHTF) Minnetonka Boulevard Twin Homes (fewer than 10
units)
Beltline Station (TIF and AHTF) Parkway on 5 (approved, no assistance requested)
Union Park Flats (AHTF) Park Place East (approved, no assistance requested)
Arbor Court Apartments (TIF and
AHTF)
2625 Louisiana Ave (approved, no assistance
requested)
The Mera (TIF) Achromatic 6013 (approved, no assistance
requested)
Zelia on Seven (TIF) Knollwood Chipotle (no assistance provided)
Parkway Residences (TIF) XCHANGE Medical Office (no assistance provided)
The Elmwood (TIF) Nordic Ware expansion (no assistance provided)
Volo at Texa Tonka (TIF) Loffler Louisiana Crossing offices (no assistance
provided)
Corsa (TIF) Bremer Bank (no assistance provided)
Rise on 7 (AHTF) Caraway (no assistance provided)
Risor (no assistance provided)
Several developments in the table above utilized low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC),
including Beltline Station development, Union Park Flats, Arbor Court Apartments and
Rise on 7. Only Beltline Station development was required to comply with prevailing wage
requirements because it received tax credits after Jan. 1, 2025, when a new state law took
effect for LIHTC-funded developments with more than 10 units.
Cost impacts of prevailing wage for redevelopments: Two comparable and adjacent
multifamily buildings in Brooklyn Park provide an example of how municipal prevailing wage
requirements may affect redevelopment costs. Decatur Landing includes two buildings
constructed side by side by the same developer. Each building contains 175 units and was
financed using Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). Both buildings were constructed
approximately six months apart and were not required to comply with state prevailing wage
requirements as both received LIHTC awards prior to Jan. 1, 2025.
The first building constructed was not subject to prevailing wage requirements. However, the
city adopted a prevailing wage ordinance prior to construction of the second building, and as
such, the second building was subject to prevailing wage requirements. This city requirement
contributed to a $4.6 million (8.1%) increase in total development costs between otherwise
nearly identical structures.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 1) Page 8
Title: Prevailing wage policy panel discussion
Rendering of Decatur Landing apartments in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
Construction specific costs for the first building were approximately $39.1 million compared to
$42.7 million for the second building where prevailing wage applied; an increase of $3.6 million
or 9.2%.
To address this funding gap, the second phase required additional financial resources including
a $2 million city-issued deferred loan. This example illustrates how municipal prevailing wage
requirements, when applied to otherwise similar projects, can result in higher overall
development costs and necessitate additional public subsidy or financing to maintain project
feasibility.
As part of the process to gather cost impact information as directed by council, staff solicited
feedback from a developer who has experience with prevailing wage requirements and who
previously completed developments in St. Louis Park. The developer noted that they saw a 10%
cost premium related to prevailing wage when they sought bids for a mixed income
development in another Twin Cities community that recently implemented a prevailing wage
policy. Prior to the development moving forward, that community implemented a prevailing
wage policy which resulted in a $4.8 million (10%) cost increase for construction of the
development resulting in the project not moving forward due to an insufficient rate of return to
attract investor capital to complete the project. For reference, a 10% cost increase for a typical
mixed-income redevelopment in St. Louis Park could range between $3 million to $9.3 million
based on recent projects’ total development costs.
The two Twin City communities that most recently implemented prevailing wage policies
include Brooklyn Park and Bloomington. Since adopting prevailing wage policies in 2024,
neither Brooklyn Park nor Bloomington have had any market rate or mixed income
developments subject to prevailing wage move forward. Brooklyn Park has had one LIHTC
project constructed (as mentioned above), and Bloomington has several LIHTC projects, subject
to the state’s prevailing wage requirements, moving forward. Bloomington also has several
market rate projects moving forward that are not seeking financial assistance. LIHTC projects
utilize a different funding stack and are more likely to receive grant dollars, compared to
market rate or mixed-income development. LIHTC developments are also able to better absorb
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 1) Page 9
Title: Prevailing wage policy panel discussion
the higher costs associated with prevailing wage requirements by increasing their total
development costs and seeking a larger tax credit allocation from the state.
Other communities with more long-standing prevailing wage policies (Minneapolis, St. Paul,
West St. Paul, Richfield and Minneapolis) see development activity. In Minneapolis and St. Paul,
prevailing wage is a typical requirement of seeking city assistance and the new statewide
requirement for LIHTC development and other state resources, such as larger DEED awards,
have made prevailing wage a more common requirement.
Staff also spoke with multi-family housing lending agencies to understand the cost impacts for
communities with longstanding prevailing wage policies. These lending agencies noted that
projects subject to prevailing wage are more expensive than projects that are not required to
follow prevailing wage requirements. Lenders stated that this can impact project feasibility
and/or result in a need for additional public financial assistance to projects, noting that when
the State of Minnesota began implementing its new requirement for LIHTC developments in
2025, several projects faced feasibility issues because their project budgets were developed
before the requirement.
Because prevailing wage is now a standard requirement for LIHTC developments statewide, tax
credit projects are absorbing the higher costs associated with prevailing wage requirements by
increasing their total development costs and seeking larger tax credit allocation from the state.
Mixed income or market rate developments that receive TIF or other local resources, such as
affordable housing trust funds, are experiencing a more significant cost impact of local
prevailing wage requirements as they are not able to easily absorb the increased costs. Data
from peer cities suggest that local prevailing wage policies can impact the pace of development
as the market adjusts to new labor cost standards
The developments that would be most impacted in St. Louis Park are mixed income and mixed-
use developments, which remain a high priority for the city, as reflected in the city’s
inclusionary housing policy, updated strategic priorities and Vision 4.0 framework. Mixed
income housing developments, which put market rate units and affordable units in the same
building, are typically not compatible with Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) which utilize
a financing structure that results in 100% affordable buildings.
Mixed income developments in St. Louis Park are almost always financed with a combination of
local resources (TIF and/or AHTF) and grants from the Metropolitan Council and Hennepin
County. The city’s inclusionary housing policy encourages mixed-income buildings, which would
see the greatest impact as a result of a prevailing wage policy, as they are not already subject
state or federal prevailing wage requirements. Adopting the policy may require the council to
evaluate higher levels of public assistance or adjust project scope or timelines to ensure
financial feasibility of projects.
Financial considerations
City capital improvement projects: City projects not already subject to a state or federal
prevailing policy would have a higher cost per project. The contractors that staff spoke with
noted more than a 20% cost premium to meet prevailing wage and/or utilize union labor. This
figure is subject to variation and does not represent an exhaustive study. Contractor feedback
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 1) Page 10
Title: Prevailing wage policy panel discussion
and regional market data indicate a cost premium compared to the current competitive bidding
process, which does not require specific wage standards.
To balance the policy’s goal of fair compensation with fiscal constraints, the council may
consider prioritizing specific capital projects or exploring revenue options to maintain current
service levels. If, for example, the cost premium was 10% for engineering and public works
projects, that would mean that an additional $1.86 million in capital improvement budget
would have been required for current projects; if the cost premium was 20%, an additional $3.7
million would have been required to maintain the same level of improvements citywide.
Private redevelopment: Mixed income and mixed-use development projects receiving TIF or
AHTF would have additional costs associated with complying with a prevailing wage policy. In
the examples above, developers cite cost impacts of 8-10% of total development cost, i.e. $3
million for a $30 million development; and $9 million for a $90 million development. The added
costs of adopting a prevailing wage policy in St. Louis Park may impact the amount and length
of time TIF is provided to developments.
Administrative costs: Implementing a prevailing wage policy would create ongoing
administrative costs for the city, estimated to be at least $10,000 per year. This includes:
• Approximately $5,000 in additional staff time, including responsibilities for a designated
compliance role, wage verification, certified payroll review and complaint response
• At least $5,000 for a consultant to assist with periodic project review, compliance
support, and legal assistance as needed for prevailing wage complaints
These costs are meant to be an illustrative estimate and could vary based on the details of
implementing a policy.
State and local prevailing wage policies
Prevailing wage policies have a longstanding history in the state of Minnesota, with the original
statewide policy passed in 1973. Higher wages and benefits paid to workers on successful
projects subject to a prevailing wage policy are a net benefit to society. When workers have a
higher income, they spend their wages to achieve a good quality of life and spend additional
income above basic needs on goods and services in their communities, creating a ripple effect
of economic benefits. Statewide prevailing wage policies benefit Minnesota when there are
finite resources in statewide grant programs, a volume cap on statewide LIHTC bonds, and
limited amounts of other state resources. Additional benefits, and challenges, of prevailing
wage policies are included in the study session report from Oct. 13, 2025.
In some communities, local prevailing wage policies exist alongside and in addition to statewide
policies. These policies are successful when private dollars invested in development increase
quality of life for local workers and increase dollars that flow through to the local economy.
These policies are less successful if they reduce private investment and/or prevent sufficient
levels of investment in public infrastructure and capital projects by a municipality.
Panel on prevailing wage
The panel discussion on May 18, 2026, is intended to provide city council with a range of
perspectives from key stakeholders in the construction, development finance, housing and
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 1) Page 11
Title: Prevailing wage policy panel discussion
labor sectors on how a prevailing wage policy may affect public and private development. The
discussion will help inform city council’s analysis by highlighting potential operational impacts,
cost considerations, and implementation challenges associated with different project types
when considering implementation of a prevailing wage policy. A brief bio for each of the
panelists, including a summary of how their work connects with prevailing wage policies, is
included:
• Nawal Noor, Noor Companies
Nawal Noor is the CEO and Founder of Noor Companies, a private real estate
development and construction company. Nawal has more than 15 years of experience in
development, construction oversight and project operations.
• Stacie Kvilvang, Ehlers
Stacie Kvilvang is a Senior Municipal Advisor and Executive Vice President with Ehlers,
the city’s municipal advisor, with more than 20 years of experience in public sector
finance and development advisory services. Ehlers works with cities and developers on
structuring financing for both market rate and affordable projects.
• Kori Shingles, PCL Construction
Kori Shingles is a Senior Community Engagement Manager with PCL Construction, a
national general contracting firm, with approximately 15–20+ years of experience in
commercial, civic and infrastructure construction management. General contractors are
responsible for implementing prevailing wage requirements on covered projects,
including bid development, subcontractor coordination and certified payroll compliance.
• Cathy Capone Bennett, Twin Cities Housing Alliance
Cathy Capone Bennett is the Executive Director of the Twin Cities Housing Alliance, an
organization engaged in housing policy and development across both affordable and
market rate housing, with extensive experience in housing advocacy and development
systems.
• Richard Kolodziejski, Northern Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters
Richard Kolodziejski is the Political Director for Minnesota, North Dakota and South
Dakota with the Northern Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters (NMRCC). NMRCC is
a labor organization representing construction trades workers with extensive
experience in construction labor representation and workforce issues.
The City of Bloomington also assembled a panel of experts prior to its adoption of a prevailing
wage policy in July 2024. That panel discussion is available for viewing on YouTube and includes
additional perspectives from the construction industry including the research manager from
LiUNA! Minnesota & North Dakota, and a representative from Fair Contracting Foundation of
Minnesota. (The panel discussion on prevailing wage starts at 1:07 of the recording.)
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 1) Page 12
Title: Prevailing wage policy panel discussion
Next steps
Following the panel discussion staff seek direction from council on the following policy
considerations:
1. Does adopting a prevailing wage policy further the city's strategic priorities,
including:
• Safety
• Infrastructure
• Sustainability
• Community and Belonging
• Housing and Affordability
2. Does city council want to direct staff to prepare for adoption of a prevailing wage
policy?
If council decides to move forward with a prevailing wage policy, staff will complete the
following:
• July – August 2026: staff will seek input on the draft policy from the Human Rights
Commission.
• Fall 2026: staff will present the final draft policy to council during the diverse, affordable
and dignified housing system discussion.
Prevailing Wage Policy
This policy promotes fair wages for construction projects funded or financially supported
by the City of St. Louis Park or the St. Louis Park Economic Development Authority (EDA). It
supports the public interest in ensuring that city funding finances high-quality labor for fair
compensation by directing that workers constructing city capital improvements or involved
in new development or redevelopment receiving city assistance are paid wages
comparable to those paid on similar projects throughout the Twin Cities region.
It is in the public interest that city-funded public works, municipal buildings, and EDA-
supported redevelopment projects be constructed with high-quality labor and that workers
on such projects be compensated fairly. A prevailing wage policy supports these goals by
establishing minimum hourly wage rates for each construction trade and requiring
payment of fringe benefits.
While construction projects funded by the federal government or the State of Minnesota
may require prevailing wages, the city establishes its own standard to ensure comparable
wage protections apply to city-led or supported projects that may not otherwise be subject
to those requirements. This includes larger private developments receiving city subsidies,
including but not limited to tax increment financing (TIF) or affordable housing trust funds
(AHTF).
This policy aligns with the city’s strategic priorities by promoting fair compensation
practices through reasonable and predictable standards that continue to encourage new
development and investment in the community.
1. Definitions
For purposes of this ordinance, the following terms have the meanings set forth below:
a. Apprenticeship program
A bona fide apprenticeship program registered with the U.S. Department of Labor or
recognized by the State of Minnesota.
b. Basic hourly rate
The hourly wage paid to an employee, excluding fringe benefits.
c. Capital improvements
Construction, demolition, or repair work on roads, bridges, sewers, streets, alleys, parks,
parkways, buildings, removal of public nuisances, or other improvement, restoration,
alteration, or remodeling of public or private property that is financed in whole or in part
with city funds exceeding a total city investment of $250,000 and not subject to federal or
state prevailing wage requirements.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 1)
Title: Prevailing wage policy panel discussion Page 13
d. Certified payroll records
Payroll records, signed under oath by an owner or officer of the employer, submitted to
the designated city department no more than fourteen (14) days after the end of each pay
period, and including for each employee:
• Name
• Job classification
• Hours worked daily and weekly
• Rate of pay
• Gross wages earned
• Itemized deductions
• Net pay
• Hourly fringe benefit contributions (including administrator name and address)
• Benefit account numbers and contact information for benefit programs
e. City
The City of St. Louis Park and its related agencies, including the Housing Authority and
Economic Development Authority (EDA).
f. Compliance officer
A person designated by the city manager to investigate complaints and monitor
compliance with this policy.
g. Covered persons or entities
Individuals, partnerships, associations, corporations, or other legal entities, including any
subcontractors, hiring laborers, mechanics, or workers to perform capital improvements.
h. Department
The city department designated to undertake a capital improvement.
i. Financial assistance
Funds from any city source, including but not limited to:
• Tax increment financing (TIF) or tax abatement
• Land write-downs
• EDA grants or loans
• Affordable housing trust fund (AHTF) grants or loans
• City-issued general obligation bonds including general obligation revenue bonds
(excluding private activity conduit bonds, unless otherwise specified)
• Other city funds
j. Laborers, mechanics, or workers
Persons employed or working on a capital improvement who perform work customarily
performed by laborers, mechanics, or workers.
k. Prevailing hours of labor
The hours per day and per week worked in the area by the largest number of workers in
the same class. Prevailing hours of labor may not exceed eight (8) hours per day or forty
(40) hours per week.
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Title: Prevailing wage policy panel discussion Page 14
l. Prevailing wage rate
The prevailing wage rate as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 177.42, subdivision 6, as
determined by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) for the area in which
the capital improvement is located. Rates shall be determined in accordance with
Minnesota Statutes sections 177.41–177.44 and Minnesota Rules 5200.1000 to 5200.1120,
as may be amended from time to time.
If DLI has not certified a prevailing wage rate for a particular work classification, the
required minimum wage and benefit rate shall be the applicable union wage and benefit
rate in the locality for that classification.
2. Payment of prevailing wage and hours requirements
a. Prevailing wage required
Except as provided in section 4 (exceptions), covered persons or entities shall pay laborers,
mechanics, or workers performing work on a capital improvement at a minimum the
applicable prevailing wage rate.
b. Prevailing hours of labor
Consistent with Minn. Stat. 177.43, subd. 4, means the hours of labor per day and per
week worked within the area by a larger number of workers of the same class than are
employed within the area for any other number of hours per day and per week. The
prevailing hours of labor may not be more than eight hours per day or more than 40 hours
per week.
c. Overtime
Workers may not work more than the prevailing hours of labor unless compensated for all
hours worked in excess of the prevailing hours of labor at a rate of at least one and one-
half (1.5) times the basic hourly rate.
d. Notice posting
Covered persons or entities shall post the applicable prevailing wage rates, prevailing hours
of labor, and hourly basic rates of pay for all trades and occupations required for the
capital improvement in a conspicuous location at the project site for the duration of the
project.
3. Applicability and minimum city investment
a. Types of construction covered
This policy applies to:
1. City-funded capital improvements supported with city funds exceeding the
investment threshold; and
2. Private development or redevelopment projects involving construction, renovation,
or reconstruction that receive city or EDA financial assistance above the investment
threshold.
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Title: Prevailing wage policy panel discussion Page 15
Project commencement for private development or redevelopment: the version of
this policy in effect at the time of the application date of planning and zoning
applications and/or a signed preliminary development agreement with the
economic development authority and/or city shall be the applicable version. The
date of the earliest submitted planning /zoning application or preliminary
development agreement will determine the version of the policy that applies.
If building permits have not been issued within two years of zoning application
approval or preliminary development agreement approval, or the building permits
have expired or been canceled, the project must comply with updates to this policy.
The city council may grant an extension of time beyond two years if a written
request for a time extension is submitted to staff and approved by the economic
development authority and/or city council. Requests for extension of time must be
received by the city before the termination date.
b. Investment threshold
The policy applies to projects receiving $250,000 or more in direct city or EDA funding or
financial assistance.
4. Exceptions
a. Apprentices
This policy does not apply to persons employed or registered as an apprentice in an
apprenticeship program or to a person in the first 90 days of probationary employment as
an apprentice who is not registered in an apprenticeship program, but who has been
certified by the U.S. Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training or a state apprenticeship
agency or council to be eligible for probationary employment as an apprentice.
b. Private development and small-scale projects
The policy does not apply to projects in one or more of the following categories:
• Affordable housing developments involving ten (10) or fewer owner-occupied or
rental units on a single contiguous site.
• Housing Improvement Area (HIA) loans where the total city investment exceeds
$250,000 but where individual homeowner loan obligations are less than $250,000,
e.g. a total HIA investment of $500,000 for a homeowners association of 25 homes
would not be subject to the policy as the individual homeowner loan obligation
would be $20,000 per home.
c. Projects otherwise subject to federal or state prevailing wage
Projects that are otherwise subject to federal or state prevailing wage are exempt from
City of St. Louis Park prevailing wage reporting and record keeping requirements and are
not required to comply with this policy.
d. City capital improvements with city-provided materials where the contracted price to
install or complete the improvement utilizing the city-provided materials is less than
$250,000. For example, the installation of streetlamps with a material cost of $500,000 for
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 1)
Title: Prevailing wage policy panel discussion Page 16
materials separately purchased by the city, with the streetlamps installed by a vendor at a
cost of $100,000 would not be subject to prevailing wage if the materials were purchased
independently by the city.
5. Contract requirements
The requirements of this ordinance must be incorporated into all bid specifications and
contracts for capital improvements. Contracts shall:
• Specifically state each applicable prevailing wage rate, hourly basic rates of pay, and
prevailing hours of labor for all work classifications required for the capital
improvement; and
• Require all contractors and subcontractors to comply with this policy’s prevailing
wage requirements.
These provisions are material terms of the contract.
6. Monitoring and compliance
a. Payroll record maintenance
Covered persons or entities shall maintain payroll records using a wage tracking system
such as LCPtracker, or an equivalent record keeping mechanism that enables and stores all
wage and benefit information required by the policy.
b. Record review
At least one active capital improvement per year will be randomly selected for payroll
review by the compliance officer. The city may also review payrolls for any capital
improvement at any time to verify compliance with this policy. Certified payroll records
must be promptly submitted to the compliance officer upon request. Certified payroll
records will be reviewed by the compliance officer or their designee.
c. Complaints
Suspected violations may be reported to the city. The compliance officer shall refer
suspected violations of the city’s prevailing wage policy to the MN Dept. of Labor and
Industry (DOLI).
7. Violations and penalties
a. Civil enforcement
The city may exercise any or all civil remedies available to it, including but not limited to:
• Seeking injunctive relief;
• Withholding funds sufficient to remedy violations;
• Terminating and rebidding the contract. Covered persons or entities will not be
eligible to rebid on the contract if they are found in violation of this policy for the
contracted capital improvement.
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Title: Prevailing wage policy panel discussion Page 17
Remedies are cumulative and not exclusive.
8. No conflict with other laws
This policy supplements and shall be construed so as not to conflict with applicable federal,
state, county, or municipal laws. Where other laws impose additional requirements, those
requirements remain in effect.
9. Severability
If any provision of this policy is declared invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions
shall remain in full force and effect.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 1)
Title: Prevailing wage policy panel discussion Page 18
St. Louis Park Race, Equity and Inclusion Department • 5005 Minnetonka Blvd., St. Louis Park, MN 55416
www.stlouisparkmn.gov • Phone: 952.924.2602 • TTY: 952.924.2518
Racial equity and inclusion impact analysis summary:
prevailing wage policy
On April 9, 2026, a cross-departmental group of St. Louis Park city staff along with external
partners and representatives from the construction and development finance industries
convened to conduct a racial equity and inclusion impact analysis (REIIA) of a prevailing wage
policy. The goal of this session was to assess the equity impacts of local policy decisions related to
prevailing wage and to identify measures to mitigate potential negative consequences.
The group considered two analysis points:
• What are the potential equity impacts of this policy on private development projects
receiving city assistance?
• What are the potential equity impacts of this policy on city capital improvement projects?
The group discussed four questions for each analysis point:
1. Which racialized and marginalized groups might be impacted or concerned with the issues
related to this policy?
2. What positive impacts could result from this policy? Who will benefit?
3. What negative impacts, intentional and unintentional, could result from this? Who will be
disadvantaged?
4. Are there better ways to reduce racial disparities? What could be added or changed to
advance racial equity and inclusion?
Summary of racial equity and inclusion impact analysis
The session began by understanding the context of the city council’s discussion exploring
prevailing wage, including the Oct. 13, 2025 study session discussion (agenda, minutes), and the
ensuing drafted prevailing wage policy. Desired outcomes for this policy included local
requirements that ensured equitable employee pay without adding obstacles for development
funded in whole or in part by the city.
The impact analysis exercise then began, answering a set of equity-centered questions for each of
the aforementioned analysis points. During the discussion, the group identified ways in which
groups could be impacted positively and negatively and considered unintentional barriers that
could be created as a result of this policy. A strong theme throughout the discussion was
demographic data that could reveal how this policy would impact women and people of color,
both as contractors and residents. The primary racial equity implications raised during the
discussion included the following:
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 1)
Title: Prevailing wage policy panel discussion Page 19
St. Louis Park Race, Equity and Inclusion Department • 5005 Minnetonka Blvd., St. Louis Park, MN 55416
www.stlouisparkmn.gov • Phone: 952.924.2602 • TTY: 952.924.2518
• The key benefit of a prevailing wage policy is that it would ensure standard wages and
benefits for construction workers working on city-supported construction (such as roads
or bridges) and on development related construction (such as new multifamily or
commercial construction).
• A prevailing wage policy could reduce opportunities for small businesses and
subcontractors to enter the market by creating additional administrative work and
expenses.
• Larger contractors may prefer to work with established subcontractors already well-
versed in policy language and administration, exacerbating existing disparities for small,
less policy experienced subcontractors.
• The city could support small contractors by providing resources for understanding the
policy and how to meet tracking requirements to mitigate negative impacts, and that
would increase work on city staff and require further training.
• Apprentices, who are most likely to be women or people of color, are exempt from
receiving prevailing wage.
• Unless the workforce of construction companies working in the city includes a large
percentage of BIPOC and women construction workers, it is uncertain if this policy would
advance racial equity and inclusion. Related to this, it is worth noting:
o Most developments that are required to report on DEI outcomes fall below St.
Louis Park’s DEI workforce targets (32% BIPOC, 20% women)
o Currently, there are five buildings with TIF assistance under construction (four
within the Beltline development, as well as the Terasa development); each is
reporting between 0-8% women workforce labor hours and wages paid; and 4-15%
BIPOC workforce labor hours and wages paid
o If these buildings were subject to prevailing wage, the women and BIPOC workers
on these construction projects would benefit from such a policy; while the
remaining 85%-100% of the benefits of the policy would accrue to workers that
identify as white and male.
Racial equity and inclusion recommendations
Staff reviewed key themes for each policy question and recommended next steps for continuing
the exploration of a prevailing wage policy:
1. Explore existing data to contextualize the current business and demographic realities
Staff should use quantitative and qualitative data to help inform who this policy would
impact. Qualitative data may include insights from other cities in Minnesota or nationally
that have adopted prevailing wage policies or further discussion with external experts and
business owners. Quantitative data may include demographic data on construction
workers in apprenticeships, union and non-union roles and the impacts of current
pipelines working to diversify this pool. Data could also include the demographic makeup
of large contractors and subcontractors that have worked on city projects in the past.
Some of this recent data is included above.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 1)
Title: Prevailing wage policy panel discussion Page 20
St. Louis Park Race, Equity and Inclusion Department • 5005 Minnetonka Blvd., St. Louis Park, MN 55416
www.stlouisparkmn.gov • Phone: 952.924.2602 • TTY: 952.924.2518
2. Identify and examine assumptions informing this policy
Staff should consider and analyze potential assumptions that could be informing this
policy and provide level-setting information to ensure the policy addresses the city’s
desired outcomes. This includes defining the purpose of prevailing wage, the state’s
existing regulations and the city’s limitations on changing who it impacts. Data, including
this impact analysis, could support level-setting on what prevailing wage does and does
not impact in the field of construction and capital development.
3. Revisit the racial equity impact analysis with more information
Staff agree that this is an ongoing conversation that will continue after further exploration
and discussion. The city should use available data to continuously evaluate the racial
equity impact of a prevailing wage policy. It is important that staff and external partners
have a platform to share information and reconvene as needed.
In general, given the scope of this discussion, staff believe it would be valuable to further analyze
the racial equity impact of prevailing wage through the consideration of statewide data and case
studies of other cities with similar policies. The racial equity impact analysis produced strong
considerations to mitigate inequitable outcomes, and it also raised many unanswered questions
for the city to consider moving forward. These include, but are not limited to:
• What actions could better address city council’s desired equity outcomes in community
development?
• Do prevailing wage policies advance worker diversity?
• What are the ripple effects of policy related cost increases? E.g. water/sewer rates,
property taxes and potential slower capital improvement?
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 1)
Title: Prevailing wage policy panel discussion Page 21
Racial equity impact analysis tool notes: Prevailing wage policy
In attendance:
• Jocelyn Hernandez • Dean Porter-Nelson • Tiffany Stephens
• Jennifer Monson • Deb Heiser • Kori Shingles (PCL)
• Sean Walther • Jay Hall • Stacie Kvilvang (Ehlers)
Background:
Several members of city council requested a discussion on the possibility of adopting a
Prevailing Wage Policy in St. Louis Park that could potentially be applicable to city capital
projects and private developments receiving city financial assistance.
A discussion was held during a study session on Oct. 13, 2025 (agenda, minutes). City council
directed staff to draft a prevailing wage policy and organize a discussion panel with external
subject matter experts.
A policy has been drafted and circulated to city staff and external experts for review and
feedback. Staff are also seeking a REIIA on the proposed policy to ensure we are thinking
holistically about any unintended impacts on historically marginalized communities if the city
were to adopt the policy.
Analysis point 1: Private development projects receiving city assistance
Internal note: The group noted that the notes crossed over heavily between the two analysis
points, so the notes could be applied to either analysis point.
Analysis point: What are the potential equity impacts of this policy on private development
projects receiving city assistance?
Analysis questions: Notes:
Which racialized and marginalized
groups might be impacted or
concerned with the issues related
to this policy?
• If there is more work required on the front end, we will
receive fewer bids and we will see less diversity in the
types of groups who bid.
• We already have a diversity policy at the city to be
considered.
Notes from meeting are in red text.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 1)
Title: Prevailing wage policy panel discussion Page 22
What positive impacts could result
from this policy? Who will
benefit?
• There is a risk of trying to do good but making things more
difficult in the process.
• We need to know the data of the demographics of
workers for the companies that the city contracts to say
who benefits. If possible, it would be helpful to find the
demographics of people who work on projects in St. Louis
Park.
• The construction workforce in Minnesota is made up of
approximately 12% women, the % of BIPOC people is
likely similar.
• It is likely that white men will largely be the ones impacted
positively and benefiting from this policy.
• Increase in wages among BIPOC workers who are
employed on city financed projects is a positive.
What negative impacts,
intentional and unintentional,
could result from this? Who will
be disadvantaged?
Small businesses:
• There is a risk for a lot of handholding, especially for
businesses who have never had to do the process before.
• This policy would primarily impact small businesses due to
their need to be more involved in the process. It is
something new to them.
• Small businesses would be disadvantaged, even though
the policy has the potential to help them. They are
constantly put in a place of needing to prove that they
need help – needing to jump through the most hoops.
• Waiting for payments to come through is difficult and not
always feasible for all businesses.
• There would be a large barrier of “policy language”, in
that not all businesses are familiar with the world of
reporting and policy.
• Small businesses are already overburdened. They need to
do more to prove that they need more constantly.
• A policy like this would risk discouraging smaller
contractors. The policy would require harder work, more
difficult tracking, in a process that is already difficult
normally.
• Some big corporations will refuse to work with small
organizations/contractors because they believe they
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Title: Prevailing wage policy panel discussion Page 23
won't understand the policy and they won't want to
explain it to them.
Apprentices:
• Apprentices, who are most likely to be women or BIPOC
individuals, are exempt from receiving prevailing wage.
• Those higher up in the workforce are the ones who will
see a positive impact.
Other:
• A prevailing wage policy would only apply to contractors
that are hired to work on proejcts that are funded by the
city – and not to all contractors working on projects in the
city.
• Some contractors may refuse to work with us because of
this policy.
• How many local construction companies do we have in St.
Louis Park, or that originate from St. Louis Park?
o Not many, and only a few companies that do the
kind of work that the city hires contractors for.
o Most contractors that we hire are based outside of
the metro area (some will have an office
downtown), and majority of the employees live
even farther out. When contractors and their
workers are not based locally, the St. Louis Park
economy, the people of St. Louis Park, or even the
Twin Cities Metro area does not directly benefit
from higher wages paid; even if the economic
benefits are positive within the extended region
and the state.
• There are also instances of “checkerboarding” which are
instances of using women or BIPOC to “check a box” by
moving them to specific job sites, which creates long term
barriers for them (even though you are trying to do a good
thing). By constantly moving them from job to job, this
prevents them from being able to assimilate to a team
properly in these instances when they are moved around.
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Title: Prevailing wage policy panel discussion Page 24
Are there better ways to reduce
racial disparities? What could be
added or changed to advance
racial equity and inclusion?
• We need to be consistent with the state laws, so we are
limited in what we can change in that regard. (e.g. making
the decision of apprentices being exempt from prevailing
wage)
• Without knowing the demographic reality of the
workforce of outside construction companies, are we
really creating any advancement of REI with this policy?
• A better way/a change could be to encourage more youth
to get involved with trades, including more St. Louis Park
residents, or at least to get more interested in the work.
• Could the city find ways to reduce bid barriers for smaller
construction companies?
o e.g. not requiring LCP tracker/allowing for
equivalent record keeping, then the city can
transfer their records into the required format.
o More requirements create more challenges; we
could find ways to lessen construction
requirements.
Analysis point 2: City capital improvement projects
Internal note: The group noted that the notes crossed over heavily between the two analysis
points, so the notes could be applied to either analysis point.
Analysis point: What are the potential equity impacts of this policy on city capital
improvement projects?
Analysis questions: Notes:
Which racialized and marginalized
groups might be impacted or
concerned with the issues related
to this policy?
• Increased levies will negatively impact St. Louis Park
residents, specifically those already financially struggling.
What positive impacts could result
from this policy? Who will
benefit?
• Increased wages among construction workers who
identify as women or BIPOC, who are employed by those
doing work within St. Louis Park, on projects subject to the
policy.
What negative impacts,
intentional and unintentional,
Increased taxes:
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Title: Prevailing wage policy panel discussion Page 25
could result from this? Who will
be disadvantaged?
• Policies like this increase costs for everyone. Taxes may
increase, which in turn cause water/sewer rates to
increase.
o Added costs would transfer down to renters, who
would then see rent increases on top of inflation
costs.
• The only way to make up money is to charge residents
more.
• Primary funding for engineering/public works projects =
sanitary water, storm, general obligation funds/bonding
(property taxes, but try not to use too much)
• Primary funding for parks projects = property taxes
• Slower capital improvements for residents; increased levy
for costly project totals
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Title: Prevailing wage policy panel discussion Page 26
Meeting: Special study session
Meeting date: May 18, 2026
Written report: 2
Executive summary
Title: Climate Leadership and Natural Spaces system kick-off
Recommended action: None. The purpose of this report is to provide an overview and
framework of the planned series of study session items included in the climate leadership and
natural spaces system.
Policy consideration: Throughout the discussions in this system, the council will be asked
specific policy questions relating to the topic discussed.
Summary: During this study session, staff will provide information regarding sustainability
programs, projects and policies. There will be several written reports to provide context and
information on current activities, programs and policies. This report serves as grounding for all
the subsequent reports and discussions and includes a broad overview of activity and
frameworks used when considering climate leadership and natural spaces.
The foundation for staff to develop projects and implement programs are the plans and policies
approved by city council, including the Climate Action Plan. Funds for community-facing
incentive programs come from the Climate Investment Fund.
In the interest of orienting new council members to the city’s climate leadership and natural
spaces work, some past written report information (particularly “background”) will be included
in this report.
Financial or budget considerations: Funds are budgeted in the 2026 budget for a variety of
programs related to climate leadership and natural spaces, and fund balance remains in the
Climate Investment Fund to continue our community-facing incentive programs.
Strategic priority consideration: St. Louis Park is committed to being a climate leader that cares
for the planet and maintains dynamic parks that connect people and nature.
Supporting documents: Discussion
May 19, 2025 special study session agenda
Prepared by: Emily Ziring, sustainability manager
Reviewed by: Sean Walther, deputy community development director
Karen Barton, community development director
Approved by: Cindy Walsh, deputy city manager
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 2) Page 2
Title: Climate Leadership and Natural Spaces system kick-off
Discussion
Background:
Climate leadership and natural spaces work in St. Louis Park
This work spans many departments and divisions, including:
• Community development department
o Sustainability division staff design and administer programs and projects
identified in the Climate Action Plan (CAP) and track community greenhouse gas
emissions over time to measure progress. Those programs and projects focus
primarily on buildings and energy (including electrified transportation), as the
majority of greenhouse gas emissions in St. Louis Park are generated by those
sectors.
While the division is named “sustainability,” it may be helpful for council to think
of their scope more narrowly as “climate and energy.” The division was created
to drive climate action and nearly all division programs are designed to address
energy affordability through a combination of efficiency programs, gas and
electric utility rate assistance, and advocacy at the legislature and Public Utilities
Commission.
o Planning and zoning division staff lead long-range land use planning, zoning
regulations and development review which shapes development patterns that
influence environmental quality, climate impacts and community sustainability.
o Building inspections staff enforce State of Minnesota energy codes.
• Public works department solid waste division staff oversee curbside collection and
management of garbage, recycling, organics and yard waste. Staff manage the Recycling
Champions program and enforce the Zero Waste Packaging ordinance for food
establishments and recycling requirements for multifamily and commercial properties
through training, outreach and plan review. Solid waste staff coordinate and encourage
efforts around compost use in both city projects and private development, and lead
building deconstruction projects to minimize construction & demolition waste. Staff also
educate residents and businesses in reuse and manage city clean-up days, paper
shredding events and swap events.
• Engineering department staff design and implement Connect the Park, which
encourages carbon-free transportation options by creating a comprehensive citywide
system of bikeways, sidewalks and trails. When electric vehicle (EV) chargers are
installed on city property, engineering staff assist with the construction project
management. Staff also manage stormwater projects and programs, including the
Rainwater Rewards program which offers financial and technical assistance to residents
that complete stormwater management projects on their property. Consideration of
tree preservation, pavement reduction and new sidewalk construction take place in the
design of all transportation projects.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 2) Page 3
Title: Climate Leadership and Natural Spaces system kick-off
• Parks and recreation department
o The natural resources division manages the city’s urban forestry program,
including public outreach, inspecting trees, private tree consultation, planting,
watering, pruning and other general tree and plant care in city parks, boulevards,
vacant lots, Minnehaha Creek corridor and Westwood Hills Nature Center. Staff
also enforce zoning and nuisance vegetation ordinances such as tree
preservation, development plan review, tree disease/infestation sanitation
programs on private and public property, and the tall grass/noxious weed
program. They manage the annual tree sale and volunteer tree planting events
such as Arbor Day with local partner Tree Trust, as well as herbaceous plantings
such as native prairies and park gardens including the Pollinate the Park initiative
and native plant sale. Wildlife management and management of the city brush
site are also handled by this division.
o The facilities division oversees daily operations and capital projects for all major
municipal facilities. This ranges from monitoring energy consumption and
completing lighting retrofits to installing rooftop solar arrays.
There are numerous examples of other divisions and departments’ involvement in climate
leadership and natural spaces, from the naturalists at Westwood Hills Nature Center to utilities;
fleet services; communications, facilities; and race, equity and inclusion. Enterprise-wide
collaboration is common; sustainability staff meet quarterly with staff in engineering, solid
waste, and economic development to discuss opportunities to support one another’s work.
This remainder of this report will focus on the primary work of the sustainability division—
implementing the community-wide Climate Action Plan.
Climate Action Plan and Climate Investment Fund
In Feb. 2018, the city council formally adopted the Climate Action Plan. The plan was created at
the urging of the student environmental club at St. Louis Park High School, whose members
presented a sustainability “report card” to council in 2016. The plan’s goals are some of the
most ambitious of any city in Minnesota, and the plan’s adoption and implementation
(especially after the opening of the net-zero-energy designed Westwood Hills Nature Center
interpretive center) have garnered years of media attention, from outlets ranging from the SLP
Echo to Enter Magazine to Finance & Commerce and MPR News.
The “biggest bowl” outcome of the plan is for the community to achieve total carbon neutrality
by 2040, with seven important midterm goals set for 2030. The CAP is a climate mitigation plan,
meaning that staff focus on actions to reduce and stabilize the sources or enhance the sinks
(sponges) of greenhouse gases, e.g., energy efficiency, renewable energy, low-carbon
transportation, organics recycling and tree planting. Given that the effects of climate change
are underway now, staff have also elected to devote a portion of our efforts towards climate
adaptation—the process of adjustment to current or expected climate and its effects—and
climate resilience, the ability for social, economic and ecosystems to prepare and plan for,
absorb and recover from sudden adverse events.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 2) Page 4
Title: Climate Leadership and Natural Spaces system kick-off
Since 2018, the city increased its investment in CAP implementation including the creation of a
sustainability division. While the city’s environment and sustainability commission (ESC) has
been in place since 2013, the ESC has been dedicated solely to advising council on policy
decisions around implementation of the CAP since the plan’s adoption. The sustainability
manager is the liaison to the ESC.
Many city-level elected officials—including St. Louis Park—recognized the need for cities to
champion climate action and formed the Minnesota Cities Climate Coalition, a nonpartisan
statewide group of local elected officials advancing local climate and clean energy goals by
influencing state policy and sharing best practices. It was this coalition that led 16 cities and
counties to declare a climate emergency in 2022, a declaration which put St. Louis Park on the
front page of the Minnesota Star Tribune.
In 2021 council voted to create the Climate Investment Fund (CIF), a funding source for a
portfolio of ongoing programs available for residents and businesses. The fund helps leverage
private investment dollars when owners are ready to make improvements that reduce carbon
emissions and lower energy costs. It is used by departments across the city enterprise for cost
sharing incentive programs tied to the goals and strategies within the CAP.
The fund started with $500,000 from unrestricted fund balance from the 2020 operating
budget and supplemented in 2023 with $300,000 from the development fund. The 2026 city
budget includes an additional transfer from operating funds into the CIF with the goal of fully
meeting the programs’ needs, which are projected to total $200,000 annually.
In addition to the staff resources and the CIF, the city invests in greening its own infrastructure
and fleet and continues to do so using the capital improvement process.
Current sustainability programs
A detailed list of current sustainability division-led programs and projects can be found on the
city’s website. Community-facing incentive programs are funded using the CIF. After the
passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, staff had planned to adjust city incentives downward to
account for new incentives from the federal government (including tax credits and direct-to-
consumer rebates); however, nearly all of those incentives have been rescinded by the current
federal administration. Those that remain may still be rescinded or have new requirements in
place that make them challenging to receive.
It is worth noting that the rescission of Inflation Reduction Act provisions has not changed the
sustainability division’s programs, projects or policies—it simply means less federal funding is
available to consumers to supplement city incentives. All city programs remain intact, and the
city continues to receive “direct pay” reimbursement payments from the federal government
for renewable energy and electric fleet vehicles.
To track the city’s progress against CAP targets staff developed an Environmental Stewardship
dashboard. The dashboard is one of a number of strategic priority-focused dashboards created
at council’s request.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 2) Page 5
Title: Climate Leadership and Natural Spaces system kick-off
All sustainability programs integrate an environmental justice element, and staff works to
repair past injustices using a “targeted universalism” approach to program design. Under the
targeted universalism framework, staff set citywide program goals and offer an environmental
justice rate to offer more support to residents and areas most adversely impacted by climate
change.
Present considerations:
Working on climate change—and more specifically, climate and environmental justice—at the
local level is more important than ever.
City policies, programs and experimentation inspire others. Cities replicate other jurisdictions’
successful local policies and programs. This builds momentum. It sparks chain reactions. It
magnifies the positive impacts of local policies and programs.
Individual choices also matter and can spark change in communities faster than regulatory
actions can coerce improvements in corporate practices. There are now over 40 cities in
Minnesota with climate action, climate adaptation, or energy action plans; over one-third of
Minnesotans live in a county or a city with a stand-alone climate action plan.
The Minnesota Cities Climate Coalition is mirrored at the national level through the bipartisan
nonprofit Climate Mayors. St. Louis Park is one of nearly 350 member cities, and Mayor
Mohamed serves on its steering committee. Climate Mayors formed a Climate, Affordability
and Prosperity Working Group to promote the “kitchen table” sustainability programs in their
cities that lower utility costs and improve life for residents by mitigating the impacts of
increased temperatures.
Equity and climate justice
Prosperity for everyone is a goal of environmental justice, which is why climate action and
environmental programs and policies within the city do not fall neatly within the bounds of any
one division or organization. City staff design and implement climate action and environmental
programs using environmental justice criteria, but staff also advocate at the state for
improvements to energy assistance programs for low-income residents; analyze demographic
and climate data to install public EV chargers in EV charging deserts; explore policy ideas to fix
incentive misalignment in rental properties for energy and indoor air quality upgrades; apply
for and manage grants to reduce urban heat island in neighborhoods with high bus ridership
and low tree canopy; organizing family bike rides in low-income and disadvantaged community
neighborhoods to show that cycling is a way to get around the city comfortably, reliably, safely,
affordably—and without air pollution; and more.
Knowing that many local households have a high energy burden (defined as the share of
household income spent on energy costs), sustainability staff created a “Guide to manage high
energy bills” that has been distributed to dozens of residents and posted to the city’s renter
assistance webpage. Effective climate action requires acknowledging and working to remedy
racial and economic injustices.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 2) Page 6
Title: Climate Leadership and Natural Spaces system kick-off
Next steps: As climate change accelerates, new technologies emerge, and concerns about
environmental injustices grow, programs, policies and projects to further climate leadership are
created, amended and rescinded. Staff in the many divisions and departments that create and
manage climate leadership and natural spaces programs have information to share with council
and some policy questions they would like to explore.
The reports and discussion items below will be presented to council at today’s study session
and on June 8.
Date Topic Description Staff Lead
May 18,
2026
Climate action annual
report
Summary of sustainability
division programs and
projects
Ziring
May 18,
2026
Solid waste program update Report on current solid waste
programs and hauling
contracts
Fisher/Hall
May 18,
2026
Construction and
demolition waste reduction
Report on city work
addressing reduction of
waste from building
construction and demolition
Fisher/Ziring
May 18,
2026
Update on CAP amendment Report on plans to update
the Climate Action Plan
Ziring
June 8, 2026 Environment and
Sustainability Commission
(ESC) annual meeting with
council
Discussion of the ESC’s 2026
work plan
Ziring/Coleman
June 8, 2026 Rainwater Rewards
program overview
Report on the impact of the
Rainwater Rewards program
Francis/Heiser
June 8, 2026 Emerald ash borer update Report updating status of
EAB infestation in St. Louis
Park and how city has
addressed it
Bahe/Larson
June 8, 2026 Environmental impacts of
drive-throughs
Report on the costs and
benefits of drive-throughs
locally
Ziring/Champoux
June 8, 2026 Summary report NA Ziring
Meeting: Special study session
Meeting date: May 18, 2026
Written report: 3
Executive summary
Title: Solid waste program update
Recommended action: None at this time.
Policy consideration: None at this time.
Summary: The city has a long standing single-family solid waste collection program and
ordinances that outline requirements for recycling, and in certain cases, organics recycling for
multifamily and commercial buildings. This report includes updates on the broad scope of
programs, policies and outreach that the solid waste division is responsible for implementing
and maintaining.
Current residential collection contracts with The Buckingham Companies (garbage and
recycling), Republic (organics recycling) and Trash Contractors - formerly Waste Container
Systems (yard waste) all end on Dec. 3, 2028. Staff are beginning to review programs and
planning for the next contract(s). Staff have also developed an organics recycling signup
campaign using messaging from a collaboration with the Environment and Sustainability
Commission, as well as Climate Incentive Funds to provide kitchen collection pails as a signup
incentive. The campaign mailing will arrive in mailboxes of households not yet participating, this
spring and summer.
Multifamily buildings make up a growing majority of housing for our residents and property
managers must ensure that they have access to recycling as a requirement in city code. Staff
are developing a plan for technical assistance and enforcement of city ordinance for multifamily
buildings to begin in the second half of 2026.
The Zero Waste Packaging Ordinance has been in place since 2017 and requires that all single-
use food packaging used by licensed food establishments be recyclable or compostable. Staff
will be shifting from active enforcement of this ordinance to focus on multifamily properties
through the remainder of 2026. Both enforcement programs will be revisited in 2027 to
evaluate next steps.
Financial or budget considerations: Costs above and beyond currently budgeted operating
expenses are not anticipated.
Strategic priority consideration: St. Louis Park is committed to being a climate leader that cares
for the planet and maintains dynamic parks that connect people and nature.
Supporting documents: Discussion
Prepared by: Kala Fisher, public services superintendent/deputy public works director
Reviewed by: Jay Hall, public works director
Approved by: Cindy Walsh, deputy city manager
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 3) Page 2
Title: Solid waste program update
Discussion
Background:
The city has a long standing single-family solid waste collection program and ordinances that
outline requirements for recycling, and in certain cases, organics recycling, for multifamily and
commercial buildings. This report includes updates on the broad scope of programs, policies
and outreach that the solid waste division is responsible for implementing and maintaining.
Present considerations:
Residential collection program
The city provides organized garbage, recycling, organics recycling and yard waste collection for
residents in one through four-unit dwellings. Garbage, organics recycling and yard waste are all
collected weekly, with yard waste collection occurring April – November. Recycling is collected
every other week. Residents also have the option to request pickup of bulky trash or hard to
recycle items like appliances, electronics and mattresses at an additional cost. Current contracts
with The Buckingham Companies (garbage and recycling), Republic (organics recycling) and
Trash Contractors - formerly Waste Container Systems (yard waste) all end on Dec. 3, 2028.
Staff are beginning to review programs and planning for the next contract(s).
Staff have developed an organics recycling signup campaign using messaging from a
collaboration with the Environment and Sustainability Commission, as well as Climate Incentive
Funds to provide kitchen collection pails as a signup incentive. The current signup rate is 43%
(5,312 of the eligible 12,325 households). The signup campaign supports an important Climate
Action Plan strategy to reach 50% by 2030 and Hennepin County’s participation target of 60% in
the 2026 – 2028 funding agreement (this is an increase from a 50% participation target in the
previous funding agreement). The campaign mailing will arrive in mailboxes of households not
yet participating, this spring and summer.
Multifamily collection requirements
Residents without city solid waste service (buildings with at least five units, some townhomes
and condos) receive service through private contracts for garbage and recycling and have
access to the 11 city-run multifamily organics drop sites strategically located throughout the
city.
Multifamily buildings make up a growing majority of housing for our residents and property
managers must ensure that they have access to recycling and receive adequate education on
recycling guidelines as a requirement in city code. Staff are developing a plan for technical
assistance and enforcement of city ordinance for multifamily buildings to begin in the second
half of 2026. The division intends to shift active inspection work from the Zero Waste Packaging
(ZWP) Ordinance to focus on this important sector of waste generation in the city over the
remainder of the year. More information regarding the success of the ZWP Ordinance
enforcement program is included later in this report.
Citywide collection events
The solid waste division offers a wide range of reuse, recycling and disposal events to all city
residents throughout the year. Below is a recap of events already held and overview of those
upcoming, this does not include other events or permanent drop-off sites available in Hennepin
County that are also promoted to residents in a variety of ways.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 3) Page 3
Title: Solid waste program update
• Swap events have offered residents the opportunity to give and take items like clothing,
books, games, puzzles, gardening supplies, art and craft supplies freely since 2017.
Events keep materials in use rather than disposal and help to build community. The
swap events for 2026 concluded last month, with a swap rate of 83% and the remaining
going to reuse, recycling or disposal outlets depending on the material quality.
• A furniture and building materials collection event is planned for Sept. 23, 2026, in
coordination with Hennepin County. The event gives residents a convenient option to
bring mattresses, furniture and building materials for reuse at no cost. Similar events
were held in the fall of 2019 and 2024.
• Paper shredding events are typically held twice per year as an opportunity for residents
to have sensitive documents shredded and recycled at no cost. Shredded paper is not
accepted in curbside recycling or organics recycling programs. The city uses a company
that provides onsite shredding. Due to popularity of this service, it is held separately
from cleanup day to reduce congestion and wait times at the cleanup day events. The
next event will be held May 29, 2026, at the Municipal Service Center. A postcard will be
mailed to all households.
• Spring and fall cleanup days (reuse, recycling and disposal) offer residents the
opportunity to drop-off a variety of items like scrap metal, building materials,
appliances, electronics, tires, bulk trash items, bicycles and clothing. Items are collected
for a charge or free of charge depending on the material. The next event will be held
June 6, 2026, at the Municipal Service Center. A postcard will be mailed to all
households in May with details on cost and items accepted.
• The Pitch-A-Pumpkin collection event is typically held the first week of November to
provide residents with the opportunity to compost their pumpkins and other gourds at
no cost. In 2025, 3.12 tons of material was collected. Pumpkins are also collected with
curbside organics or yard waste, but there are certain weight limits and bagging
requirements. The pumpkin collection event is popular among residents, and the solid
waste division is partnering with the recreation division to add more interactive
elements to this year’s event.
Education and outreach
In addition to regular education through social media, city publications and tabling at
community events, staff also provide information at trainings and webinars in the community.
One important way of reaching residents with in-depth information is through the Recycling
Champions program. This program began in 2017 and has resulted in 229 residents to-date who
have participated in the annual training on waste reduction and recycling. Recycling Champions
engage with their community in a variety of ways and help to support city events through
volunteering at event recycling stations, tabling at neighborhood events, assisting with city-run
swap events and more.
Zero Waste Packaging Ordinance enforcement program update
The Zero Waste Packaging (ZWP) Ordinance has been in place since 2017 and requires that all
single-use food packaging used by licensed food establishments be recyclable or compostable.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 3) Page 4
Title: Solid waste program update
This includes packaging used to serve customers on-site or taken to-go. The ordinance applies
to restaurants, bakeries, food trucks, grocery store delis and salad bars, gas stations and any
other Hennepin County licensed food establishment. The goal of the ordinance is to reduce the
amount of trash created by food and beverage packaging.
The solid waste division has taken a phased approach to address ordinance compliance,
beginning with education in the early years of the ordinance and later shifted to complaint-
based enforcement. Recently, a process was developed for active inspections of restaurants
and bakeries to drive better compliance. From 2024 to 2026, there were 100 establishments in
scope. Of these establishments, 94 had a site visit, 72 achieved compliance, 18 are still a work-
in-progress and four have closed. The scope of these visits is to provide technical assistance to
comply with the packaging, in-store collection and hauling service requirements under the
ordinance. Only when the business fails repeatedly to remain in communication does the solid
waste division move to administrative penalties. Staff will be shifting from active enforcement
of this ordinance to focus on multifamily properties through the remainder of 2026. Both
enforcement programs will be revisited in 2027 to evaluate next steps.
The solid waste division also addresses ZWP Ordinance compliance for food trucks at city
events or spaces. In 2025, of the 46 food trucks signed up to attend events in public spaces, 29
were responsive and were verified as 100% compliant or achieved compliance through follow-
up before the event occurred. The solid waste division is working closely with the recreation
division in 2026 to increase compliance for food trucks operating in public spaces. The food
trucks will be required to be ZWP verified prior to the event in order to have their permit
processed.
Next steps: Staff will return to council in 2027 to discuss potential program changes to
incorporate into the 2028 - 2033 residential garbage, recycling, organics and yard waste request
contract process, keeping in mind that current contracts expire Dec. 3, 2028.
Meeting: Special study session
Meeting date: May 18, 2026
Written report: 4
Executive summary
Title: Construction & demolition waste reduction
Recommended action: None at this time.
Policy consideration: Does the city council support demolition waste reduction efforts to
reduce landfill disposal and carbon emissions?
Summary: The city has a long history of leading the way in proper stewardship of municipal
solid waste (MSW). However, a considerable amount of construction and demolition (C&D)
waste is also generated that warrants thoughtful planning to continue the city’s climate
leadership through reducing landfill disposal and carbon emissions. To this point, this report
outlines important reasons to work on minimizing demolition waste, which include limited C&D
landfill capacity and embodied carbon in existing buildings.
The city has started this work through the creation of policies and programs, outlined in this
report, that address C&D waste beyond “business as usual” practices. To continue to lead in
this area, staff have identified three approaches to increasing the amount of C&D materials
diverted from landfills:
1) Increasing the level of C&D recycling for all building projects in St. Louis Park (not just
those that are required to adhere to the Green Building Policy)
2) Shifting projects away from demolition and towards deconstruction
3) Seeking ways to encourage the adaptive reuse of existing buildings (instead of removal)
A staff work group has formed and will meet through 2026 to develop a menu of policy options
that increase C&D reuse and recycling in St. Louis Park. If recommendations from the work
group include policy decisions, staff will bring them to council for consideration in 2027 during
the Climate Leadership and Natural Spaces system.
Financial or budget considerations: City costs above and beyond currently budgeted operating
expenses are not anticipated.
Strategic priority consideration: St. Louis Park is committed to being a climate leader that cares
for the planet and maintains dynamic parks that connect people and nature.
Supporting documents: Discussion
Prepared by: Kala Fisher, public services superintendent/deputy public works director
Emily Ziring, sustainability manager
Reviewed by: Jay Hall, public works director
Approved by: Cindy Walsh, deputy city manager
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 4) Page 2
Title: Construction & demolition waste reduction
Discussion
Background: St. Louis Park has a long history of environmental stewardship and was an early
adopter of waste reduction initiatives. The city was one of the first in Minnesota to implement
residential curbside recycling and organics recycling collection, as well as a zero-waste
packaging ordinance.
For most of its history, St. Louis Park has focused on reducing the volume of Municipal Solid
Waste (MSW) generated in city limits. MSW consists of everyday items discarded from
households, businesses, and institutions. It includes packaging, food scraps, grass clippings and
furniture—anything commonly found in yard waste, organics, recycling and garbage carts.
The Minnesota Waste Management Act (Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 115A) establishes the
state’s comprehensive policy for managing solid waste, prioritizing reduction, reuse and
recycling over disposal. Enacted to protect human health and the environment, it mandates
that local governments follow a strict waste hierarchy, placing landfilling as the least preferred
method (see figure 1). Solid waste division staff are constantly seeking creative new ways to
reduce, reuse and recycle all types of materials to avoid sending waste to be incinerated or
landfilled.
Figure 1. Minnesota’s waste management hierarchy (MPCA)
Recognizing the need to address one additional and often overlooked major source of waste
within the city, staff have turned their attention to construction and demolition (C&D) waste
management. C&D waste encompasses both debris generated from the construction,
renovation and repair of buildings, and from the demolition of existing buildings. Later portions
of this report will focus on the waste from demolition from existing buildings only.
Data from the US Environmental Protection Agency shows that nationally over 600 million tons
of C&D waste was generated in 2018 (90% of which was demolition waste and 10%
construction waste). That is more than double the weight of total MSW generated that same
year. Within Hennepin County, industrial solid waste (ISW) makes up the bulk of the waste
generated, but C&D waste surpasses MSW, although to a lesser degree (see figure 2).
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 4) Page 3
Title: Construction & demolition waste reduction
Figure 1. Hennepin County 2021 disposal by type
Construction & demolition debris landfills
The MSW from St. Louis Park goes to a variety of facilities. Garbage is hauled to the Hennepin
Energy Recovery Center (HERC, the waste-to-energy incinerator), recyclables are sent to
materials recovery facilities, and organics and yard waste are sent to industrial composting
facilities. C&D waste, the focus of this report, is sent to C&D debris landfills, most of which were
designed and built without liners.
The 1988 Minnesota Demolition Landfill Rules established standards for managing C&D debris,
largely based on the premise that materials like wood, concrete and drywall were inert
(chemically inactive). These rules permitted unlined landfills under the assumption they posed
no significant pollution risk. That understanding has shifted, especially as construction materials
have changed. Over 90 C&D landfills in Minnesota were constructed without liners or leachate
collection systems. Without these systems, leachate (the stormwater that travels down through
the debris, picking up pollutants) will contaminate soils and eventually find its way to
groundwater. In Minnesota, 42 construction and demolition landfills have caused groundwater
contamination at levels exceeding state and federal standards, and three unlined C&D landfills
have impacted residential drinking water sources (these sites have received alternative drinking
water sources).
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), through rulemaking, plans to amend existing
Minnesota Rules governing permits for solid waste landfills. After the rule’s effective date,
these facilities will have 12 months to draft and submit a transition schedule that identifies a
time frame to either close entirely or close all unlined disposal areas and transition to managing
C&D debris in another manner. Options include waste reduction, recycling, and reuse options;
transfer of waste to lined landfills; or constructing a new lined C&D disposal facility consistent
with new rules.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 4) Page 4
Title: Construction & demolition waste reduction
Embodied carbon in buildings
Embodied carbon refers to the greenhouse gas emissions from the manufacturing,
transportation, installation, maintenance, and disposal of building and infrastructure materials.
This is the energy that is “baked in” to buildings. Concrete, steel and aluminum have the highest
amount of embodied carbon.
Figure 2. Life-cycle assessment phases (source: RMI)
Because greenhouse gas emissions from the use and maintenance phase (i.e., operations) of
buildings are addressed by current sustainability programs at the city and state level, staff are
shifting their attention to reducing embodied carbon from each building’s product phase,
construction phase, and end-of-life phase (note figure 3 for more information on each phase).
The goal is to apply “reduce, reuse, recycle” thinking to the way the city handles buildings—to
treat buildings as sources of stored energy.
Present considerations:
C&D waste gap
Hennepin County estimates that 80% of materials in a demolition project could be reused or
recycled. Currently 30% of materials are diverted from landfills. This gap represents an
enormous opportunity to reduce embodied carbon and free up capacity for materials that need
to be diverted from existing, unlined C&D landfills.
At a national scale, reducing those 600 million tons of C&D waste by 75% through a
combination of recycling and reuse would free up millions of acres dedicated to C&D landfills
(figure 4).
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 4) Page 5
Title: Construction & demolition waste reduction
Figure 3. Impact of C&D reuse and recycling (source: EPA)
Although this source of solid waste emissions is not counted in the city’s Climate Action Plan
(the CAP only addresses MSW), the risks to groundwater posed by C&D landfills and the
amount of embodied carbon being discarded are important reasons to minimize demolition
waste.
Local opportunities present themselves
Reducing demolition waste requires an effective building materials reuse ecosystem—a
network of entities that can recycle C&D waste, salvage or refabricate usable building materials,
move and store materials, etc. Fortunately, many of these entities exist in Minnesota. Within or
just outside of Hennepin County are recycling facilities for many types of building materials,
from roof shingles to lumber. There are also local vendors who specialize in “deconstruction,”
when a building is fully or partially taken apart mostly by hand and materials are sorted into
categories for efficient recycling and reuse (over a dozen organizations exist in the Twin Cities
that offer, accept or sell used building materials). In other cases, building reuse occurs due to
grassroots efforts and word of mouth.
The city has used deconstruction as a means to divert usable material from being landfilled on
two city-owned projects over the last ten years, most notably the deconstruction of Westwood
Hills Nature Center’s old interpretive center building. “Adaptive reuse” repurposes existing
buildings for new uses, reducing building waste and carbon (through avoiding new production
of materials in the product phase noted in figure 3 above) while preserving history. One well-
known example of adaptive reuse is Lenox Community Center, which was originally built as a
four-room school in 1925 and renovated many times over the next 50+ years until it was
decommissioned as a school in 1975 and dedicated as a senior center. Additional examples
include Brookside Elementary School, which became Brookside Community Center (1975), then
Brookside Lofts in the early 2000’s; and the former Sam’s Club building, which became Loffler
Company’s corporate headquarters in 2023.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 4) Page 6
Title: Construction & demolition waste reduction
How the city is working to close the C&D waste gap
The city has a number of policies and programs currently in place that address C&D waste
beyond “business as usual” practices.
• Redevelopment projects that receive city financial assistance of $200,000 or more or
that receive approval for certain types of land use applications (such as planned unit
developments) are required to adhere to the city’s Green Building Policy (GBP). The GBP
requires that:
o At least 75% of C&D waste generated during construction and demolition must
be diverted from landfill
o Any residential properties of historic value on the site must be deconstructed or
reused rather than demolished
o All other buildings on the site must be skimmed for salvage of reusable
architectural materials
• The city has committed to deconstructing all city buildings at the point of removal
• The city’s EP3 (Environmentally Preferred Purchasing) policy has guidelines for waste
minimization, including a requirement to reduce C&D waste
• City staff regularly promote Hennepin County’s building material reuse grants
• City cleanup day events have included two processes to keep more material out of
landfills:
o Skimming residential C&D waste to separate material that is suitable for reuse
o Sending remaining material to a C&D landfill that separates material for recycling
before landfilling
Although these policies and commitments are significant, staff are interested in exploring what
more can be done to further the city’s commitment to the environment and pilot
groundbreaking policies locally. Staff have identified three approaches to increasing the
amount of construction and demolition materials diverted from landfills:
1) Increasing the level of C&D recycling for all building projects in St. Louis Park (not just
those that are required to adhere to the Green Building Policy),
2) Shifting projects away from demolition and towards deconstruction, and
3) Seeking ways to encourage the adaptive reuse of existing buildings (rather than
removing them).
Creating the Demolition Waste Reduction Work Group
C&D waste reduction is an area where the missions of the solid waste division and the
sustainability division significantly overlap; solid waste is working towards waste reduction,
while sustainability is working towards overall greenhouse gas mitigation through energy
reduction. The two groups decided to collaborate on finding creative solutions to demolition
waste in St. Louis Park. Although staff considered broadening the scope to include waste from
both the demolition phase and the construction phase of projects, they decided to focus on
demolition alone so that they could look at existing buildings through the lens of both waste
reduction and building reuse.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 4) Page 7
Title: Construction & demolition waste reduction
In February 2026, solid waste and sustainability staff convened the first meeting of the
Demolition Waste Reduction Work Group. The work group includes staff from public works,
community development, economic development, and engineering. The group plans to meet
bi-monthly throughout 2026 to brainstorm a menu of policy options that increase
deconstruction and C&D reuse and recycling in St. Louis Park and are within the city’s authority,
feasible, and within staff capacity. That may include increasing the C&D recycling requirement
threshold in the green building policy, offering incentives for adaptive reuse, and more.
Next steps: If recommendations from the work group include policy decisions, staff will bring
them to council for consideration in 2027 during the Climate Leadership and Natural Spaces
system.
Meeting: Special study session
Meeting date: May 18, 2026
Written report: 5
Executive summary
Title: Update on the Climate Action Plan amendment
Recommended action: None at this time.
Policy consideration: None at this time.
Summary: This report serves as an update to a June 2025 report on the need to refresh the
city’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) in light of updates to city, state and federal policy, as well as
new best practices and emerging technologies that did not exist when the plan was authored in
2017. In addition, equity, affordability and environmental justice considerations were not a
focus of the original planning process and should be included. An environment and
sustainability commission (ESC) work group was established in early 2025 to advise staff on
creating a plan for a future update to the CAP; their recommendations and answers to staff
questions are included in this report along with a timeline outlining next steps.
Financial or budget considerations: There are no current costs to prepare for an update to the
Climate Action Plan. Future consultant funds will be needed to assist with revised
implementation strategies and the greenhouse gas emission reduction calculations associated
with those strategies.
Strategic priority consideration: St. Louis Park is committed to being a climate leader that cares
for the planet and maintains dynamic parks that connect people and nature.
Supporting documents: June 9, 2025, study session agenda
Discussion
Prepared by: Emily Ziring, sustainability manager
Reviewed by: Sean Walther, deputy community development director
Karen Barton, community development director
Approved by: Kim Keller, city manager
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5) Page 2
Title: Update on the Climate Action Plan amendment
Discussion
Background:
In June 2025, staff submitted a report to council to inform them of plans to update the city’s
Climate Action Plan, originally adopted in February 2018. This report serves as the 2026
progress update staff committed to in that 2025 report.
The environment and sustainability commission (ESC) work group that was established in early
2025 to advise staff on creating a plan for a future update to the CAP continued to meet
periodically throughout 2025. The work group made the following recommendations to staff:
• Determine timeline for CAP update, including how to integrate or align the update with
the 2050 Comprehensive Plan.
o The work group recommended a dual-track approach, with staff updating the
CAP while also meeting with department leaders and encouraging them to
consider CAP goals within their respective sections of the city’s comprehensive
plan.
• Determine approach to CAP update (i.e., amend or rewrite).
o The work group supported an amendment to the CAP rather than an entire
rewrite. Because the same climate challenge that was present in 2018 still exists
today, most parts of the CAP are still relevant. Strategies that have evolved
should be examined, but the midterm and 2040 goals should remain as-is.
• Determine high-level structure (i.e., midterm goals + advanced strategies, different
goals, new categories?).
o The work group recommended that the amendment could be added to the
existing CAP and that the revised strategies (and their underlying initiatives and
actions) for meeting each midterm goal and the 2040 goal could be considered
an updated work plan for staff.
• Decide on an appropriate community engagement plan (goals and strategies will use
science-based targets, so community input will be limited to small-scale choices).
o The work group supported the idea of open houses to invite the community to
view the draft CAP amendment and have their questions answered.
The work group also provided their feedback on a set of questions posed by staff:
• How do statewide, county and regional CAPs affect St. Louis Park strategies? Top-down
policy or direction may come from those, so do they need to be added?
o Yes, recommend aligning with:
Metropolitan Council Climate Action Work Plan
Minnesota Climate Action Framework
Hennepin County Climate Action Plan
• Should the plan include “moonshot” measures that may be politically sensitive?
o Yes, and staff should consider language carefully to avoid any perception of
“greenhushing” (staying quiet about any climate strategies to avoid intense
scrutiny and public reactions).
• How do we ensure that all strategies have data sources to track their progress?
o Only include those strategies that are tied to measurable data.
• How do we engage the community without misleading them about their ability to
influence the plan?
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5) Page 3
Title: Update on the Climate Action Plan amendment
o Because greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation strategies will be driven by science-
based targets, recommend focusing community input on climate resilience (how
residents are responding to changes already underway). Survey them about how
they are experiencing climate change and ask them for feedback on a series of
ideas to mitigate the effects.
o Hold open houses to invite the community to view the draft CAP amendment and
have their questions answered.
• How do we incorporate equity?
o The amendment should acknowledge the reality that vulnerable populations
suffer the most from climate impacts and reflect the climate equity work that the
city has already incorporated into city programs and projects.
o The city has already designed all sustainability programs with environmental
justice considerations, so it’s important to codify that in the CAP.
• Should natural resources play a larger role in mitigation? (Trees are minimally
mentioned in the CAP.)
o The strategies in the CAP amendment should be the biggest drivers of
greenhouse gas reductions. This may mean omitting natural resources from the
amendment, but highlighting other city plans that include implementation
actions related to trees and natural resources, such as the urban forestry
management plan.
o The work group further suggested that each of the CAP strategies include a cost
per ton of GHG removed to inform which strategies are most cost-effective.
• Should we add climate adaptation (adjusting to current and project climate impacts)
and resilience (preparing to absorb and recover from climate emergencies)?
o Mitigation strategies and actions that simultaneously address resilience should
be highlighted within the plan, but creating a section on community-wide climate
adaptation and resilience is low priority, especially if there are no funds
dedicated to implementing this work.
• Should the plan address water consumption?
o Water consumption is important, but because it does not have a significant effect
on the city’s greenhouse gas emissions it should be omitted from the update and
rather can be a focus of other more directly relevant plans.
Once the work group’s goals were met and staff’s high-level questions were answered, staff
decided that the next phase of work should be considered by the commission at large. Section
by section, from commercial building energy through advanced strategies, staff have been
presenting the commission with questions about the strategies underlying each midterm goal
and requesting feedback on whether to retain each strategy, modify the strategy, or remove it
as part of the CAP amendment. These work sessions have been accomplished during monthly
meetings.
Present considerations:
Two sections of the CAP remain for the ESC’s review and feedback: transportation and solid
waste. These sections were scheduled to be reviewed last to allocate enough time for
sustainability staff to talk through the existing strategies with their respective departments
(engineering and public works) and get their feedback prior to bringing recommendations to
the ESC.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5) Page 4
Title: Update on the Climate Action Plan amendment
In December 2025, staff applied for a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Local Climate
Action grant to partially fund the update to the CAP. The city was awarded $40,000 and the
grant requires a 50% match. If approved, the consultant would assist with revised
implementation strategies and the greenhouse gas emission reduction calculations associated
with those strategies.
The city is not currently on track to meet the 2030 goals. Although GHG emissions have
decreased 24% since the 2015 baseline (primarily from electricity and transportation), it is
important to refine strategies to focus more on those that are directly tied to city programs and
will move the needle furthest and fastest. Given that the majority of the city’s greenhouse gas
emissions come from building operations, those strategies will likely focus on reducing natural
gas use in commercial buildings. The Climate Action Plan serves as the guiding document for
the city, and this amendment will allow staff to reprioritize internal work plans to focus on the
high-impact strategies and actions while incorporating new best practices, emerging
technologies, and environmental justice considerations.
Next Steps:
The following timeline is recommended to prepare and update the CAP:
2026 • Staff and ESC review and suggest edits to plan
• Staff authors new or revised strategies, initiatives and actions
• Progress update delivered to council
• Comprehensive Plan meetings
2027 • ESC reviews draft update
• Comprehensive Plan meetings
• Staff hire consultant to refine strategies, prepare GHG mitigation
calcs and wedge diagram
• Community open houses
• Revisions made
• ESC reviews and approves final update
2028 • Council adoption
Meeting: Special study session
Meeting date: May 18, 2026
Written report: 6
Executive summary
Title: Climate action annual report
Recommended action: The purpose of this report is to update council on climate action
programs and activity. This report is informational only. No formal action is needed.
Policy consideration: None
Summary: The climate action report provides an overview of the city’s climate policies and
initiatives, summarizes historical trends, and includes data on climate policies, projects and
other initiatives involving in St. Louis Park. The report is prepared annually by sustainability
division staff; in past years, it has been attached as an appendix to the Environmental
Stewardship kick-off report, but starting in 2026 this will be a standalone written report
delivered to council during the Climate Leadership and Natural Spaces system.
Additional details on the policies and programs referenced in the climate action report can be
found on the St. Louis Park city website.
Financial or budget considerations: Not applicable
Strategic priority consideration: St. Louis Park is committed to being a climate leader that cares
for the planet and maintains dynamic parks that connect people and nature.
Supporting documents: 2026 Climate Action Annual Report
Prepared by: Emily Ziring, sustainability manager
Reviewed by: Sean Walther, deputy community development director
Karen Barton, community development director
Approved by: Cindy Walsh, deputy city manager
1
2026 Climate Action Annual Report
I.Sustainability incentive programs
Community-facing incentive programs
Since the sustainability division was created in 2019, staff have designed and established
incentive programs to reach each of the goals of the Climate Action Plan. These programs
include:
•Climate Champions
•Climate Champions solar bonus
•Building Operations Champions
•Shade SLP
•Full-service tree planting
•Tree treatment cost share
•Electrify Everything Minnesota
•Depave SLP
These programs are described in detail below.
Program name: Climate Champions (with solar bonus)
CAP goal(s): 1, 2, 4 and 5
Description: Energy assessment, cost share, and recognition program for property owners who
elect to participate; solar bonus incentive for those who first reach energy efficiency targets
Sectors: Business, multifamily, organizations, homes, and large commercial & industrial; solar
bonus for those who complete building energy projects and want to pursue rooftop solar
Equity component: Larger cost share amounts for properties in environmental justice areas of
concern or for homeowners who identify as low income, 65 years or older, BIPOC, veteran, or
disabled
Risks: Success depends on appetite of property owners (including rental property owners) to
invest time and money in energy efficiency
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 6)
Title: Climate action annual report Page 2
2
2025 results:
CAP goal and
strategy
CAP strategies’
annual target
2025 results Notes
Goal 1 and
Goal 2,
strategy 1
20 commercial
buildings
retrofit (eight
large and 12
small/mid-size)
Six businesses received energy
assessments and seven
completed energy projects,
collectively saving $40,028 and
218 tons of GHG emissions
annually.
22 multifamily energy
assessments were completed
across nine properties and two
of those properties applied for
pre-approval, but no projects
were confirmed completed.
One organization received an
energy assessment and seven
projects were completed by two
applicants. Collectively, these
organizations saved almost
$30,000 and over 200 tons of
GHG emissions annually.
Goal 4,
strategy 3
900 single-
family
households
complete
retrofits/
weatherization
294 households received energy
assessments, 138 households
completed applications and 112
households completed energy
projects.
53 households completed
insulation projects.
Home Energy Squad
visits hit a new record
for the second year in a
row with 294 visits in
2025.
Goal 4,
strategy 4
1,782
households
replace
electrical
equipment and
720
households
replace natural
gas equipment
with high
efficiency
62 households replaced natural
gas equipment with high
efficiency air source heat pumps
or heat pump water heaters.
No data source for
gauging electrical
equipment
replacements; staff are
discouraging residents
from installing new
stand-alone natural gas
equipment.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 6)
Title: Climate action annual report Page 3
3
CAP goal and
strategy
CAP strategies’
annual target
2025 results Notes
Goal 5,
strategy 5
3.7 megawatts
(MW) of
rooftop solar
installed
18 residents qualified for the
Climate Champions solar bonus,
collectively installing almost 500
kilowatts of rooftop solar.
Despite a twelve-fold
increase in rooftop solar
since 2019, the total
capacity of rooftop solar
citywide is 5.8 MW
(15.5% of the total 2030
goal).
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 6)
Title: Climate action annual report Page 4
4
Program name: Building Operations Champions
CAP goal(s): 1 and 2
Description: Cost share for commercial property owners who pay for their building operators to
attend Building Operator Certification (BOC) level 1 or multifamily training and pass the
certification exam. The cost share and utility rebates bring down the cost from $1,200 to $50-
100.
Sectors: Commercial and industrial, multifamily
Equity component: Larger cost share amounts for trainees from traditionally underrepresented
groups
Risks: Success depends on appetite of commercial property owners to invest time and money in
training, and availability of facilities maintenance workforce
CAP strategies’ annual target: 38 commercial buildings engaged in building operations BMPs
2025 results: None (interest received but no applications)
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Pa
r
t
i
c
i
p
a
n
t
s
Year
Climate Champions for Homes:
Historic and projected participation
Energy assessments Applicants
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 6)
Title: Climate action annual report Page 5
5
Program name: Shade SLP and full-service tree planting (in coordination with
Parks & Recreation)
CAP goal(s): Advanced strategies
Description: Tree planting to capture and store carbon dioxide, enhancing property values and
aesthetics and reducing owners’ utility costs through increased shading and reduced flooding
Sectors: All
Equity component: Larger cost share amounts for properties located where high surface temps
and low tree canopy overlap
Risks: Success depends on property owners desire for additional trees and investment in tree
maintenance
CAP strategies’ annual target: N/A (no targets listed for Advanced Strategies); staff set goal of
additional 300 trees, doubling the annual number planted on private property
2025 results: 121 trees planted on private property
Program name: Tree treatment cost share (in coordination with Parks &
Recreation)
CAP goal(s): Advanced strategies
Description: Treatment of diseased and infested trees to preserve them in order to store
carbon dioxide, enhancing property values and aesthetics and reducing owners’ utility costs
through increased shading and reduced flooding. The new program offers cost sharing on tree
treatments for oak wilt, Dutch elm, and two-lined chestnut borer on privately-owned trees.
Sectors: All
Equity component: Larger cost share amounts for homeowners who identify as low income, 65
years or older, BIPOC, veteran, or disabled
Risks: Success depends on property owners’ desire for tree preservation and investment in
long-term tree maintenance
CAP strategies’ annual target: N/A (no targets listed for Advanced Strategies)
2025 results: 54 residents were partially reimbursed for treating 82 trees
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 6)
Title: Climate action annual report Page 6
6
Program name: Electrify Everything Minnesota
CAP goal(s): Advanced strategies
Description: This program is jointly administered by a cohort of Minnesota cities (Minneapolis,
St. Louis Park, Edina, Eden Prairie, Rochester, Bloomington, Eagan and Woodbury) and
Hennepin County. The cohort educates the public about electrification readiness and
technologies, as well as provide a list of trained contractors for each type of technology. Cities
also partner on outreach and engagement strategies to drive residents to the website.
Residents who decide to weatherize, electrify their heating/cooling or water heating will be
directed to the Climate Champions for homes program to explore cost share incentives.
Sectors: Multifamily, 1-4 unit residential
Equity component: Low Income/Disadvantaged Communities (LIDAC) are the primary target of
outreach, but interest comes from all demographic groups
Risks: Success depends on multiple external factors, such as property owner comfort with
technology, cost of electricity, appetite of property owners to invest time and money in fuel
switching, contractor familiarity with technology, availability of equipment
CAP strategies’ annual target: N/A (no targets listed for Advanced Strategies)
Program name: Depave SLP (in coordination with Engineering, Community
Development, and Parks & Recreation)
CAP goal(s): Advanced strategies
Description: Offers cost share for commercial property owners to turn unused parking spaces
into green space, lowering surface temperatures, improving air quality and reducing
stormwater runoff
Sectors: Commercial & industrial, multifamily
Equity component: Larger cost share for areas experiencing higher surface temperatures (urban
heat island)
Risks: Success depends on property owners’ willingness to demolish parking spaces
CAP strategies’ annual target: N/A (no targets listed for Advanced Strategies)
2025 results: 0 private parking lots partially depaved (interest received but no applications)
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 6)
Title: Climate action annual report Page 7
7
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Pa
r
t
i
c
i
p
a
n
t
s
Year
Tree programs and Depave SLP:
Historic and projected participation
Shade SLP Depave SLP Full-service tree planting Discounted tree treatment
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 6)
Title: Climate action annual report Page 8
8
Environmental Justice participation rates
With the exception of Depave SLP, all programs have had strong participation from
environmental justice communities within the city.
II.Other 2026 sustainability initiatives
Other sustainability activities, projects, programs and policies under
development or consideration
•Tracking notices of funding opportunities and completing applications for state and
federal grants (see next page)
•Idling reduction fleet policy and Idle-Free SLP public educational campaign
•Climate equity map and Environmental Stewardship dashboard
•EV Roadmap (internal 5-year plan for municipal EV charging stations)
•Energy assistance programs (promoting, coordinating providers and advocating for
improvements)
•Advocacy at the Xcel Energy and CenterPoint Energy triennial program design meetings,
state legislature and the Public Utilities Commission around various topics:
•Solar consumer protections
•Electricity as a vehicle fuel – fees to station owners
310
16
8
2
6
16
26
1
322
184
15
10
1
4
35
0
192
126
5
2
1
2
1
26
130
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%
Climate Champions for Homes
Climate Champions for Businesses
Climate Champions for Organizations
Climate Champions for Commercial/Industrial
Climate Champions for Multifamily
Solar bonus
Shade SLP (trees planted)
Depave SLP
Full-service tree planting (trees planted)
Environmental Justice data for Sustainability Division
programs
Total applicants Standard rate applicants Total EJ applicants
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 6)
Title: Climate action annual report Page 9
9
• CenterPoint rebate programs
• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP/EAP)
• Residential building energy codes
• Commercial building energy codes technical support grants
• Membership in various work groups, committees, coalitions and organizations,
including:
• Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) Cities and Communities
Coalition
• Hennepin County climate resiliency and tree policy work groups
• MnDOT Local Agency Vehicle Miles Traveled work group
• University of Minnesota Environment and Energy in Transportation Research
Council
• Utility ECO (Energy Conservation and Optimization programs) Income-Eligible
Working Group
• Advanced Building Energy Codes working group
• Minnesota Community Energy Network
• Urban Sustainability Directors’ Network
• Climate Mayors
• Minnesota GreenStep Cities and Tribal Communities
• U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings & Better Plants Initiative
These projects, programs and policies are not incentive-based and therefore not funded from
the CIF.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 6)
Title: Climate action annual report Page 10
10
Grant applications summary
Staff routinely seek out grant funding opportunities from partners at the federal and state level
and from foundations and will add additional programs or projects to the work plan or
supplement funding for planned programs as opportunities arise. A summary of recent grant
applications and their disposition is below.
PROGRAM NAME
FUNDING
ORGANIZATION PURPOSE AND PROJECT
FUNDING
SOUGHT STATUS
EECBG (Energy
Efficiency
Community Block
Grant)
US Dept of
Energy
Purpose: Assist eligible
local governments, states
and territories, and
Indian tribes in
implementing strategies
to reduce fossil fuel
emissions.
Project: Staff applied for
funds to replace aging
high-bay garage doors at
the MSC with high-speed
garage doors to trap
more heat during the
winter.
$114,140
(formula
funds)
Project
completed.
Awaiting final
review and
reimbursement
from the
Department of
Energy.
Great Lakes
Environmental
Justice Thriving
Communities
Grantmaking
Program
The
Minneapolis
Foundation
(funding
secured from
the EPA)
Purpose: Provide one-
year grants of up to
$150,000 for assessment
and engagement efforts
that increase
understanding of the
breadth, depth, or impact
of local environmental or
public health issues.
Project: Community
engagement on the
impacts of climate
change in the Aquila and
Texa-Tonka
neighborhoods.
$50,000 Awarded, work
underway and is
expected to be
complete by
December 2026.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 6)
Title: Climate action annual report Page 11
11
PROGRAM NAME
FUNDING
ORGANIZATION PURPOSE AND PROJECT
FUNDING
SOUGHT STATUS
IGNITE 2025 Hennepin
County
Purpose: The IGNITE
Community Climate
Mitigation Fund is a
program designed to
provide seed funding to
municipalities, public
schools, nonprofits, not-
for-profit organizations,
neighborhood
organizations, or
Community Based
Organization (CBOs)
within Hennepin County.
This fund will support
tangible projects that
directly reduce GHG
emissions within their
communities,
contributing to
countywide climate
targets.
Project: Replace aging
natural gas landscaping
equipment with electric
models.
$30,000 Project
completed. One
electric lawn
mower, two
electric leaf
blowers, two
electric
chainsaws, and
one electric
concrete saw
procured in fall
2025.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 6)
Title: Climate action annual report Page 12
12
PROGRAM NAME
FUNDING
ORGANIZATION PURPOSE AND PROJECT
FUNDING
SOUGHT STATUS
IGNITE 2026 Hennepin
County
Purpose: The IGNITE
program is designed to
provide funding to
municipal partners and
not-for-profit
organizations within
Hennepin County. This
fund supports entities in
implementing tangible
projects that
directly reduce or
prevent GHG emissions
within their communities,
contributing to
countywide climate
targets.
Project: Replace 11 high-
pressure sodium high
pole area lights at the
Municipal Service Center
with efficient LED
alternatives.
$14,975 Awarded.
Funding frozen
by county until
June 2026 due
to budget
constraints. If
funding is made
available,
expected to be
completed by
fall 2026.
Implementation
Grants for
Community
Resilience
Minnesota
Pollution
Control
Agency
Purpose: Provide an
opportunity for
communities to address
publicly-owned assets
that need to be installed,
upgraded, or hardened
for climate resilience and
to protect public health
during extreme weather
and the ongoing impacts
of Minnesota’s changing
climate.
Project: Shade structures
at Aquila Park and
Ainsworth Park.
$262,640
(requires
10% in
kind
match)
Awarded, work
underway and
expected to be
complete by
spring 2027.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 6)
Title: Climate action annual report Page 13
13
PROGRAM NAME
FUNDING
ORGANIZATION PURPOSE AND PROJECT
FUNDING
SOUGHT STATUS
Local Climate
Action Grants:
Planning Grants
2026
Minnesota
Pollution
Control
Agency
Purpose: Develop or
implement plans of
action that enable local
jurisdictions to adapt to
extreme weather events
and a changing climate
and/or to reduce the
local jurisdiction’s
contributions to the
causes of climate change.
Project: Climate Action
Plan update and 5-year
workplan.
$40,000
(required
50%
match)
Awarded.
Pending match
funding,
expected to be
completed by
fall 2027.
Statewide
environmental
assistance grants
Minnesota
Pollution
Control
Agency
Purpose: This program’s
primary goals are to
reduce waste generated
in Minnesota and reduce
greenhouse gases
emitted by
manufacturing new
items.
Project: Under
consideration. May apply
for funding to study and
score existing buildings
for future reuse.
TBD. The
minimum
individual
project
amount
should be
$25,000 to
$150,000.
Local
direct and
indirect
matching
support of
at least
20% of the
grant
amount
required.
TBD
Direct Pay
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 allowed non-tax-paying entities to receive the financial
benefit of clean energy tax credits via “direct pay.” Finance and sustainability staff collaborated
to better understand IRS requirements and file clean energy projects annually. All direct pay
reimbursements are deposited into the city’s general fund.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 6)
Title: Climate action annual report Page 14
14
Here is an overview of the direct payments received to date and those expected:
PROJECT YEAR DESCRIPTION AMOUNT EXPECTED STATUS
2023 • Rooftop solar on
The Rec Center
$111,986 $119,485.90
received (interest
added)
2024 • Rooftop solar on
Fire Station 1
• Chevy Blazer EV
• Aquila Park EV
charging stations
$68,398 Awaiting payment
(with interest)
2025 • Two Chevy Blazer
EVs
• One Ford F150
Lightning EV
$22,500 Submitted March
2026, awaiting
payment
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 repealed tax credits for electric vehicles and charging
infrastructure and outlined the phaseout of commercial solar tax credits. While direct pay is still
available to qualifying entities, the available credits are now more limited.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 6)
Title: Climate action annual report Page 15
Meeting: Special study session
Meeting date: May 18, 2026
Written report: 7
Executive summary
Title: Connected infrastructure system wrap-up
Recommended action: None
Policy consideration: The purpose of this report is to summarize the outcomes of the recent
discussions within the connected infrastructure system study sessions.
Summary: On April 27, 2026, the council completed a series of discussions focused on
advancing the city's strategic priority related to connected infrastructure. These discussions
primarily focused on public policy, construction, operations and maintenance of connected
infrastructure.
The study session system started on March 9, 2026. Since then, staff have provided the council
with information, and there have been several policy discussions on topics related to connected
infrastructure. This report serves as a summary of all the discussions and includes the council
direction provided.
Financial or budget considerations: Funds are budgeted in the capital improvement plan (CIP)
for connected infrastructure projects. The additional funds to implement the topics discussed
during this system will be brought forward to the council as a part of the 2027 budget
discussions.
Strategic priority consideration: St. Louis Park is committed to providing safe, reliable and well-
maintained infrastructure and neighborhoods that connect people and places with an emphasis
on walking, biking and transit.
Supporting documents: Discussion
Prepared by: Debra Heiser, engineering director
Reviewed by: Jack Sullivan, assistant city engineer
Approved by: Cindy Walsh, deputy city manager
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 7) Page 2
Title: Connected infrastructure system wrap-up
Discussion
Background: This system included study sessions covering a range of topics relating to
infrastructure. They were all centered on policy and offered opportunities to consider how
infrastructure is planned for, constructed and maintained in the city.
Topics had self-contained outcomes based on various policy and practice questions. Reports on
these topics were considered and discussed by the city council, and where appropriate,
direction on future expectations and outcomes was provided to staff for implementation.
Two topics were originally scheduled for this study session as written reports: Webster Park
and the TH 169 Multimodal Study. Due to incomplete information, these reports were not
brought forward at this time. Once staff receive the necessary information, the topics will be
shared with the council as study session reports.
A summary of the topics covered in this system and outcomes:
Report: Connected infrastructure system introduction
Date: March 9, 2026
Overview: Staff introduced the system, including an overview of the connected
infrastructure capital planning process and guiding documents. The proposed topics
included in the system all center on connected infrastructure policy and provide
opportunities to consider how connected infrastructure is planned for, constructed and
maintained in the city. The topics examined current programs and offered
opportunities, identified by both council and staff, for expansion or adjustment where
applicable.
Outcomes: The council generally approved of the topics included in the system.
Discussion: Safe Streets Action Plan
Date: March 9, 2026
Overview: In 2023, the City of St. Louis Park obtained a grant through the federal Safe
Street and Roads for All (SS4A) program to develop an action plan to improve road
safety.
Since that time, staff have been working with Short Elliott Henrickson Inc. (SEH) to
engage community stakeholders and develop a Safe Streets Action Plan focused on
reducing and ultimately eliminating severe and fatal crashes for everyone using the
transportation system. Safe access for all users is a key part of a strong transportation
network and supports the ability of all residents to thrive. As a part of the discussion,
SEH presented the draft plan outlining objectives, policies and recommendations that
will guide future transportation investments and improvements.
The Safe Streets Action Plan provides a data-driven framework to guide future
transportation safety investments, policies and funding decisions in St. Louis Park.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 7) Page 3
Title: Connected infrastructure system wrap-up
Developed with support from SEH and input from residents, schools, partner agencies
and advisory committees, the plan focuses on reducing and ultimately eliminating fatal
and severe injury crashes by 2050, with an interim benchmark of a 50% reduction by
2040. The plan evaluates crash history, high-risk locations, equity indicators and
community feedback to identify where safety investments are most needed.
The plan identifies 28 priority locations and recommends a range of strategies, including
intersection improvements, pedestrian crossing enhancements, traffic calming, visibility
improvements, signal timing changes, demonstration projects, policy updates and
continued coordination with county and state agencies. While the plan does not fund
specific improvements, it positions the city to pursue future grants and incorporate
safety priorities into capital planning.
Outcomes: The purpose of this discussion was to present the Safe Streets Action Plan to
council prior to the vote. The plan was approved by the city council on April 6, 2026.
Moving forward, staff will work on incorporating priority locations and strategies into
future capital planning and workload.
Discussion: Minnetonka Boulevard Phase 2
Date: March 23, 2026
Overview: In 2027, Hennepin County is proposing to reconstruct CSAH 5 (Minnetonka
Boulevard) from Xylon Avenue to Vernon Avenue. This project is needed to repair
existing infrastructure, remove barriers to active transportation and transit and replace
at-risk watermain. Staff from Hennepin County and the city presented the
recommended design to the city council, along with costs associated with operation and
maintenance of each of the three concepts.
Staff recommend that the city council approve Concept B as the preferred concept
design for the Minnetonka Boulevard Reconstruction project for the following reasons:
• Concept B provides a two-way facility on both sides of the street. Regardless of
which side of the street a person starts on, they can go both directions legally,
safely and more comfortably. They would only need to cross Minnetonka
Boulevard if their destination was on the other side of the road.
• It does not have the operational drawbacks for property owners or solid waste
collections that we have observed for a facility like Concept A.
• Annual cost for operation and maintenance is lower than the other concepts.
Outcomes: The purpose of this discussion was to present to the council the
recommended design for Minnetonka Boulevard Phase 2 prior to bringing it to the
community at a public open house on April 15, 2026. The Public Hearing for this project
was held on May 4, 2026, and the project will be brought forward for approval at the
city council meeting on June 1, 2026.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 7) Page 4
Title: Connected infrastructure system wrap-up
Discussion and Tour: Green Line Extension Light Rail
Date: April 20, 2026
Overview: Green Line Extension (GLE) light rail staff accompanied the city council on a
tour of the light rail transit stations in St. Louis Park. Following the tour, Metropolitan
Council staff presented an update on the project’s status, including progress on systems
testing and public involvement efforts to support a successful launch in 2027.
Outcomes: The council generally appreciated the tour and update from the GLE staff.
Discussion: Railroad safety study
Date: April 27, 2026
Overview: Staff engaged SRF Consulting to complete a railroad safety study for the
Canadian Pacific/Kansas City (CPKC) railroad corridor that runs north–south through the
city. The purpose of the study is to evaluate each crossing and develop
recommendations for physical infrastructure improvements that may be necessary to
meet the requirements for establishing a railroad quiet zone, which would reduce or
eliminate routine train horn noise at qualifying crossings.
Staff presented the findings of the safety study, including the subzones.
Outcomes: The council provided staff with the following direction based on this
discussion:
• Continue to monitor funding opportunities for railroad safety improvements.
• Subzone D: move forward with whistle quiet zone implementation as described
in the study.
• Subzone B and C: Complete engagement with the neighborhoods to get
community feedback on the study findings. Bring it back to council next year for
consideration as a part of next year’s study session system.
• Subzone A and E: Continue to work with Golden Valley and Edina on their
railroad safety studies. Once their work is complete, bring the findings back to
the council for additional discussion and direction.
• Subzone A: implement physical infrastructure improvements as a part of the
Wayzata/ Zarthan/ 16th corridor project, currently scheduled for 2030.
Meeting: Special study session
Meeting date: May 18, 2026
Written report: 8
Executive summary
Title: Wooddale Station redevelopment update – Ward 2
Recommended action: No formal action at this time.
Policy consideration: Does the council support the proposed Wooddale Station redevelopment
revisions to limit the project to the city-owned parcel?
Summary: On Jan. 12, 2026, city council reviewed a proposal from Sentinel Management
Company for redevelopment of the Wooddale Station site, including the city-owned 5950 36th
St. W. property and the adjacent private property. The developer proposed a mixed-use, mixed-
income development with approximately 265 housing units, including 58 affordable units, 7,000
to 10,000 square feet of commercial space, and a public plaza fronting Wooddale Avenue and
the Green Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) station. On March 2, 2026, the Economic Development
Authority (EDA) adopted a resolution approving a preliminary development agreement
between the city, the EDA and Sentinel Management Company. Since that time, the developer
has worked closely with staff to prepare for planning approvals and to apply for financial
assistance. The developer also partnered with the city to apply for grants from the
Metropolitan Council, Hennepin County and the Minnesota Department of Employment and
Economic Development to support construction/site cleanup activities.
Sentinel Management Company has been in discussions with the owner of the parcel adjacent
to the city-owned property. To date, the developer and property owner have been unable to
reach mutually agreeable terms. The developer has shared this information with staff and has
expressed a commitment to redevelop only the city-owned parcel if unable to purchase the
private parcel. Sentinel is working with ESG Architects on early concept plans for the city-owned
site and, if negotiations continue to stall, plans to proceed with applications for planning and
zoning approvals and financial assistance for redevelopment of the city-owned parcel only.
Although the project would be smaller in scale, Sentinel anticipates it will still meet the city’s
primary goals for the site including a mixed-income, high density, mixed-use development with
a public plaza adjacent to the Wooddale Avenue Green Line station.
Financial or budget considerations: The precise purchase price of the EDA’s property, as well as
the amount of any financial assistance necessary to bring this latest Wooddale Station
redevelopment to fruition have yet to be determined.
Strategic priority consideration: St. Louis Park is committed to providing a range of quality,
affordable and attainable housing options.
Supporting documents: None.
Prepared by: Dean Porter-Nelson
Reviewed by: Jennifer Monson, economic development manager
Sean Walther, deputy community development director
Karen Barton, community development director/EDA executive director
Approved by: Cindy Walsh, city manager
Meeting: Special study session
Meeting date: May 18, 2026
Written report: 9
Executive summary
Title: Revisiting proclamation guidelines
Recommended action: Council to review current proclamation guidelines and decide if changes
should be made to ensure guidelines are clear.
Policy consideration: Ensure proclamation guidelines that help amplify community activities
and recognitions aligned with city strategic priorities.
Summary: Currently, members of the public can request a proclamation or presentation
through an online form on the city website. While guidelines for review are listed, including
aligning with strategic priorities, they leave room for interpretation. Staff have provided
recommendations for changes to the current guidelines.
Financial or budget considerations: None
Strategic priority consideration: St. Louis Park is committed to being an inclusive, equitable and
vibrant city where everyone feels safe and experiences a strong sense of belonging.
Supporting documents: None
Prepared by: Jacque Smith, communications and technology director
Approved by: Cindy Walsh, deputy city manager
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 9) Page 2
Title: Revisiting proclamation guidelines
Discussion
Background: Currently, members of the public can complete the agenda item request form on
the city website to request a proclamation. Submission of a request does not guarantee
placement on an agenda. Proclamation requests must reflect or be related to at least one of the
city's strategic priorities. The city manager makes the final determination regarding placement
of items on any city council agenda.
Present considerations: The existing guidelines for proclamations leave significant room for
interpretation and do not provide clear criteria for staff or for the public. Staff recommends
updating the guidelines as follows, based on research from other cities.
Revised proclamation guidelines
Purpose: Proclamations are ceremonial documents issued by the City of St. Louis Park to honor,
celebrate or raise awareness of events, causes, or achievements of significance to the
community and in alignment with the city’s strategic priorities. These guidelines establish a
clear and equitable process for requesting and issuing proclamations.
Authority: The city council may issue proclamations at regular council meetings. The city
manager determines final placement of items on council agendas.
Acceptable proclamation types:
Note: Requests will only be accepted from St. Louis Park organizations, or St. Louis Park
residents affiliated with organizations.
• Recognize community events sponsored or supported by the city.
• Raise awareness on issues of broad interest aligned with the city’s strategic priorities.
• Recognize noteworthy individuals who have made an impact on the community.
• Acknowledge significant events, milestones or achievements involving the city.
• Highlight major local, national or cultural observances related to the community’s
interests and the city’s strategic priorities.
Proclamations the city will not issue:
• Matters of political controversy, ideological positions or religious beliefs.
• Private celebrations such as birthdays, weddings, reunions or retirements.
• Commercial solicitations or promotional events, even if held at city facilities.
• Events or organizations without a direct relationship to St. Louis Park.
Request process: Requests will only be accepted from St. Louis Park organizations, or St. Louis
Park residents affiliated with organizations. Requests must be submitted using the agenda item
request form. When council members and staff receive proclamation requests, they should
direct those requests to the website. Submitting a request does not guarantee placement on an
agenda. All requests are reviewed to determine appropriate handling and alignment with city
strategic priorities. Requests must be received at least 15 business days prior to the desired
council meeting. Priority consideration will be given to requests submitted within this
timeframe; late requests may be deprioritized based on the volume of requests.
Special study session meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 9) Page 3
Title: Revisiting proclamation guidelines
Attendance: The requesting individual, or a representative of the requesting individual or
organization, will be invited to attend the council meeting where the proclamation is read.
Annual renewal: Proclamations are not automatically renewed. A new request must be
submitted each year. Organizations do not hold exclusive rights to the day, week or month tied
to their proclamation.
Bridge lighting requests: Any Hwy. 7 and Louisiana Avenue bridge lighting requests require an
approved city council proclamation.
Communications: Only city-staff-originated proclamations are shared through select city
communications channels. Proclamations requested by the public will be shared only during the
live broadcast/recording of the city council meeting at which the proclamation is read, and not
through any other city communications channels except being listed on current-year list of
proclamations on the city website.
Posting and archiving: A current-year list of proclamations is maintained on the city website.
Prior-year proclamations are archived as part of council meeting agendas and minutes and can
be retrieved by the public online or by request of the city clerk’s office.
Right to modify or decline: The city reserves the right to edit proclamation text, issue summary
readings, approve or deny any request, and make exceptions when in the public interest.
Proclamations serve as public service documents and are not legally binding nor do they
represent an endorsement by the St. Louis Park City Council or by the City of St. Louis Park.
Next steps: If council agrees with these revised guidelines, they will be implemented
immediately and reflected on the city website and in other locations where proclamation
information is provided to the public. Note: Proclamations should not be confused with public
statements, which the council may choose to make in response to issues outside of the
suggested guidelines listed above.
Meeting: City council
Meeting date: May 18, 2026
Presentation: 3a
Executive summary
Title: Proclamation honoring William E. Davies
Recommended action: Mayor read the proclamation honoring William (Bill) E. Davies and
present the proclamation to Bill and his family.
Policy consideration: None.
Summary: Following their active service, veterans of the Vietnam Conflict notably served their
communities through volunteerism, advocacy, professional distinction, public service and
philanthropy. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) exists to collect the stories of
veterans’ Vietnam service and award them for their efforts beyond their military service.
In April 2026, staff received notification that William (Bill) E. Davies has been awarded the
prestigious 2026 Service Beyond Service Award from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. Bill
is one of just 49 award recipients in 2026 and he is the only recipient in the State of Minnesota.
Bill’s nomination for the Service Beyond Service Award includes mention of his outstanding
career with the United States Army and his longstanding contributions to a remarkably varied
group of numerous organizations following his military career. He exemplifies this award
through his lifelong example of volunteerism and active work within a breathtaking number of
groups throughout our community. We are so fortunate to have him as a resident of St. Louis
Park.
The community of St. Louis Park has been changed for the better by the lifelong contributions
of William (Bill) E. Davies’ incredible energy and the leadership he has shared with us.
Financial or budget considerations: Not applicable.
Strategic priority consideration: St. Louis Park is committed to being an inclusive, equitable and
vibrant city where everyone feels safe and experiences a strong sense of belonging.
Supporting documents: Proclamation
Prepared by: Amanda Scott-Lerdal, deputy city clerk
Reviewed by: Melissa Kennedy, city clerk
Approved by: Cindy Walsh, deputy city manager
Page 2 City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 3a)
Title: Proclamation honoring William E. Davies
Resources:
The City of St. Louis Park and William E. Davies invite you to learn more about the Service
Beyond Service Award and engage in community opportunities to share in the spirit of
volunteerism:
•Service Beyond Service Award - Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
•The Registry - Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
•St. Louis Park and Hopkins Sun Sailor guest columnist Bruce Lindquist’s article
congratulating Bill Davies published April 8, 2026
A brief list of William E. Davies’ contributions to the community of St. Louis Park, the State of
Minnesota, and to the United States of America is as follows:
•Commander American Legion Post 282, St. Louis Park, Minnesota
•Chef de Gare, Voiture 1281 Veterans Organization, Minnesota
•St. Louis Park Rotary Club – 42-year member and served as president
•District 5950 committee participation
•Scouting America – Scout leader for 44 years and presently Honorary Council member of
Northern Star Council
•National Jamborees: attended seven events as a leader
•National Catholic Committee on Scouting - National Chair 2007-2010
•Lenox Foundation supporting St. Louis Park Senior Center – served as president from
2023 to 2025
•Founding President of St. Louis Park Football Association for youth
•Lifetime member of VFW Post 435
•Member of St. Gabriels Catholic Church: finance committee, usher, sacristan and other
church committees
•St. Louis Park Little League – served as President
Recognitions William E. Davies has received:
•Scouting America - National Duty to God Award
•Scouting America - The Silver Antelope Award
•National Catholic Committee on Scouting
•Brother Barnabas Founders Award
•The Silver St. George Emblem
•The Rotary Service Above Self Award
Page 3 City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 3a)
Title: Proclamation honoring William E. Davies
Proclamation honoring William E. Davies
for his contributions to the St. Louis Park community
and for the 2026 Service Beyond Service Award
Whereas William E. Davies (Bill) served in the U.S. Army from December 1967 to
December 1969 including service with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam from May 1968 to
May 1969 and earned the Bronze Star for Meritorious Service and the Army commendation
medal for Meritorious service; and
Whereas Bill and his beloved wife Kay moved to St. Louis Park in April 1972, where they
raised their family together; and
Whereas Bill has shared his leadership skills, invaluable time and wealth of experience
with a plethora of community organizations following his military service; and
Whereas the main themes in Bill’s community work highlight his leadership and passion,
which he shared with scouting, Catholic faith organizations, the St. Louis Park Rotary, the
American Legion Post 282, the Voiture 1281 Veterans Organization, District 5950, the St. Louis
Park Senior Center, the St. Louis Park Football Association for Youth, the St. Louis Park Little
League and the VFW Post 435; and
Whereas the community of St. Louis Park will forever be grateful and proud of the
indelible mark Bill’s service has made; and
Whereas William E. Davies was awarded the prestigious 2026 Vietnam Veterans Service
Beyond Service Award on March 29, 2026,
Now therefore, let it be known that the mayor and city council of the City of St. Louis
Park, Minnesota, hereby honor William E. Davies, forever memorializing and recognizing his
contributions to the St. Louis Park community.
Wherefore, I set my hand and cause the
Great Seal of the City of St. Louis Park to be
affixed this 18th day of May 2026.
_________________________________
Nadia Mohamed, mayor
Meeting: City council
Meeting date: May 18, 2026
Presentation: 3b
Executive summary
Title: Recognition of donations
Recommended action: Mayor announce and express appreciation for the following donations
to the city and listed on the consent agenda.
From Donation For
Kidde $59,970 Donation to support the fire
department with 1,000 smoke alarms
Strategic priority consideration: St. Louis Park is committed to creating opportunities to build
social capital through community engagement.
Supporting documents: None.
Prepared by: Amanda Scott-Lerdal, deputy city clerk
Reviewed by: Melissa Kennedy, city clerk
Approved by: Cindy Walsh, deputy city manager
Meeting: City council
Meeting date: May 18, 2026
Minutes: 4a
Unofficial minutes
Study session
St. Louis Park, Minnesota
April 27, 2026
The meeting convened at 6:22 p.m.
Council Members present: Daniel Bashore, Jim Engelking, Sue Budd, Tim Brausen, Yolanda
Farris, Paul Baudhuin, Mayor Nadia Mohamed
Council Members absent: none
Staff present: city manager (Ms. Keller), deputy engineering director (Mr. Sullivan)
Guests: Will Fenner and Justin J. Scott, SRF Group
Discussion Item
1. Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railroad safety study
Mr. Sullivan presented the staff report. He was joined by Justin Scott and Will Fenner of SRF
Consulting Group, representing their freight rail planning division. The three noted they had
previously appeared before the council approximately one year prior to present a high-level
overview of quiet zones.
Mr. Sullivan explained that the study is formally referred to as a railroad crossing safety study
rather than a quiet zone study, as the broader framing opens more funding opportunities. He
noted that the community's primary concern driving the study has been train horn noise. He
outlined the agenda for the presentation: an overview of quiet zones, a summary of the city's
14 public crossings, findings from the diagnostic field meeting, an introduction to the sub-zone
framework and estimated costs.
Mr. Sullivan described a quiet zone as a designated segment of railroad track where trains are
not required to routinely sound their horns, though they may still do so for safety reasons.
Quiet zones are governed by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and require crossings to
meet four minimum criteria: flashing lights, gate arms, constant warning time devices and
power-out indicators. He noted a rough per-crossing implementation cost of approximately
$1,250,000, with higher costs anticipated at larger intersections.
Mr. Sullivan reported that St. Louis Park has 14 public roadway crossings along the Canadian
Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) rail line, which runs north-south parallel to Highway 100. The corridor
also includes crossings in Golden Valley and Edina due to their proximity. Train frequency
currently averages approximately two per day, though the schedule has shifted between
daytime and overnight operations over the years and is entirely market driven.
Following field visits conducted jointly with CPKC representatives, FRA officials, Minnesota
Department of Transit (MnDOT) staff, city staff and SRF consultants, the study found
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 4a) Page 2
Title: Study session meeting minutes of April 27, 2026
approximately half of the city's crossings do not meet the minimum quiet zone criteria. The
study also identified that the city could be organized into five geographic sub-zones rather than
treated as a single zone, offering flexibility in implementation.
Sub-zone A covers two crossings in Golden Valley and one in St. Louis Park at Wayzata
Boulevard. Sub-zone B covers one crossing at Cedar Lake Road. Sub-zone C covers 28th and
29th Streets near Dakota Park. Sub-zone D covers the Walker Lake area and includes crossings
that already meet minimum requirements. Sub-zone E covers crossings extending into Edina.
Mr. Sullivan stated that a citywide implementation across all five zones would cost
approximately $10,000,000 in St. Louis Park alone, not including costs in Golden Valley or Edina.
He noted that sub-zone D could be implemented for as little as $50,000, or up to approximately
$190,000 if additional recommended enhancements were included and could be established
within approximately 18 months of initiating the FRA process.
Council Member Brausen asked whether the Cedar Lake Road crossing in sub-zone B already
had crossing arms. Mr. Sullivan confirmed it does not and has only cantilever lights, which is
why it does not meet the minimum criteria.
Council Member Budd asked whether sub-zone D could be designated as a quiet zone on its
own. Mr. Sullivan confirmed it could, and that the application process could begin immediately.
Mr. Scott elaborated on the FRA notice process, explaining that a notice of intent allows safety-
measure implementation to move forward, followed by a notice of establishment that begins a
21-day review period. He noted this process typically spans approximately 18 to 36 months and
that his firm has a 100% approval rate on submitted notices of intent.
Council Member Budd asked whether the study incorporated analysis of residential density and
demographics along each sub-zone. Mr. Sullivan confirmed that the study included analysis of
populations under age 18, multifamily housing, income levels and BIPOC community
representation, with greater demographic diversity found in sub-zones B, C and D. Ms. Heiser
added that land use factors such as hotels, schools, parks, hospitals and senior care facilities
were also mapped.
Ms. Heiser noted that the Wayzata Boulevard crossing in sub-zone A is already included in the
city's capital improvement plan (CIP) as a 2030 project and the crossing will be constructed to
be quiet-zone ready. She also noted that 28th Street is part of the 2026 pavement management
project but that the necessary crossing improvements are railroad infrastructure, not roadway
work, and were not incorporated into that project's scope.
Mr. Sullivan described the crossing closure option, noting that 29th Street and 42nd Street
were identified as the strongest closure candidates due to parallel routes on 28th Street and
41st Street respectively. Closing a crossing eliminates the approximately $1,250,000 upgrade
cost and may generate up to $100,000 in railroad contributions toward closure costs. Mr.
Sullivan noted that closure permanently eliminates the crossing for all users including
pedestrians and cyclists.
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 4a) Page 3
Title: Study session meeting minutes of April 27, 2026
Council Member Engelking noted that 42nd Street serves as a key pedestrian and bicycle
connection to Jackley Park and expressed the view that a full closure there would likely be
unacceptable to the neighborhood.
Council Member Baudhuin asked whether the crossing closures could reduce costs
meaningfully, noting the proximity of sub-zone C crossings to multiple parks, and indicated
interest in exploring closure of 29th Street with thorough community engagement.
Council Member Baudhuin asked whether the study included any crash history data. Mr.
Sullivan confirmed the study did include crash analysis as part of the initial tabletop exercise
and stated there are no known crash problems at these locations. Mr. Scott clarified that the
federal funding framing as a safety study is strategic, as no federal funding exists specifically for
quiet zones, but programs do fund rail crossing safety improvements. He noted that any
crossing lacking gate mechanisms is considered unsafe by MnDOT standards and that the
Section 130 program, which funds lights, gates and constant warning time improvements, is
significantly oversubscribed at the state level.
Council Member Budd asked whether there was any risk that the city could invest $9,000,000–
$10,000,000 and then have the railroad revert to a daytime schedule, eliminating the noise
concern. Mr. Sullivan acknowledged this was entirely possible, as the city has no control over
train scheduling, which is driven by market forces.
Council Member Engelking, who resides approximately 100 feet from the line, described the
current pattern of two overnight trains running approximately 11 to 11:30 p.m. and 1:30–2:30
a.m. and noted the schedule had been consistently daytime for eight years before switching to
nights.
Council Member Budd asked how long the schedule had historically varied. Mr. Sullivan
confirmed it has varied over the years and most recently has moved back to an overnight
schedule.
Mr. Scott noted that the CPKC line through St. Louis Park is not a major national through-
corridor and currently serves a limited number of businesses. He acknowledged that volume
could increase if significant industrial or commercial development occurred along the corridor
but considered major growth unlikely.
Council Member Bashore noted that the safety study framing was partly aspirational given the
corridor's low risk profile and asked whether calling it a safety study while acknowledging no
safety problems could undermine a grant application. Mr. Scott stated that MnDOT and the FRA
do consider any crossing without gates to be a safety concern regardless of crash history and
that the narrative would be framed around the Section 130 program's funding limitations in
metropolitan areas.
Mayor Mohamed acknowledged the quality-of-life impact reported by residents and expressed
support for pursuing sub-zone D as a near-term, affordable action. She stated she was not
prepared to commit to the 20% local match required for a potential federal 80/20 grant for a
larger project without more information and expressed interest in a phased approach. She also
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 4a) Page 4
Title: Study session meeting minutes of April 27, 2026
noted the importance of understanding what partner cities Golden Valley and Edina intend to
do before pursuing zones A or E.
Council Member Bashore asked whether the city could pursue grant funding while retaining the
ability to withdraw if external funding was not secured. Ms. Heiser confirmed this was possible
and that the council typically adopts a resolution before applying for large grants, similar to the
approach used for the Oxford- Louisiana project.
Ms. Keller clarified that the city's grant strategy is to ensure projects are already in the CIP
before seeking supplemental funds, and that adding items to the CIP involves trade-offs with
other planned projects. She stated that if the council directed staff to add sub-zones B, C or
beyond to the CIP, those items could be added but would require displacing other priorities.
Council Member Baudhuin expressed support for moving forward with sub-zone D promptly.
including pursuing the available grant opportunity with an application deadline of June 8, 2026.
He also expressed interest in pursuing sub-zones B and C and asked whether a grant application
could be submitted for those zones. Ms. Heiser noted that sub-zone D does not qualify for a
grant given its scope. Ms. Keller indicated the team needed to review the grant requirements
more closely before determining applicability.
Council Member Brausen expressed support for sub-zone D but stated he wanted more
community engagement before committing to the larger cost of zones A, B, C, or E. He noted
the significant constituent concern about tax increases and said residents should be presented
with the cost information before the city commits to larger investments.
Council Member Baudhuin raised the concern that waiting entirely for passive integration into
CIP projects could mean a 20-year delay for 28th and 29th Streets, given that those roads were
recently reconstructed. Ms. Heiser clarified that because those crossings require only railroad
infrastructure work rather than road reconstruction, they could be addressed at any time
independent of pavement management cycles.
Council Member Baudhuin asked about staff workload implications of adding zones B and C to
the current CIP cycle. Ms. Heiser responded that staff is currently committed to the 2027 and
2028 projects and that the earliest realistic CIP integration would be 2029. She recommended
completing community engagement first, then revisiting the CIP in the next annual cycle.
Council Member Baudhuin expressed a preference for proactive planning for zones B and C
contingent on securing external funding rather than waiting passively. Ms. Keller suggested a
middle path of completing sub-zone D implementation, conducting community engagement
this year and incorporating findings into the 2027 CIP update process.
Council Member Baudhuin noted concern that residents living immediately adjacent to the
tracks may push strongly for faster action even at significant cost.
Ms. Heiser noted that the Walker Lake District reconstruction project incorporated quiet-zone-
ready improvements at sub-zone D crossings, setting the city up for implementation in that sub-
zone.
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 4a) Page 5
Title: Study session meeting minutes of April 27, 2026
Council Member Budd stated she supported sub-zone D and that the prior Walker-Lake
investment made it a logical first step.
The council’s consensus was to move forward with sub-zone D implementation. Ms. Keller
summarized the direction from council as follows: proceed with sub-zone D implementation;
conduct community engagement for sub-zones B and C; coordinate with Golden Valley and
Edina on sub-zones A and E; and continue planning for the Wayzata Boulevard crossing as part
of the 2030 CIP project. Council confirmed this summary.
Council Member Budd requested that staff provide the demographic and land use data
compiled during the study, including BIPOC population, age and income information by sub-
zone. Ms. Heiser confirmed this would be provided.
Council Member Engelking noted that residents were likely to appreciate the thoroughness of
the city's analysis even if full implementation was not immediately affordable. He expressed the
view that transparency about costs would help residents understand why a comprehensive
solution is not immediately feasible.
Council Member Engelking shared that he had chosen to purchase a home in St. Louis Park in
2015 partly because trains ran only during the day and indicated he would have reconsidered if
overnight operations been in place at that time.
Written Report
4. Development update Q2 2026
Council Member Budd noted that at least one development was missing from the written
report and asked whether this was an oversight. Staff indicated it may relate to a project still
before the board.
Council Member Engelking raised a question regarding the workforce diversity goals cited in the
report, specifically noting a discrepancy between the 6% female participation goal referenced in
the city's inclusionary policy document and the 20% figure reflected on page 11 of the written
report. He asked staff to clarify which figure was correct. Ms. Keller indicated she would follow
up. Council Member Engelking noted that meeting female workforce participation targets in the
skilled trades is structurally difficult given the current composition of trade union membership.
The meeting adjourned at 7:43 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.
Meeting: City council
Meeting date: May 18, 2026
Minutes: 4b
Unofficial minutes
City council meeting
St. Louis Park, Minnesota
May 4, 2026
1. Call to order.
Mayor Mohamed called the meeting to order at 6:15 p.m.
a. Pledge of Allegiance.
b. Roll call.
Council members present: Daniel Bashore, Jim Engelking, Tim Brausen, Yolanda Farris, Paul
Baudhuin, Sue Budd, Mayor Nadia Mohamed
Council members absent: none
Staff present: city manager (Ms. Keller), city attorney (Mr. Mattick), engineering project
manager (Mr. Elgaard), deputy engineering director (Mr. Sullivan), community engagement
coordinator (Mr. Coleman)
Guests: Human Rights Commission Chair (Ms. Anderson), Human Rights Commission Co-Chair
(Ms. Alvarez), Nick Turner of Alliant Engineering
2. Approve agenda.
It was moved by Council Member Farris, seconded by Council Member Brausen, to approve the
agenda as presented.
The motion passed 7-0.
3. Presentations.
a. Present 2025 Human Rights Award
Ms. Anderson and Ms. Alvarez presented the 2025 Human Rights Awards to the Parent Teacher
Organizations (PTOs) of St. Louis Park public schools. The award recognized the coordinated
mutual aid network formed by school PTOs during Operation Metro Surge, during which many
immigrant families faced fear of deportation. The PTOs organized rides, supervision and food
delivery to support students and families who were afraid to appear in public.
Representing their respective PTOs were Diane Jackson (Aquila Elementary), Kelsey Rohde
(Susan Lindgren Elementary), Julia Wolfe Skalman (Peter Hobart Elementary), Brenna Batres
(Park Spanish Immersion Elementary) and Ali Alowonle (St. Louis Park Middle School).
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School Board Chair Virginia Mancini, who submitted the nomination, spoke to the scope and
depth of the PTOs' mutual aid efforts and expressed gratitude on behalf of school leadership
and the parent community.
A statement from organizer Kalli Reese was read on behalf of the recipients, emphasizing that
the work was done out of obligation to neighbors and children rather than for recognition, and
expressing pride in the St. Louis Park community.
Council Member Farris congratulated the recipients and emphasized the importance of
protecting children in the community.
Council Member Baudhuin expressed that the organizing and community response during the
preceding months was historic and that he had never been prouder to be a resident of St. Louis
Park.
b. Proclamation observing Small Business Week
Council Member Engelking read the proclamation observing National Small Business Week. The
proclamation recognized small businesses as the backbone of St. Louis Park's economy and
noted that Minnesota is home to nearly 560,500 small businesses employing 1,300,000 people.
Mayor Mohamed shared that she and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar planned visits to three local
small businesses — Yum! Kitchen and Bakery, Mexico City Cafe and Ullsperger Brewing —
noting that these businesses were also impacted by the actions of Immigration and Customs
Enforcement agents during Operation Metro Surge.
Council Member Baudhuin encouraged residents to support the small businesses at Louisiana
Avenue and Cedar Lake Road, specifically mentioning Ariana Kabob & Gyro Bistro, noting that
those businesses would be entering a period of significant road construction and operating on
tight margins.
c. Proclamation observing Bike Month
Council Member Baudhuin read the proclamation observing Bike Month for May 2026, noting
St. Louis Park's silver status designation from the League of American Bicyclists and its third
place ranking in the state for bike network quality. He encouraged residents to get outside and
ride, and highlighted the Kenilworth Corridor ribbon cutting event on May 9, 2026, with
community activities starting at 10:00 a.m. and the ribbon cutting at 11:00 a.m.
d. Proclamation observing Asian American, Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian Heritage
Month
Council Member Baudhuin read the proclamation observing Asian American, Native Hawaiian
and Pacific Islander Heritage Month for May 2026. He noted that St. Louis Park is home to
approximately 2,286 residents of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage
(AANHPI) heritage and that AANHPI peoples are the fastest-growing population in Minnesota.
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 4b) Page 3
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Mayor Mohamed recognized the Thai American community and their contributions to St. Louis
Park through events such as Sunday Thai Markets and the Summer Songkran Festival.
e. Proclamation observing American Indian/Native American Heritage Month
Council Member Budd read the proclamation observing American Indian and Native American
Heritage Month for May 2026. The proclamation recognizes the Dakota people as the ancestral
and contemporary inhabitants of the lands that make up St. Louis Park and acknowledges the
11 sovereign tribal governments of Minnesota.
f. Proclamation observing Jewish American Heritage Month
Council Member Bashore read the proclamation observing Jewish American Heritage Month for
May 2026. The proclamation recognizes the significant role of Jewish American communities in
St. Louis Park through entrepreneurship, religious leadership and civic involvement. The
proclamation affirmed the city's commitment to being a welcoming and safe community.
g. Proclamation observing Military Appreciation and National Veterans and Military
Families Month
Council Member Farris read the proclamation observing Military Appreciation Month for May
2026. The proclamation recognizes nearly 290,000 veterans and present service members in
the State of Minnesota, including the unique challenges they face in returning to civilian life.
She expressed personal gratitude for veterans' sacrifices, noting her father's service as a
Vietnam veteran and emphasizing that veterans deserve greater access to services and support.
4. Minutes.
a. Study session meeting minutes of April 13, 2026
Council Member Engelking noted two corrections to the study session meeting minutes of Apr.
13, 2026. First, the description of Option 3 in the neighborhood grant funding discussion should
read "increase floors for tier 2 and 3 neighborhoods while increasing the tier 1 grant maximum"
rather than "while modestly reducing the tier 1 allocation." Second, a reference to a
neighborhood declining to participate after the funding floor was reduced should indicate the
neighborhood was outside his ward, not inside it.
b. City council meeting minutes of April 20, 2026
No corrections were noted.
c. Special study session meeting minutes of April 20, 2026
Council Member Brausen noted that comments in the Apr. 20, 2026, special study session
minutes regarding involvement in the process for 18 to 19 years and transit-oriented
development along the Southwest Light Rail Line were incorrectly attributed to the mayor pro
tem and should be attributed to him.
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Council Member Baudhuin noted that a question in the same minutes regarding complimentary
tickets was incorrectly attributed to him and should be attributed to Council Member Farris.
It was moved by Council Member Brausen, seconded by Council Member Baudhuin to approve
the study session meeting minutes of April 13, 2026 as amended, the city council meeting
minutes of April 20, 2026 as presented and the special study session meeting minutes of April
20, 2026 as amended.
The motion passed 7-0.
5. Consent items.
a. Approve city disbursements
b. Resolution No. 26-063 accepting donations to the city to support parks and recreation
department programs
c. Resolution No. 26-064 authorizing elected official representation on external boards,
committees and organizations
d. Approve Planning Commission/BOZA workplan addition
e. Resolution No. 26-065 accepting local climate action grant award from the Minnesota
Pollution Control Agency
f. Approve bid for 2026 Pavement Management project (4026-1000) - Ward 1
g. Resolution No. 26-066 authorizing an advance of Municipal State Aid funds - Ward 4
h. Resolution No. 26-067 approving sub-grant agreement related to DEED grant for the
Beltline Station development - Ward 1
i. Resolution No. 26-068 accepting transfer of 4300 36 1/2 Street from the EDA to the city
- Ward 2
j. Resolution No. 26-069 approving purchase agreement for 4300 36 1/2 Street - Ward 2
k. Approve temporary liquor license for The Slavic Experience
Mayor Mohamed recognized the following donations accepted under item 5b:
• Tree Trust donated $1,200 in labor for Arbor Day tree planting on May 14, 2026;
• John and Maureen Drewitz donated $1,000 for access programming at Westwood Hills
Nature Center;
• Jody Harmon donated 24 binoculars to Westwood Hills Nature Center;
• Westwood Hills Nature Center visitors donated $83.23 for center programs.
Council Member Brausen noted that item 5j, the resolution approving a purchase agreement
for 4300 36½ Street in Ward 2, represented the conclusion of the city's effort to return the
formerly EDA-owned property to the private market at roughly the price originally paid.
Council Member Engelking added that the purchaser of the property at 4300 36½ Street is a
BIPOC St. Louis Park business owner who currently rents their space and will become both an
owner and a potential landlord, noting this as a fitting example during National Small Business
Week.
Council Member Bashore noted that item 5f, the bid approval for the 2026 Pavement
Management Project in Ward 1, includes work in his neighborhood of Bronx Park. He advised
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Bronx Park residents that construction is expected to begin by late May or early June 2026 and
noted that the bid came in at approximately $1,700,000 — or 20% under the Capital
Improvement Plan budget. He also highlighted a community effort organized by the Bronx Park
Neighborhood Association to help a resident along 29th Street relocate plants ahead of
sidewalk installation.
Council Member Budd highlighted item 5e, noting that the city received a grant from the
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to support a 10-year update of the city's Climate Action
Plan, to be completed in 2028.
It was moved by Council Member Brausen, seconded by Council Member Farris, to approve the
consent items as listed; and to waive reading of all resolutions and ordinances.
The motion passed 7-0.
6. Public hearings.
a. Public hearing for Minnetonka Boulevard reconstruction project phase 2 (4028-7000) -
Wards 1 & 3
Mayor Mohamed noted that no vote would be taken at this meeting; the vote will be taken at
the city council meeting on June 1, 2026. She reminded residents in attendance that staff would
be available to answer any questions after the public hearing.
Mr. Elgaard gave the staff report and introduced Mr. Turner.
Mr. Turner provided background on the project, which covers the reconstruction of
Minnetonka Boulevard from west of Highway 100 to Aquila Avenue — a segment last fully
reconstructed in 1956. The project schedule includes final design in 2026–2027, private utility
relocations in 2027 and construction in 2028–2029 over two seasons.
Public engagement through 2025 included four phases of outreach with approximately 1,900
postcards mailed per event, 25-yard signs and around 120 in-person attendees at the Phase 3
open house in April 2025. In addition, 20 written comments were received.
Three design concepts were presented:
Concept A proposes separated bike and pedestrian facilities on each side of the road, similar to
the Cedar Lake Road model, with a curb-separated bike path and an adjacent sidewalk.
Concept B proposes shared-use paths on both sides of the boulevard, allowing cyclists to travel
in either direction on either side without crossing the street. It offers more green space than
Concept A and lower maintenance costs but places pedestrians and cyclists in a shared space.
Concept C proposes a shared-use path on one side and a sidewalk only on the other, requiring
cyclists who wish to travel in a particular direction to cross the street. It provides the most
green space of the three options but limits directional flexibility for cyclists.
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Staff recommended Concept B as providing the best balance of mobility, maintenance
efficiency and green space. The preferred concept would require removal of approximately 175
trees, 39 of which are larger than six inches in diameter and would allow for planting of new
trees to replace the caliper inches of trees removed.
Mr. Elgaard addressed maintenance and operational considerations. Concept A would require
one additional full-time staff position and one specialized sidewalk snow removal machine,
resulting in approximately $250,000 per year in additional snow removal costs compared to
Concept B. Concept B would require one additional year-round piece of equipment (such as a
pickup truck or tractor), at a substantially lower annual cost than the current corridor
maintenance. Concept C would fall between A and B in cost.
Images from Cedar Lake Road were shared to illustrate challenges with curb-separated bike
facilities, including snowplow interaction, illegal parking on the bike lane and solid waste
collection interference.
Regarding utility undergrounding, Mr. Elgaard noted that overhead utilities exist in two
segments: east of Blackstone Avenue to Highway 100 (estimated cost of approximately
$200,000–$240,000 to underground) and west of Oregon Avenue to Aquila Avenue (estimated
$5.3–$6.5 million, driven by a more complex feeder system from a substation). The preliminary
total Xcel Energy estimate is approximately $5.5 million, not included in the current Capital
Improvements Projects (CIP) and not including costs for private property reconnections or
easements.
Potential funding sources include general obligation bonds, Hennepin County cost-sharing
(capped at $500,000) and a City Requested Special Facility Surcharge (CRFS), which would add a
surcharge to residents' electrical bills citywide over four to five years, as only $1.5 million can
be collected per year.
The total estimated project cost is $39,220,000, with Hennepin County covering approximately
$26,200,000 and the city responsible for approximately $13,000,000. The city's share is
currently approximately $1.5 million over the CIP estimate. Staff have submitted this project for
federal fiscal year 2027 community project funding.
Council Member Budd asked whether the CRFS surcharge would apply citywide or only to
properties in the immediate corridor. Mr. Elgaard confirmed it would be a citywide surcharge,
consistent with how Phase 1 was handled.
Council Member Budd asked whether the approximate per-bill cost of the surcharge was
known. Mr. Elgaard indicated that figure was not yet available.
Council Member Bashore asked whether the $5-million-plus undergrounding cost estimate
includes the cost of private property reconnections. Mr. Elgaard clarified that the reconnection
costs are captured within the 5–20% cost-overestimate range and that final numbers are still
being refined with Xcel Energy.
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Council Member Baudhuin asked why Concept B was selected over a variation of Concept A
where the boulevard would be placed back of curb with the bike lane and pedestrian path
adjacent but still separate. Mr. Elgaard noted this option would warrant further investigation.
He confirmed that the directional flexibility for cyclists — being able to travel in either direction
on either side without crossing — was a key differentiator for Concept B.
Council Member Baudhuin asked whether striping or markings could be added to the shared-
use path to better communicate its nature to users. Mr. Elgaard indicated this could be
explored further in design.
Council Member Baudhuin asked whether there is long-term cost savings associated with
undergrounding utilities. Council Member Brausen noted that undergrounding reduces damage
from storm and wind events, which should reduce power outages. Mr. Elgaard stated he would
follow up with more specific information.
Council Member Brausen asked whether a decision on utility undergrounding needed to be
made at the council meeting on June 1, 2026. Mr. Elgaard indicated the goal is to provide
additional information from Xcel Energy before that meeting but acknowledged the decision
could be deferred if information is not yet available.
Council Member Brausen asked whether the project would be abandoned if the council
declined to approve any of the three concepts. Mr. Jack Sullivan responded that while he could
not speak for Hennepin County, he would expect the parties to find a path forward and return
to the drawing board, subject to further discussion with the county.
Council Member Bashore asked whether data existed on safety incidents on other shared-use
paths in the city. Mr. Elgaard indicated he did not have that data on hand but would look into it.
Mr. Sullivan noted that the North Cedar Lake Regional Trail and Cedar Lake Regional Trail are
comparable facilities in width and see hundreds of thousands of visitors per year with very low
conflict rates, per communication with Three Rivers Park District.
Council Member Budd noted that over 1,500 community members had provided input through
the engagement process.
Council Member Engelking noted that the snow removal cost differential between Concept A
and Concept B is approximately $250,000 per year and emphasized the importance of
accounting for long-term maintenance costs given the road would not likely be reconstructed
again for 30–50 years.
Mayor Mohamed opened the public hearing.
Eric Judge, 2824 Xenwood Avenue in the Birchwood neighborhood, spoke as an avid cyclist and
raised concerns in four areas: pedestrian-cyclist safety on shared paths, economic impact on
businesses along reconstructed corridors, emergency vehicle response times and gentrification.
He cited Federal Highway Administration data indicating that road diets push traffic to parallel
roads, including examples from Waverly, Iowa, where parallel road accidents increased 386%,
and Los Angeles, where pedestrian-vehicle accidents increased 60%. He also cited business
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 4b) Page 8
Title: City council minutes of May 4, 2026
closures in Dinkytown and along Lake Street following road reconstructions, including Ann's
Parlor, Palmer's Bar and others. He urged the council to request a system-wide impact study
from Hennepin County before proceeding.
Dave Carlson, 7006 West 23rd Street, identified himself as a long-time member of the Hennepin
County Active Transportation Committee. He stated that Minnetonka Boulevard was the first
official Hennepin County bikeway in the early 1990s and has historically served commuter and
faster recreational cyclists with few vehicle conflicts. He expressed disappointment that
Concept B advanced over Concept A, citing safety concerns about mixing high-speed cyclists
and e-bikes with pedestrians and slower users. He suggested alternatives such as narrowing on-
road shoulders to three feet on each side to create space for a two-way trail on one side while
retaining a sidewalk on the other, which he argued could accommodate both user groups. He
noted comparable bike lanes on county roads to the west as precedent for on-road
accommodation.
Mark Berg, 2913 Webster Avenue South, stated that he had attended most public engagement
sessions and had advocated for Concept A. He expressed interest in a hybrid option — which he
described as potential "Concept A/B” that would place bike lanes adjacent to pedestrian ways
rather than in mixed shared-use paths. He also raised the possibility of reducing the speed limit
on Minnetonka Boulevard from 35 to 30 miles per hour, though he acknowledged that a
statutory limitation may preclude the county from doing so, and urged the council to pursue
that option if possible.
Isabelle Anderson stated support for Concept B. She noted that having a walking trail on both
sides of the street is safer for residents who live on either side and should not be required to
cross traffic. She suggested that if Concept B is pursued, a grassy median between the walking
and biking portions of the shared-use path could provide a stronger visual separation and
naturally slow cyclists who drift off-path.
Margaret Rog expressed strong support for Concept B. She noted that the Phase 1
reconstruction west of Highway 100 has been well-received and produced positive results for
nearby businesses, including Yum! Kitchen and Bakery, Open Studio Sewing and a nail salon.
She also reiterated the significance of the $250,000 annual additional cost associated with
Concept A and emphasized the importance of accounting for that long-term commitment. She
expressed strong support for retaining Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) at all
proposed crossing locations, noting longstanding community desire for those crossings, and
asked for a status update on the roundabouts that had previously been part of the plan.
Mr. Elgaard shared that both proposed roundabouts — at Louisiana Avenue and at Lake
Street/Vernon Avenue — were removed from project consideration due to the property
acquisition that would have been required to accommodate them, which neither Hennepin
County nor the city wished to pursue.
Barbara Lever expressed general support for the project and Concept B. She raised a concern
about increased traffic on Aquila Avenue because of construction and pointed out that safety is
already a concern near the elementary school. She suggested the city consider temporary
speed bumps or other traffic calming measures on Aquila Avenue during construction.
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 4b) Page 9
Title: City council minutes of May 4, 2026
Mark Carlson, 7821 Minnetonka Boulevard, questioned the additional snow removal cost for
Concept A, noting he was unclear why extra equipment would be required. He indicated a
preference for keeping cyclists on the road with a widened bike lane rather than on a separate
facility. He also stated that he was unaware prior to the meeting that utility undergrounding
was being considered and that he had not anticipated a share of that cost being passed on to
residents.
Mayor Mohamed closed the public hearing.
Council Member Baudhuin asked whether the $250,000 additional annual snow removal cost
for a Concept A-style design would still apply if the bike lane and sidewalk were placed adjacent
to one another rather than separated. Mr. Elgaard suggested that if a wider combined facility
were used consistently throughout the corridor, specialized equipment would not be required
for snow removal.
Council Member Baudhuin acknowledged the difficulty of accommodating high-speed cyclists
within the preferred design framework but noted that they likely represent a small minority of
total cyclists. He asked whether clearer guidance could be incorporated to help all users
understand where they should be riding or walking.
Council Member Bashore asked for confirmation that Concept A, as presented, is a curb-
separated bike facility — not a continuation of the current on-road bike lane. Mr. Elgaard
confirmed this. Council Member Bashore noted that this distinction explains the snow removal
cost differential, since the county currently clears the on-road bike lane and the transition to a
curb-separated facility would require the city to clear both the bike path and the sidewalk.
Council Member Baudhuin requested that staff examine what a variation of Concept A — with
bike lanes and sidewalk placed adjacent to each other and the boulevard positioned back of
curb — would look like in terms of cost and safety, describing it as a potential "Option A1."
7. Regular business - none.
8. Communications and announcements.
Ms. Keller announced that construction at the intersection of Cedar Lake Road and Louisiana
Avenue had started. The intersection is closed to through traffic but all businesses remain
accessible, with a small business access map to be posted online. She noted that routes may
change as construction progresses and asked for public patience during the initial transition
period.
Ms. Keller also provided additional details on the “Trails to Rails” community bike ride event on
May 9, 2026, departing from downtown Hopkins at 10:00 a.m., with riders picking up additional
participants at Louisiana Station before proceeding to the West Lake Street Station for the
11:00 a.m. Green Line Extension ribbon-cutting ceremony.
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 4b) Page 10
Title: City council minutes of May 4, 2026
Council Member Baudhuin congratulated David Davis, music teacher at Park Spanish Immersion
Elementary, on winning the Minnesota Teacher of the Year Award. He noted the last time a
teacher in St. Louis Park received this award was in 2006.
9. Adjournment.
The meeting adjourned at 7:58 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.
Meeting: City council
Meeting date: May 18, 2026
Minutes: 4c
Unofficial minutes
Special study session meeting
St. Louis Park, Minnesota
May 4, 2026
The meeting convened at 8:06 p.m.
Council Members present: Daniel Bashore, Jim Engelking, Tim Brausen, Yolanda Farris, Paul
Baudhuin, Sue Budd, Mayor Nadia Mohamed
Council Members absent: none
Staff present: police chief (Mr. Kruelle), city manager (Ms. Keller)
Guests: Todd Axtell, Robert Thomasser and Chad Weinstein of The Axtell Group
Discussion Items
1. Consider proposed study session topic: council ambassador program for advisory
boards and commissions
The city council discussed scheduling a future study session on the proposed council
ambassador program for advisory boards and commissions.
Council Member Brausen noted the discussion would likely be brief, given that at least three
council members had already expressed support.
Ms. Keller indicated staff would benefit from being present to hear the conversation and
answer questions. The item will be scheduled for discussion at a future study session.
2. Police department strategic planning report from The Axtell Group
Ms. Keller provided opening context for the report. She described the effort as a deliberate
two-phase process conducted in consultation with The Axtell Group. Phase 1 established a long-
term vision for policing in St. Louis Park emphasizing community-oriented policing, strong
relationships, professionalism and a growing role in addressing behavioral health needs. Phase
2 reviewed departmental data to assess whether current capacity could deliver on that vision
sustainably. She framed the core policy question before the council: whether to narrow service
expectations or plan for investments needed to sustain the articulated level of service. She
emphasized the report was designed to present a clear picture rather than prescribe decisions.
Mr. Kruelle introduced the consulting team. He described The Axtell Group as led by co-
founders Mr. Axtell and Mr. Thomasser with Mr. Weinstein contributing expertise in leadership
and organizational culture. Mr. Kruelle noted the team's deep law enforcement backgrounds
including prior service as chief and assistant chief of the Saint Paul Police Department
respectively. He also noted that Mr. Weinstein had previously conducted moral courage
training for the department.
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 4c) Page 2
Title: Special study session meeting minutes of May 4, 2026
Mr. Axtell provided broader context for contemporary policing challenges, referencing the 21st
Century Policing report and noting that policing has grown significantly more complex since its
publication. He highlighted challenges common across departments nationally including more
complex calls for service, increased community expectations, regional crime mobility and the
anticipated impacts of light rail development on St. Louis Park.
Mr. Weinstein described the methodology behind the two-phase process. Phase 1 involved
expansive listening through interviews with elected officials, city leadership and department
personnel, structured listening sessions with patrol shifts and specialty units, and a community
engagement process including surveys and professionally facilitated listening sessions. Phase 2
turned analytical, assessing where current capacity aligns with or falls short of the vision.
Mr. Weinstein described the department's foundational values as community partnerships,
outcome orientation, professionalism and employee wellness. The strategic vision built on
those values includes strong community relationships, proactive problem solving, high
professionalism and accountability and a continued commitment to employee wellness.
Mr. Thomasser presented the capacity assessment findings. He stated the department holds
the right values and direction but is operating in an understaffed condition that is straining its
ability to deliver core police services. He noted that while total call volume has not increased
significantly, calls have become more complex. Calls for service now require more time on
scene, more steps in field investigation and more digital evidence collection.
Mr. Thomasser observed that community expectations for de-escalation and compassionate
response often require multiple officers to be deployed simultaneously. Regarding patrol
deployment, he found that the current minimum deployment model is reasonably calibrated,
but the department does not have sufficient personnel to consistently meet it. He identified the
basic authorized staffing number as approximately 28 sworn officers and suggested the
assessment indicated the number should be closer to 36. Contributing factors include
mandatory family leave, National Guard deployments and a hiring practice of backfilling
positions only after they become vacant, which creates a lag of up to six months before new
officers are field-ready.
The department has been operating under an emergency staffing model since early December
2025, relying heavily on mandatory overtime and pulling personnel from specialty units to
cover patrol. He noted this undermines the community-facing programs that distinguish the
department. Investigative capacity is strained with approximately 3,000 crimes reported
annually in St. Louis Park; many of which cannot be fully investigated due to caseload pressures.
Mr. Axtell added that the complexity of investigations has grown substantially, now requiring
collection of digital evidence, body worn camera footage, social media records and
administrative search warrants. He also emphasized that supervisors responding to scenes
reduce liability and that increased training statistically reduces mistakes and liability.
Mr. Weinstein highlighted the strength of the department's culture, noting that officers
described meaningful relationships with community members and expressed deep pride in the
department's approach to policing. He cautioned that newer officers require mentorship and
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Title: Special study session meeting minutes of May 4, 2026
formal training that cannot be compressed and that the current staffing strain reduces the
department's ability to invest in that development.
Mr. Weinstein also noted the strong contributions of non-sworn staff including dispatchers,
records personnel and the behavioral health unit. He suggested that expanding civilian roles
strategically could relieve pressure on sworn positions.
Mr. Thomasser added that retaining existing officers is a growing concern. Officers reported
difficulty taking time off without burdening colleagues is a significant stressor; competing
agencies are actively recruiting from the department. He noted three officers who completed
the Pathways to Policing program in 2026 and were subsequently recruited away.
Mr. Kruelle summarized the department's internal response to the report. The leadership team
of approximately 20 formal leaders reviewed the findings across five areas: staffing capacity,
employee wellness, leadership support, operational realities and future priorities. The
leadership team agreed the report accurately reflects current challenges. He acknowledged
that the workforce is resilient and optimistic but noted that the pace of change is unsustainable
without investment.
Near-term departmental actions underway include deployment of a data integration software
by Q2 or Q3, launch of a recruitment and retention team, enhanced field training programs and
strengthened leadership development. Mr. Kruelle described a short-term proposal to convert
as many as two vacant sworn positions to civilian roles to address immediate non-sworn needs
while making clear the intent is not to permanently reduce the number of sworn officers.
Mr. Kruelle asked for council direction on addressing the service gap by reducing services or by
planning for increased financial allocation.
Council Member Farris stated her personal connection to the police department, describing the
role officers played in supporting her and the women she works with through a sober living
organization. She expressed strong support for funding the department and indicated she is
fully in favor of increased allocation.
Council Member Baudhuin asked about the phrase "fragmented leadership focus" from the
staff report. Mr. Weinstein explained it refers to frontline supervisors being pulled in too many
directions simultaneously and lacking the capacity to provide consistent strategic development
of officers.
Council Member Baudhuin asked why efficiency features were described as underutilized. Mr.
Weinstein explained that analytical software is being used ad hoc to respond to immediate
needs rather than as intended, creating a cycle of inefficiency.
Council Member Baudhuin expressed gratitude to Mr. Kruelle for initiating the evaluation
process, stating that increasing complexity in policing reflects important societal progress.
Council Member Baudhuin stated his support for funding the department. He requested that
the city's racial equity and inclusion team’s perspectives be included in future discussions. He
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Title: Special study session meeting minutes of May 4, 2026
also expressed personal concern about the behavioral health unit's reduced capacity given his
family's experience with mental illness.
Council Member Budd asked how long the emergency staffing model has been in place. Mr.
Kruelle confirmed the department has been operating under the emergency model since early
December 2025. She asked whether the emergency model was related to Operation Metro
Surge; Mr. Kruelle stated it was not.
Council Member Budd asked whether the department tracks the percentage of reported crimes
that are investigated over time. Mr. Kruelle acknowledged this is tracked imperfectly due to
limitations in the current case management system. He highlighted the current system has
been in place since 2014 and is due for replacement. Mr. Thomasser added that the data
needed to establish a reliable trend was not available during the assessment for the same
reason.
Council Member Budd asked about the impact of police consortium members on departmental
resources. Mr. Kruelle stated that the department contributes proportionately among its peer
group and that the department has worked to ensure balanced mutual aid contributions in
recent years. Ms. Keller added that St. Louis Park tends to see more complex incidents than
some consortium partners given its character as a first-tier suburb bordering Minneapolis.
Council Member Budd asked about the impact of paid family medical leave on staffing. Ms.
Keller explained the city has long provided parental leave. The state's new requirements
expanded the number of weeks available and officers who had children in 2025 are also eligible
for additional leave in 2026. This creates a short-term compounding effect.
Council Member Budd expressed support for increased financial allocation while acknowledging
that the council will likely need to identify offsetting reductions in other service areas to avoid
raising property taxes.
Mayor Mohamed expressed appreciation for the report and the expertise of the consulting
team. She reflected on her own introduction to civic life through the police department's
multicultural advisory program. She described the St. Louis Park Police Department as among
the best she has encountered. She characterized the request as support for a core municipal
service alongside roads, water and sewer and expressed her support for increased funding. The
conversation about funding levels will continue during the budget process.
Council Member Brausen thanked the department and the consulting team, expressed full
support for increased financial allocation and stated he would rather direct resources to public
safety than to other discretionary priorities.
Council Member Bashore expressed support for increased financial allocation but
acknowledged the funding will need to be prioritized carefully. He asked what actions could be
taken immediately to relieve the emergency staffing model rather than waiting for a full budget
cycle. He also asked whether there are best practices from other departments that could be
adapted locally. Mr. Axtell observed that the department is well-positioned given its human-
centered culture. Tiered multi-year investment strategies are the approach taken by other cities
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 4c) Page 5
Title: Special study session meeting minutes of May 4, 2026
in similar situations and that expecting immediate full staffing resolution is not realistic. Mr.
Weinstein added that the 10-to-20-year scope of the vision allows for a phased approach.
Council Member Bashore indicated his position is somewhere between service reduction and
investment and asked for ongoing guidance from the department and staff on where resources
can have the greatest near-term impact.
Council Member Engelking asked whether the department has the staffing needed to absorb a
computer-aided dispatch or records management system software implementation given the
overhead such projects impose on staff. Mr. Kruelle acknowledged that the department does
not currently have full capacity to take on the implementation but noted a work group is
already in place; the implementation is approximately one year away, and he is optimistic
about the department's readiness by that time.
Council Member Engelking expressed support for investment and noted the importance of
making overtime voluntary rather than mandatory from an employee wellness perspective. He
also flagged the city’s light rail transit development as an unknown that warrants proactive
rather than reactive planning.
Ms. Keller summarized the consensus direction from the council as supporting increased
financial allocation and confirmed one near-term action: converting one or two vacant sworn
positions to civilian positions on a temporary basis to address immediate non-sworn staffing
needs while preserving the intent to restore sworn headcount as hiring conditions allow.
Council Member Baudhuin stated he would support expedited action to fund a sworn position
outside the normal budget cycle if a qualified candidate became available. Ms. Keller confirmed
such a request would be brought back to the council.
Written Report
4. Fiscal year 2026 budget to actuals Q1
Council Member Bashore asked for clarification on how to interpret a comparison of March
2026 figures against fiscal year 2025 totals shown in the report. Ms. Keller committed to
providing guidance to the council on how to read the comparison format in the future.
Council Member Budd noted the demographic breakdowns by category were helpful.
The meeting adjourned at 9:43 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.
Meeting: City council
Meeting date: May 18, 2026
Consent agenda item: 5a
Executive summary
Title: Resolution accepting donation to the city for the fire department
Recommended action: Motion to adopt resolution accepting a donation of 1,000 smoke alarms
from Kidde to the city for the fire department. The donation is valued at $59,970.
Policy consideration: Does the city council want to accept this donation?
Summary: State statute requires city council’s acceptance of donations. This requirement is
necessary in order to make sure the city council has knowledge of any restrictions placed on the
use of each donation prior to it being expensed.
Kidde is graciously donating to the fire department 1,000 smoke alarms valued at $59,970. The
donation is given without restrictions.
Financial or budget considerations: None
Strategic priority consideration: St. Louis Park is committed to being a city that delivers reliable
services, uses city resources responsibly, operates transparently and builds strong relationships
with residents.
Supporting documents: Resolution
Prepared by: Sue Rasmussen, administrative assistant
Reviewed by: Peter Hanlin, fire chief
Approved by: Cindy Walsh, deputy city manager
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5a) Page 2
Title: Resolution accepting donation to the city for the fire department
Resolution No. 26 -__
Approving acceptance of donation to the city
for the fire department
Be it resolved by the city council of the City of St. Louis Park, Minnesota, as follows:
Whereas, the City of St. Louis Park is required by state statute to authorize acceptance
of any donation; and
Whereas, the city council must ratify any restrictions placed on donations by the
donors; and
Whereas, the donation from Kidde for 1,000 smoke alarms is given with no restrictions,
Now therefore be it resolved by the city council of St. Louis Park that this donation is
hereby accepted with thanks and appreciation.
Reviewed for administration: Adopted by the city council May 18, 2026:
Kim Keller, city manager Nadia Mohamed, mayor
Attest:
Melissa Kennedy, city clerk
Meeting: City council
Meeting date: May 18, 2026
Consent agenda item: 5b
Executive summary
Title: Resolutions authorizing intent to reimburse with bond proceeds for 2026 debt-issued
projects
Recommended action: Motion to adopt resolutions declaring the official intent of the City of St.
Louis Park to reimburse certain expenditures from the proceeds of bonds to be issued by the
city.
Policy consideration: Does the city council want to reimburse the city from the bond proceeds
for all of the city costs related to the various upcoming bonding projects?
Summary: In the past, the city has adopted reimbursement resolutions for projects to ensure
that it can reimburse itself for the costs incurred before it receives the bond proceeds. This is a
debt management best practice. This action does not authorize the issuance of bonds, but
simply preserves the ability for the city to reimburse itself.
Resolutions of intent by the city to use bond proceeds to finance all or a portion of the
expenditures are required prior to incurring those costs. The city is also eligible to be
reimbursed for “preliminary expenditures” such as architectural, engineering and surveying
costs, etcetera, up to an amount allowed under the reimbursement regulations.
The attached resolutions cover both the construction and preliminary expenditures. The
reimbursement maximum in each resolution covers all bond-related project costs. The actual
amount of bonding may be less than this amount and we may spread some costs over multiple
years if the projects move forward and/or timing changes.
Financial or budget considerations: Bonds will be issued in 2026 to cover cash flow needs for
capital expenditure projects that are financed through borrowing.
Strategic priority consideration: Not applicable.
Supporting documents: Resolutions
Prepared by: Joe Olson, deputy finance director
Reviewed by: Cheyenne Brodeen, administrative services director
Approved by: Cindy Walsh, deputy city manager
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5b) Page 2
Title: Resolutions authorizing intent to reimburse with bond proceeds for 2026 debt-issued projects
Resolution No. 26-___
Declaring the official intent of the City of St. Louis Park to reimburse certain
expenditures from the proceeds of bonds to be issued by the city:
Cedar Lake & Louisiana Phase 2
Be it resolved by the City Council (the “City Council”) of the City of St. Louis Park, Hennepin
County, Minnesota (the “City”) as follows:
1. The Internal Revenue Service has issued Treas. Reg. § 1.150-2 (the “Reimbursement
Regulations”) providing that proceeds of tax-exempt bonds used to reimburse prior
expenditures will not be deemed spent unless certain requirements are met.
2. The city expects to incur certain expenditures that may be financed temporarily from
sources other than bonds, and reimbursed from the proceeds of a tax-exempt bond.
3. The city has determined to make this declaration of official intent (the “Declaration”) to
reimburse certain costs from proceeds of bonds in accordance with the reimbursement
regulations.
4. The city proposes to undertake the Cedar Lake & Louisiana Phase 2. (Project No. 4024-
1100) (the “Project”).
5. The city reasonably expects to reimburse the expenditures made for certain costs of the
project from the proceeds of one or more series of bonds in an estimated maximum
aggregate principal amount of $5,800,000. All reimbursed expenditures will be capital
expenditures, costs of issuance of the bonds, or other expenditures eligible for
reimbursement under Section 1.150-2(d)(3) of the Reimbursement Regulations.
6. This declaration has been made not later than 60 days after payment of any original
expenditure to be subject to a reimbursement allocation with respect to the proceeds of
bonds, except for the following expenditures: (a) costs of issuance of bonds; (b) costs in
an amount not in excess of $100,000 or 5 percent of the proceeds of an issue; or (c)
“preliminary expenditures” up to an amount not in excess of 20 percent of the
aggregate issue price of the issue or issues that finance or are reasonably expected by
the city to finance the project for which the preliminary expenditures were incurred.
The term “preliminary expenditures” includes architectural, engineering, surveying,
bond issuance, and similar costs that are incurred prior to commencement of
acquisition, construction or rehabilitation of a project, other than land acquisition, site
preparation, and similar costs incident to commencement of construction.
7. This declaration is an expression of the reasonable expectations of the city based on the
facts and circumstances known to the city as of the date hereof. The anticipated original
expenditures for the project and the principal amount of the bonds described in
paragraph 2 are consistent with the city’s budgetary and financial circumstances. No
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5b) Page 3
Title: Resolutions authorizing intent to reimburse with bond proceeds for 2026 debt-issued projects
sources other than proceeds of bonds to be issued by the city are, or are reasonably
expected to be, reserved, allocated on a long-term basis, or otherwise set aside
pursuant to the city’s budget or financial policies to pay such Project expenditures.
8. This declaration is intended to constitute a declaration of official intent for purposes of
the reimbursement regulations.
Reviewed for administration: Adopted by the city council May 18, 2026:
Kim Keller, city manager Nadia Mohamed, mayor
Attest:
Melissa Kennedy, city clerk
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5b) Page 4
Title: Resolutions authorizing intent to reimburse with bond proceeds for 2026 debt-issued projects
Resolution No. 26-___
Declaring the official intent of the City of St. Louis Park to reimburse certain
expenditures from the proceeds of bonds to be issued by the city:
Connect the Park
Be it resolved by the City Council (the “City Council”) of the City of St. Louis Park, Hennepin
County, Minnesota (the “City”) as follows:
1. The Internal Revenue Service has issued Treas. Reg. § 1.150-2 (the “Reimbursement
Regulations”) providing that proceeds of tax-exempt bonds used to reimburse prior
expenditures will not be deemed spent unless certain requirements are met.
2. The city expects to incur certain expenditures that may be financed temporarily from
sources other than bonds, and reimbursed from the proceeds of a tax-exempt bond.
3. The city has determined to make this declaration of official intent (the “Declaration”) to
reimburse certain costs from proceeds of bonds in accordance with the reimbursement
regulations.
4. The city proposes to undertake the project Connect the Park. (Project No. 4025-2000)
(the “Project”).
5. The city reasonably expects to reimburse the expenditures made for certain costs of the
project from the proceeds of one or more series of bonds in an estimated maximum
aggregate principal amount of $430,000. All reimbursed expenditures will be capital
expenditures, costs of issuance of the bonds, or other expenditures eligible for
reimbursement under Section 1.150-2(d)(3) of the Reimbursement Regulations.
6. This declaration has been made not later than 60 days after payment of any original
expenditure to be subject to a reimbursement allocation with respect to the proceeds of
bonds, except for the following expenditures: (a) costs of issuance of bonds; (b) costs in
an amount not in excess of $100,000 or 5 percent of the proceeds of an issue; or (c)
“preliminary expenditures” up to an amount not in excess of 20 percent of the
aggregate issue price of the issue or issues that finance or are reasonably expected by
the city to finance the project for which the preliminary expenditures were incurred.
The term “preliminary expenditures” includes architectural, engineering, surveying,
bond issuance, and similar costs that are incurred prior to commencement of
acquisition, construction or rehabilitation of a project, other than land acquisition, site
preparation, and similar costs incident to commencement of construction.
7. This declaration is an expression of the reasonable expectations of the city based on the
facts and circumstances known to the city as of the date hereof. The anticipated original
expenditures for the project and the principal amount of the bonds described in
paragraph 2 are consistent with the city’s budgetary and financial circumstances. No
sources other than proceeds of bonds to be issued by the city are, or are reasonably
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5b) Page 5
Title: Resolutions authorizing intent to reimburse with bond proceeds for 2026 debt-issued projects
expected to be, reserved, allocated on a long-term basis, or otherwise set aside
pursuant to the city’s budget or financial policies to pay such project expenditures.
8. This declaration is intended to constitute a declaration of official intent for purposes of
the reimbursement regulations.
Reviewed for administration: Adopted by the city council May 18, 2026:
Kim Keller, city manager Nadia Mohamed, mayor
Attest:
Melissa Kennedy, city clerk
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5b) Page 6
Title: Resolutions authorizing intent to reimburse with bond proceeds for 2026 debt-issued projects
Resolution No. 26-___
Declaring the official intent of the City of St. Louis Park to reimburse certain
expenditures from the proceeds of bonds to be issued by the city:
Pavement Management Project No. 4026-1000
Be it resolved by the City Council (the “City Council”) of the City of St. Louis Park, Hennepin
County, Minnesota (the “City”) as follows:
1. The Internal Revenue Service has issued Treas. Reg. § 1.150-2 (the “Reimbursement
Regulations”) providing that proceeds of tax-exempt bonds used to reimburse prior
expenditures will not be deemed spent unless certain requirements are met.
2. The city expects to incur certain expenditures that may be financed temporarily from
sources other than bonds, and reimbursed from the proceeds of a tax-exempt bond.
3. The city has determined to make this declaration of official intent (the “Declaration”) to
reimburse certain costs from proceeds of bonds in accordance with the reimbursement
regulations.
4. The city proposes to undertake the Pavement Management project. (Project No. 4026-
1000) (the “Project”).
5. The city reasonably expects to reimburse the expenditures made for certain costs of the
project from the proceeds of one or more series of bonds in an estimated maximum
aggregate principal amount of $500,000. All reimbursed expenditures will be capital
expenditures, costs of issuance of the bonds, or other expenditures eligible for
reimbursement under Section 1.150-2(d)(3) of the reimbursement regulations.
6. This declaration has been made not later than 60 days after payment of any original
expenditure to be subject to a reimbursement allocation with respect to the proceeds of
bonds, except for the following expenditures: (a) costs of issuance of bonds; (b) costs in
an amount not in excess of $100,000 or 5 percent of the proceeds of an issue; or (c)
“preliminary expenditures” up to an amount not in excess of 20 percent of the
aggregate issue price of the issue or issues that finance or are reasonably expected by
the city to finance the project for which the preliminary expenditures were incurred.
The term “preliminary expenditures” includes architectural, engineering, surveying,
bond issuance, and similar costs that are incurred prior to commencement of
acquisition, construction or rehabilitation of a project, other than land acquisition, site
preparation, and similar costs incident to commencement of construction.
7. This declaration is an expression of the reasonable expectations of the city based on the
facts and circumstances known to the city as of the date hereof. The anticipated original
expenditures for the project and the principal amount of the bonds described in
paragraph 2 are consistent with the city’s budgetary and financial circumstances. No
sources other than proceeds of bonds to be issued by the city are, or are reasonably
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5b) Page 7
Title: Resolutions authorizing intent to reimburse with bond proceeds for 2026 debt-issued projects
expected to be, reserved, allocated on a long-term basis, or otherwise set aside
pursuant to the city’s budget or financial policies to pay such project expenditures.
8. This declaration is intended to constitute a declaration of official intent for purposes of
the reimbursement regulations.
Reviewed for administration: Adopted by the city council May 18, 2026:
Kim Keller, city manager Nadia Mohamed, mayor
Attest:
Melissa Kennedy, city clerk
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5b) Page 8
Title: Resolutions authorizing intent to reimburse with bond proceeds for 2026 debt-issued projects
Resolution No. 26-___
Declaring the official intent of the City of St. Louis Park to reimburse certain
expenditures from the proceeds of bonds to be issued by the city:
Pavement Management Project No. 4027-1000
Be it resolved by the City Council (the “City Council”) of the City of St. Louis Park, Hennepin
County, Minnesota (the “City”) as follows:
1. The Internal Revenue Service has issued Treas. Reg. § 1.150-2 (the “Reimbursement
Regulations”) providing that proceeds of tax-exempt bonds used to reimburse prior
expenditures will not be deemed spent unless certain requirements are met.
2. The city expects to incur certain expenditures that may be financed temporarily from
sources other than bonds, and reimbursed from the proceeds of a tax-exempt bond.
3. The city has determined to make this declaration of official intent (the “Declaration”) to
reimburse certain costs from proceeds of bonds in accordance with the reimbursement
regulations.
4. The city proposes to undertake the Pavement Management project. (Project No. 4027-
1000) (the “Project”).
5. The city reasonably expects to reimburse the expenditures made for certain costs of the
project from the proceeds of one or more series of bonds in an estimated maximum
aggregate principal amount of $955,000. All reimbursed expenditures will be capital
expenditures, costs of issuance of the bonds, or other expenditures eligible for
reimbursement under Section 1.150-2(d)(3) of the reimbursement regulations.
6. This declaration has been made not later than 60 days after payment of any original
expenditure to be subject to a reimbursement allocation with respect to the proceeds of
bonds, except for the following expenditures: (a) costs of issuance of bonds; (b) costs in
an amount not in excess of $100,000 or 5 percent of the proceeds of an issue; or (c)
“preliminary expenditures” up to an amount not in excess of 20 percent of the
aggregate issue price of the issue or issues that finance or are reasonably expected by
the city to finance the project for which the preliminary expenditures were incurred.
The term “preliminary expenditures” includes architectural, engineering, surveying,
bond issuance, and similar costs that are incurred prior to commencement of
acquisition, construction or rehabilitation of a project, other than land acquisition, site
preparation, and similar costs incident to commencement of construction.
7. This declaration is an expression of the reasonable expectations of the city based on the
facts and circumstances known to the city as of the date hereof. The anticipated original
expenditures for the project and the principal amount of the bonds described in
paragraph 2 are consistent with the city’s budgetary and financial circumstances. No
sources other than proceeds of bonds to be issued by the city are, or are reasonably
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5b) Page 9
Title: Resolutions authorizing intent to reimburse with bond proceeds for 2026 debt-issued projects
expected to be, reserved, allocated on a long-term basis, or otherwise set aside
pursuant to the city’s budget or financial policies to pay such project expenditures.
8. This declaration is intended to constitute a declaration of official intent for purposes of
the reimbursement regulations.
Reviewed for administration: Adopted by the city council May 18, 2026:
Kim Keller, city manager Nadia Mohamed, mayor
Attest:
Melissa Kennedy, city clerk
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5b) Page 10
Title: Resolutions authorizing intent to reimburse with bond proceeds for 2026 debt-issued projects
Resolution No. 26-___
Declaring the official intent of the City of St. Louis Park to reimburse certain
expenditures from the proceeds of bonds to be issued by the city:
Rec Center Boiler Replacement
Be it resolved by the City Council (the “City Council”) of the City of St. Louis Park, Hennepin
County, Minnesota (the “City”) as follows:
1. The Internal Revenue Service has issued Treas. Reg. § 1.150-2 (the “Reimbursement
Regulations”) providing that proceeds of tax-exempt bonds used to reimburse prior
expenditures will not be deemed spent unless certain requirements are met.
2. The city expects to incur certain expenditures that may be financed temporarily from
sources other than bonds, and reimbursed from the proceeds of a tax-exempt bond.
3. The city has determined to make this declaration of official intent (the “Declaration”) to
reimburse certain costs from proceeds of bonds in accordance with the reimbursement
regulations.
4. The city proposes to undertake the Rec Center Boiler Replacement. (Project No. 2426-
5004) (the “Project”).
5. The city reasonably expects to reimburse the expenditures made for certain costs of the
project from the proceeds of one or more series of bonds in an estimated maximum
aggregate principal amount of $1,000,000. All reimbursed expenditures will be capital
expenditures, costs of issuance of the bonds, or other expenditures eligible for
reimbursement under Section 1.150-2(d)(3) of the reimbursement regulations.
6. This declaration has been made not later than 60 days after payment of any original
expenditure to be subject to a reimbursement allocation with respect to the proceeds of
bonds, except for the following expenditures: (a) costs of issuance of bonds; (b) costs in
an amount not in excess of $100,000 or 5 percent of the proceeds of an issue; or (c)
“preliminary expenditures” up to an amount not in excess of 20 percent of the
aggregate issue price of the issue or issues that finance or are reasonably expected by
the city to finance the project for which the preliminary expenditures were incurred.
The term “preliminary expenditures” includes architectural, engineering, surveying,
bond issuance, and similar costs that are incurred prior to commencement of
acquisition, construction or rehabilitation of a project, other than land acquisition, site
preparation, and similar costs incident to commencement of construction.
7. This declaration is an expression of the reasonable expectations of the city based on the
facts and circumstances known to the city as of the date hereof. The anticipated original
expenditures for the project and the principal amount of the bonds described in
paragraph 2 are consistent with the city’s budgetary and financial circumstances. No
sources other than proceeds of bonds to be issued by the city are, or are reasonably
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5b) Page 11
Title: Resolutions authorizing intent to reimburse with bond proceeds for 2026 debt-issued projects
expected to be, reserved, allocated on a long-term basis, or otherwise set aside
pursuant to the city’s budget or financial policies to pay such project expenditures.
8. This declaration is intended to constitute a declaration of official intent for purposes of
the reimbursement regulations.
Reviewed for administration: Adopted by the city council May 18, 2026:
Kim Keller, city manager Nadia Mohamed, mayor
Attest:
Melissa Kennedy, city clerk
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5b) Page 12
Title: Resolutions authorizing intent to reimburse with bond proceeds for 2026 debt-issued projects
Resolution No. 26-___
Declaring the official intent of the City of St. Louis Park to reimburse certain
expenditures from the proceeds of bonds to be issued by the city:
Police Department Facility Upgrades
Be it resolved by the City Council (the “City Council”) of the City of St. Louis Park, Hennepin
County, Minnesota (the “City”) as follows:
1. The Internal Revenue Service has issued Treas. Reg. § 1.150-2 (the “Reimbursement
Regulations”) providing that proceeds of tax-exempt bonds used to reimburse prior
expenditures will not be deemed spent unless certain requirements are met.
2. The city expects to incur certain expenditures that may be financed temporarily from
sources other than bonds, and reimbursed from the proceeds of a tax-exempt bond.
3. The city has determined to make this declaration of official intent (the “Declaration”) to
reimburse certain costs from proceeds of bonds in accordance with the reimbursement
regulations.
4. The city proposes to undertake the Police Department Facility Upgrades. (Project No.
2262020) (the “Project”).
5. The city reasonably expects to reimburse the expenditures made for certain costs of the
project from the proceeds of one or more series of bonds in an estimated maximum
aggregate principal amount of $1,000,000. All reimbursed expenditures will be capital
expenditures, costs of issuance of the bonds, or other expenditures eligible for
reimbursement under Section 1.150-2(d)(3) of the reimbursement regulations.
6. This declaration has been made not later than 60 days after payment of any original
expenditure to be subject to a reimbursement allocation with respect to the proceeds of
bonds, except for the following expenditures: (a) costs of issuance of bonds; (b) costs in
an amount not in excess of $100,000 or 5 percent of the proceeds of an issue; or (c)
“preliminary expenditures” up to an amount not in excess of 20 percent of the
aggregate issue price of the issue or issues that finance or are reasonably expected by
the city to finance the project for which the preliminary expenditures were incurred.
The term “preliminary expenditures” includes architectural, engineering, surveying,
bond issuance, and similar costs that are incurred prior to commencement of
acquisition, construction or rehabilitation of a project, other than land acquisition, site
preparation, and similar costs incident to commencement of construction.
7. This declaration is an expression of the reasonable expectations of the city based on the
facts and circumstances known to the city as of the date hereof. The anticipated original
expenditures for the project and the principal amount of the bonds described in
paragraph 2 are consistent with the city’s budgetary and financial circumstances. No
sources other than proceeds of bonds to be issued by the city are, or are reasonably
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5b) Page 13
Title: Resolutions authorizing intent to reimburse with bond proceeds for 2026 debt-issued projects
expected to be, reserved, allocated on a long-term basis, or otherwise set aside
pursuant to the city’s budget or financial policies to pay such project expenditures.
8. This declaration is intended to constitute a declaration of official intent for purposes of
the reimbursement regulations.
Reviewed for administration: Adopted by the city council May 18, 2026:
Kim Keller, city manager Nadia Mohamed, mayor
Attest:
Melissa Kennedy, city clerk
Meeting: City council
Meeting date: May 18, 2026
Consent agenda item: 5c
Executive summary
Title: Approve professional services agreement for 2028 Surface Water Management Plan
update
Recommended action: Motion to authorize execution of a contract with Barr Engineering Co. in
the amount of $293,943 for the 2028 Surface Water Management Plan update.
Policy consideration: Does the city council want to approve a professional services contract
with Barr Engineering for this project?
Summary: The city is required to update its Surface Water Management Plan (SWMP) every ten
years as part of its Comprehensive Plan in accordance with Metropolitan Council requirements.
The SWMP establishes the city’s long-term strategy for managing stormwater, protecting water
quality, mitigating flood risk and planning capital improvements.
A request for proposals (RFP) was sent to four qualified firms to provide professional services
for our plan update. Three proposals were received. A staff selection committee evaluated
proposals and conducted interviews. A summary of the results is shown below:
Consultant Proposal amount
AE2S $264,708
Barr Engineering, Co. $293,943
Young Environmental Consulting Group, LLC $181,030
After a thorough review of the proposals, staff recommend that Barr Engineering Co. be
selected to provide the services. While Barr’s proposal was not the lowest cost, staff believe the
additional cost is justified by their strong technical expertise, comprehensive public
engagement approach and demonstrated experience with surface water modeling and writing
surface water management plans for other communities. These strengths reduce project risk
and support the development of a more effective and well-supported next-generation SWMP.
Financial or budget considerations: There is adequate funding in the Storm Water Utility fund
to complete the plan update.
Strategic priority consideration: St. Louis Park is committed to being a climate leader that cares
for the planet and maintains dynamic parks that connect people and nature.
Supporting documents: Discussion
Prepared by: Sarah Schweiger, engineering services manager
Reviewed by: Debra Heiser, engineering director
Approved by: Cindy Walsh, deputy city manager
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5c) Page 2
Title: Approve professional services agreement for 2028 Surface Water Management Plan update
Discussion
Background: The city is required to update its Surface Water Management Plan (SWMP) every
ten years as part of its Comprehensive Plan in accordance with Metropolitan Council
requirements. The SWMP establishes the city’s long-term strategy for managing stormwater,
protecting water quality, mitigating flood risk and planning capital improvements.
The current SWMP was completed in 2019. An update is required for the 2028 Comprehensive
Plan cycle to ensure compliance with regional requirements and to incorporate updated data,
modeling, regulatory changes and community priorities. This update fulfills the State of
Minnesota surface water management rules and is a required element of the city’s 2050
Comprehensive Plan.
Project scope: The following tasks have been identified to be included in this project:
• Project management and community engagement
• Update the 2019 SWMP to comply with Minn Stat. § 103B.235 and integrate into the
2050 comprehensive plan update
• Update the Surface Water Pollution and Prevention Plan (SWPPP) to align with the
newly proposed Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit
• Update the existing hydrologic and hydraulic (H&H) models
• Update the existing water quality models
• Definition of stormwater infiltration prohibition criteria
• Develop a 10-year project implementation plan
Barr’s proposal also includes optional additional modeling support. These additional tasks are
not included in the project contract at this time but may be considered for addition in the
future.
Community engagement: Community engagement is important for the city to plan for the next
ten years of surface water management, protecting water quality, mitigating flood risk and
planning capital improvements. Barr Engineering Co. will coordinate community and agency
engagement throughout the SWMP update process.
Barr will work with city staff to host an initial public meeting (open house #1) to engage the
public early in the planning process to gather input on water resources goals and issues. In
addition, Barr will coordinate with city staff to develop a brief online survey linked to a QR code
and a graphic-oriented one-page summary of the project. The survey can be translated into
other languages as necessary. The survey and open house information will be shared on social
media and posted on the city’s web page. Barr staff will also hold one to two pop-up events at
popular community events.
Early in the development of the SWMP plan, stakeholders (Metropolitan Council, Bassett Creek
Watershed Management Commission (BCWMC) and Minnehaha Creek Watershed District
(MCWD)) will be notified to identify issues to be addressed in the SWMP update.
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5c) Page 3
Title: Approve professional services agreement for 2028 Surface Water Management Plan update
Input from plan stakeholders and the public will be incorporated into the draft SWMP update.
After city staff have completed a detailed review of the draft SWMP document, a second public
meeting (open house #2) will be held and the draft SWMP will be presented to city council.
After the SWMP is revised to incorporate feedback, the SWMP will be submitted for formal 60-
day watershed management organization (WMO) review.
Present considerations: Staff recommend approval of this professional services contract to
complete public engagement, update the city’s hydrologic and hydraulic (H&H) and water
quality models (described below) and draft the 2028 SWMP. If council elects to advance this
project, a future council action will be required to adopt the 2028 SWMP.
An RFP was sent to four qualified firms to provide professional services for our plan update.
Three proposals were received. A staff selection committee evaluated proposals and conducted
interviews. The table below summarizes the cost submitted with each proposal. Optional tasks
are not included, as we are not proposing to include any optional tasks in the contract
currently.
Consultant Proposal amount
AE2S $264,708
Barr Engineering, Co. $293,943
Young Environmental Consulting Group, LLC $181,030
All three firms demonstrated the capability to complete the SWMP update. However,
important distinctions emerged during the evaluation process related to project approach,
depth of analysis, firm experience and level of effort.
While Barr Engineering Co. submitted the highest total cost proposal, their average hourly rates
are comparable to those submitted by Young Environmental and AE2S. The higher overall cost
is driven by a greater number of hours allocated to key project tasks rather than higher billing
rates.
The increased level of effort is reflected in several areas that staff consider critical to delivering
a high-quality, forward-looking SWMP:
• Advanced H&H and water quality modeling: Barr’s proposal includes a more detailed
and robust modeling approach. This will provide a stronger technical foundation for
decision-making, improve understanding of system performance under future
conditions, and better position the city to address climate vulnerability and regulatory
requirements.
• Comprehensive 10-year implementation plan: Barr’s proposal emphasizes
development of a clear, actionable and well-prioritized implementation plan. This will
support more effective capital planning, coordination with other infrastructure
projects, and alignment with city goals.
• Expanded public engagement: Barr’s proposal dedicates more hours to public and
stakeholder engagement than other proposals. Meaningful engagement is essential to
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5c) Page 4
Title: Approve professional services agreement for 2028 Surface Water Management Plan update
ensure that community values are reflected in the plan and to build support for future
investments.
• Relevant experience and institutional knowledge: Barr has extensive experience
preparing surface water management plans for municipalities and watershed
organizations throughout the region. Notably, Barr prepared a previous SWMP for the
City of St. Louis Park in 2008. In addition, Barr currently serves as the watershed
engineer for the BCWMC and several neighboring watershed organizations, including
the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District and the Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed
District. This experience provides valuable regional perspectives and familiarity with
regulatory expectations
In contrast, while the other consultants submitted strong proposals, their scopes included
fewer hours for modeling, implementation planning and engagement, resulting in a more
limited overall level of effort.
Staff believe that selecting a consultant based solely on lowest cost would not best serve the
community for a plan of this importance. The SWMP guides long-term infrastructure
investments and policy decisions; therefore, investing in a more thorough and technically
robust plan is expected to provide long-term value.
Proposed schedule: The following is the proposed schedule
• Kickoff meeting May 2026
• Data collection and review June 2026
• Public meeting / open house #1 July 2026
• H&H and water quality modeling July 2026 - August 2027
• Draft SWMP to city staff September 2027
• Public meeting / open house #2 December 2027
• Distribute SWMP for formal agency comment January 2028
• Council adoption of final SWMP May 2028
The final SWMP must be complete and ready for official review no later than July 2028 to align
with the intended timelines for the comprehensive plan development and review, which must
be adopted by December 2028 to comply with state statute.
Next steps: Staff recommend authorization of a contract with Barr Engineering Co. Although
the proposal represents the highest total cost, it provides the greatest level of effort, technical
rigor and community engagement. Staff believe this approach will result in a higher-quality
Surface Water Management Plan that better serves the city and its residents over the long
term.
Meeting: City council
Meeting date: May 18, 2026
Consent agenda item: 5d
Executive summary
Title: Resolution approving 2026 -2028 LELS Local #482 Police Lieutenant labor agreement
Recommended action: Motion to adopt resolution approving labor agreement between the
city and the LELS #482 bargaining group, establishing terms and conditions of employment for
three years from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2028.
Policy consideration: Does the city council approve the labor agreement between the city and
the union?
Summary: Staff have been in active negotiations with the police lieutenants’ union group for
several months. We are pleased to bring this contract before the council for approval. Items
listed follow the approved compensation plans, budget discussions and is a three-year contract
effective Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2028. Our discussions in negotiations were productive
and resulted in this agreement.
Financial or budget considerations: The amount recommended has been included in the 2026
budget and will be used to develop the 2027-2028 budgets.
Strategic priority consideration: Not applicable.
Supporting documents: Discussion
Resolution
Prepared by: Rita Vorpahl, HR director
Reviewed by: Cheyenne Brodeen, administrative services director
Approved by: Cindy Walsh, deputy city manager
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5d) Page 2
Title: Resolution approving 2026 -2028 LELS Local #482 Police Lieutenant labor agreement
Discussion
Background: The city and the police lieutenant union group have negotiated and come to
agreement on the following changes to the contract:
• Duration of three years (Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2028)
• General wage increases of 3.5% for 2026, and 3% for 2027 and 2028, which is consistent
with the general wage increase for non-union employees
• Minnesota Paid Leave language premium split 50/50 between the employer and the
employee
• Standardized language has been updated across the contract
• Supplemental pay clarified
Next steps: Staff recommends approval. All items noted above are included within the 2026
budget. More details are available upon request; the proposed contract is on file with the city
clerk.
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5d) Page 3
Title: Resolution approving 2026 -2028 LELS Local #482 Police Lieutenant labor agreement
Resolution No. 26-____
Approving labor agreement between
the City of St. Louis Park and
Labor Enforcement Labor Services (LELS) Local #482
January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2028
Whereas, the city and the union have reached a negotiated settlement covering the
terms and conditions of a labor agreement as permitted by the State of Minnesota Public
Employees Labor Relations Act; and
Whereas, the city council may enter into such agreements as authorized by its charter,
Now therefore be it resolved by the city council of the City of St. Louis Park that
1. The mayor and city manager are authorized to execute a collective bargaining
agreement, City Contract No. 081-26 between the City of St. Louis Park and LELS #482,
effective January 1, 2026, through December 21, 2028; and
2. That the city manager or the city manager's designee are authorized to execute for
Contract No. 081-26 any subsequent amendments, memoranda of understanding, or
other related agreements provided the amount of Contract No. 081-26, as amended via
such amendments, memorandums, or agreements, does not increase beyond the
amount of the competitive bidding threshold established by law.
Reviewed for administration: Adopted by the city council May 18, 2026:
Kim Keller, city manager Nadia Mohamed, mayor
Attest:
Melissa Kennedy, city clerk
Meeting: City council
Meeting date: May 18, 2026
Consent agenda item: 5e
Executive summary
Title: Resolution to amend final plat of Minnetonka Boulevard Twin Homes subdivision - Ward 1
Recommended action: Motion to adopt resolution amending final plat of Minnetonka
Boulevard Twin Homes Addition
Policy consideration: Does the city council support the amended parcel boundaries for the
development?
Summary: The Minnetonka Boulevard Twin Homes project is a redevelopment of four
properties at 5639, 5643, 5647 and 5707 Minnetonka Boulevard and proposing to build four
twin homes providing eight residential units as affordable home ownership opportunities in the
city. The project was approved for a planned unit development (PUD) and preliminary and final
plat in March 2025. Since that time, the developer, Greater Metropolitan Housing Corporation,
now operating within the Rondo Community Land Trust (Rondo CLT), has been working with
the city to find ways to reduce costs and to secure grants and funding to alleviate additional
costs caused by contaminated soils.
One cost-saving design proposed is to shift the western two units and stagger their frontage.
This shift will remove the need for an expensive retaining wall on the southwest corner of the
site, significantly reducing the cost of construction of that area. The shift will require a slight
change in the property line between Lots 1 and 2 on Block 1 of the proposed plat. The proposed
change meets all of the city’s subdivision requirements as well as the regulations established in
the PUD. The proposed change requires an amendment to final plat approved via resolution.
Financial or budget considerations: The city owns the subject properties and intends to sell the
properties to Greater Metropolitan Housing Corporation at market rate. City council has
expressed support in providing a grant from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund as well as
allocating a federal grant to support the construction of this development.
Strategic priority consideration: St. Louis Park is committed to providing a range of quality,
affordable and attainable housing options.
Supporting documents: Proposed amendment, resolution with exhibit A, amended final plat
Prepared by: Laura Chamberlain, senior planner
Reviewed by: Jennifer Monson, planning & economic development manager
Karen Barton, community development director
Approved by: Cindy Walsh, deputy city manager
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5e) Page 2
Title: Resolution to amend final plat of Minnetonka Boulevard Twin Homes subdivision - Ward 1
Proposed Amendment
Previously approved parcel lines
Proposed parcel lines
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5e) Page 3
Title: Resolution to amend final plat of Minnetonka Boulevard Twin Homes subdivision - Ward 1
Previous site plan
Proposed site plan
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5e) Page 4
Title: Resolution to amend final plat of Minnetonka Boulevard Twin Homes subdivision - Ward 1
Resolution No. 26 -__
Approving an amendment to the final plat for the Minnetonka
Boulevard Twin Homes subdivision
Be it resolved by the city council (the “city council”) of the City of St. Louis Park,
Minnesota (the “city”) as follows:
Whereas, Greater Metropolitan Housing Corporation, with permission from the
property owner, the City of St. Louis Park, has made application to the city council for an
amendment to the final plat for the Minnetonka Boulevard Twin Homes subdivision; and
Whereas, the preliminary and final plat of the Minnetonka Boulevard Twin Homes
subdivision was originally approved by the city council via Resolution No. 25-040 on March 3,
2025; and
Whereas, the final plat of the Minnetonka Boulevard Twin Homes subdivision as
approved via Resolution No. 25-040 has not yet been recorded with Hennepin County; and
Whereas, the plat is situated upon lands in Hennepin County, Minnesota, legally
described in “Exhibit A” attached hereto; and
Whereas, the city council has considered the information related to planning case nos.
24-24-S and 24-25-PUD and the effect of the proposed changes to the final plat on the
health, safety, and welfare of the occupants of the surrounding lands, existing and anticipated
traffic conditions, the effect on values of properties in the surrounding area and the effect of
the use on the comprehensive plan; and compliance with the intent of the subdivision
ordinance.
Now, therefore be it resolved the proposed amendment to the final plat of Minnetonka
Boulevard Twin Homes subdivision is hereby approved and accepted by the city as being in
accord and conformity with all ordinances, city plans and regulations of the City of St. Louis
Park and the laws of the State of Minnesota, provided, however, that this approval is made
subject to the opinion of the city attorney and certification by the city clerk and subject to the
following conditions:
1. The site shall be developed, used and maintained in accordance with the conditions of
this resolution, approved official exhibits, and city code.
2. All utility service structures shall be buried. If any utility service structure cannot be
buried (i.e. electric transformer), it shall be integrated into the building design and 100%
screened from off-site with materials consistent with the primary façade materials.
3. Prior to the city signing and releasing the final plat to the developer for filing with
Hennepin County:
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5e) Page 5
Title: Resolution to amend final plat of Minnetonka Boulevard Twin Homes subdivision - Ward 1
a. A financial security in the form of a cash escrow or letter of credit in the amount
of $1,000 shall be submitted to the city to ensure that a signed Mylar copy of the
final plat is provided to the city.
b. A planning development contract shall be executed between the city and
developer that addresses, at a minimum:
i. The installation of all public improvements including, but not limited to,
alleys, sidewalks, boulevards and the execution of necessary easements
related to such improvements.
ii. Easements related to electronic communication and fiber infrastructure
and driveway access easement across the property at 5703 Minnetonka
Blvd.
iii. A performance guarantee in the form of cash escrow or irrevocable letter
of credit shall be provided to the City of St. Louis Park in the amount of
1.25 times of the costs of all public improvements (alleys, sidewalks and
boulevards), raingardens and landscaping.
iv. The developer shall reimburse city attorney’s fees in drafting/reviewing
such documents as required in the final PUD approval.
v. The mayor and city manager are authorized to execute said planning
development contract.
4. Prior to starting any land disturbing activities, the following conditions shall be met:
a. Proof of recording the final plat shall be submitted to the city.
b. A preconstruction meeting shall be held with the appropriate development,
construction, private utility, and city representatives.
c. All necessary permits shall be obtained.
d. The developer shall pay to the city the tree replacement fee.
e. The developer shall pay to the city the parks and trail dedication fees.
5. The raingardens and on-site water and sanitary sewer connections shall be privately-
owned and privately maintained. Access to the systems shall be provided to the city for
clean-out and inspection purposes when warranted. Access points shall be covered by a
drainage and utility easement, as provided on the final plat.
6. Prior to issuance of a building permit, the following conditions shall be met:
a. All necessary permits must be obtained, including the city erosion control
permit, city tree protection permit, city right-of-way permit and permit from
Hennepin County for work in the right-of-way.
It is further resolved the city clerk is hereby directed to supply two certified copies of
this resolution to the above-named owner and subdivider, who is the applicant herein. The
mayor and city manager are hereby authorized to execute all contracts required herein, and the
city clerk is hereby directed to execute the certificate of approval on behalf of the city council
upon the said plat when all of the conditions set forth have been fulfilled.
Such execution of the certificate upon said plat by the city clerk, as required under Section 26-
123(1)j of the St. Louis Park Ordinance Code, shall be conclusive showing of proper compliance
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5e) Page 6
Title: Resolution to amend final plat of Minnetonka Boulevard Twin Homes subdivision - Ward 1
therewith by the subdivider and city officials charged with duties above described and shall
entitle such plat to be placed on record forthwith without further formality.
The city clerk is instructed to record certified copies of this resolution in the Office of the
Hennepin County Register of Deeds or Registrar of Titles as the case may be.
Reviewed for administration: Adopted by the city council May 18, 2026:
Kim Keller, city manager Nadia Mohamed, mayor
Attest:
Melissa Kennedy, city clerk
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5e) Page 7
Title: Resolution to amend final plat of Minnetonka Boulevard Twin Homes subdivision - Ward 1
Exhibit A
Property description
Property address:
5643 Minnetonka Blvd. St. Louis Park, MN 55416
Legal Description (Tax Description):
Lot 5, AUDITOR’S SUBDIVISION NO. 323, Hennepin County, Minnesota
Property address:
5647 Minnetonka Blvd. St. Louis Park, MN 55416
Legal Description (Tax Description):
Lot 4, AUDITOR’S SUBDIVISION NO. 323, Hennepin County, Minnesota
Property address:
5639 Minnetonka Blvd. St. Louis Park, MN 55416
Legal Description (Tax Description):
Lot 6, AUDITOR’S SUBDIVISION NO. 323, Hennepin County, Minnesota
Property address:
5707 Minnetonka Blvd. St. Louis Park, MN 55416
Legal Description (Tax Description):
Tract A, Registered Land Survey No. 1105, Hennepin County, Minnesota
MINNETONKA
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS: That Saint Louis Park Economic Development Authority, a Minnesota corporation, and Greater Metropolitan Housing Corporation, a Minnesota non-profit corporation, owners of the following described property.
Certificate of Title Number 1501694. TRACT A, Registered Land Survey No. 1105, Hennepin County, Minnesota.
Certificate of Title Number 1501698.
Lot 4, Auditor's Subdivision No, 323, Hennepin County, Minnesota.
Certificate of Title Number 1490492.
Lot 5, Auditor's Subdivision No. 323, Hennepin County, Minnesota.
Certificate of Title Number 1463485.
Lot 6, Auditor's Subdivision No. 323, Hennepin County, Minnesota.
Hove caused the same to be surveyed and platted as MINNETONKA BLVD TWIN HOMES and do hereby dedicate to the public for public use the public ways and the drainage and utility easements as created by this plat.
In witness whereof said Saint Louis Pork Development Authority, a Minnesota Corporation has caused these presets to be signed by its proper officer this ______ day of _____ 20 __ .
Signed:
Chief Manager
STATE OF ______ _
COUNTY OF ______ _
This instrument was acknowledged before me on this ____ day of _____ 20_, by _______ and
Signature ________ _
0111
Notary Public, _______ County, Minnesota
My commission expires: ______ _
In witness whereof said Greater Metropolitan Housing Corporation, a Minnesota non-profit corporation hos caused these presents to be signed by its proper officer this ______ day of _____ 20
Signed:
Chief Manager
STATE OF ______ _
COUNTY OF ______ _
This instrument was acknowledged before me on this ____ day of _____ 20_, by _______ and
Signature ________ _
Printed _________ _
Notary Public, _______ County. Minnesota
My commission expires: ______ _
I, Ryan M. Peterson, Professional Land Surveyor, do hereby certify that I have surveyed or directly supervised the survey of the property described on this plat; prepared this plat or directly supervised the preparation of this plat; that this plat is a correct representation of the boundary survey; that all mathematical data and labels are correctly designated on this plat; that all monuments depicted on this plat have been correctly set; that all water boundaries and wet lands, as defined in Minnesota Statutes, Section 505.01, Subd. 3, as of the date of the surveyor's certification are shown and labeled on this plat; and all public ways are shown and labeled on this plat.
Dated this ____ day of __________ 202 _ _.
STATE OF ______ _
COUNTY OF ______ _
Ryan M. Peterson, Professional Land Surveyor Minnesota License No. 60424
This instrument was acknowledged before me on this ____ day of _____ 20_, by ________ and _______ _
Signature ________ _
Printed _________ _
Notary Public, _______ County, Minnesota
My commission expires: ______ _
BLVD TWIN HOMES R.T. DOC. NO. --------1
C.R. DOC. NO. ____ ---,,
ST LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA
I hereby certify that this plat of MINNETONKA BLVD T'MN HOMES, was approved by the City Planning Commission of the City of St Louis Park at a meeting thereof held this ______ day of __________ 20 _ _. If applicable, the written comments and recommendations of the Commissioner of Transportation and the County Highway Engineer have been received by the City or the prescribed 30 day period has elapsed without receipt of such comments and recommendations, as provided by Minnesota Statutes Section 505.03, Subd. 2.
___________ Mayor City Clerk
RESIDENT AND REAL ESTATE SERVICES, Hennepin County. Minnesota I hereby certify that taxes payable in 20 __ and prior years have been paid for land described on this plat, dated this ______ , day of __________ 20 __ .
Daniel Rogan, County Auditor by ____________ Deputy
SURVEY DIVISION, Hennepin County. Minnesota
Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes Section 3838.565 (1969), this plot has been approved this ____ day of ----------20 __ .
Chris F. Mavis, County Surveyor by ___________ _
REGISTRAR OF TITLES, Hennepin County, Minnesota
I hereby certify that the within plat of MINNETONKA BLVD T'MN HOMES was filed in this office this ____ day of __________ 20 __ , at ___ o'clock __ .m.
Amber Bougie, Registrar of Titles by _____________ Deputy
County Recorder, County of Ramsey, State of Minnesota
I hereby certify that this plat of MINNETONKA BLVD TWIN HOMES was filed in the office of the County Recorder for
pubic record on this _____ day of _______ 202 ___ , at ___ o'clock __ M. and was duly filed in Book ____ of Plots, Pages ____ and ___ , as Document Number _____ _
Deputy County Recorder
Property Tax, Records and Election Services Department
Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Section 505.021, Subd. 9, taxes payable in the year 202 ___ on the land hereinbefore described have been paid. Also, pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Section 272.12, there are no delinquent taxes and transfer entered this ______ day of __________ 202 ___ .
_ __________________ Ramsey County Auditor/Treasurer
By ___________________ Deputy
SHEET 1 OF 2 SHEETS
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5e)
Title: Resolution to amend final plat of Minnetonka Boulevard Twin Homes subdivision - Ward 1 Page 8
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SHEET 2 OF 2 SHEETS
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5e)
Title: Resolution to amend final plat of Minnetonka Boulevard Twin Homes subdivision - Ward 1 Page 9
Meeting: City council
Meeting date: May 18, 2026
Consent agenda item: 5f
Executive summary
Title: Approve temporary seasonal premises amendment for liquor establishment
Recommended action: Motion to approve amendment to the licensed premises for Lago Tacos.
Policy consideration: Does the applicant meet the requirements to amend the licensed
premises for the sale and service of alcohol to include temporary/seasonal outdoor spaces?
Summary: In 2025, the city implemented a process for issuing annual commercial patio permits
for temporary/seasonal outdoor spaces. Establishments that also hold liquor licenses are
required to obtain approval of the temporary extension of their licensed premises to include
the temporary/seasonal outdoor space.
Lago Lynlake LLC, dba Lago Tacos applied for temporary extension of their licensed premises to
include a temporary/seasonal outdoor space. The restaurant currently holds an on-sale
intoxicating liquor license with Sunday sales and applied for an amendment to the existing
licensed premises located at 3801 Grand Way. The proposed amendment will add
approximately 971 square feet of seasonal-use outdoor space and will provide seating for 76
additional guests.
Applications from the establishment have been reviewed and approved by zoning, building and
the city clerk’s office. If approved by the council, the proposed amendments to the licensed
premises for the sale and service of alcohol will be valid for the duration of the commercial
patio permits. If the license holder wants to utilize the seasonal-use outdoor space in future
years they will need to go through the permitting and premises amendment processes.
St. Louis Park City Code Section 3-68 (a) states “each license shall be issued only for the exact
rooms and square footage described in the application. A license is valid only in the compact
and contiguous building or structure situated on the premises described in the license”.
St. Louis Park City Code Section 3-106 states that “proposed enlargement or substantial
alteration which changes the character of the licensed establishment or extension of a premises
previously licensed shall not be allowed unless the city council approves an amendment to the
liquor license”.
All zoning and building requirements have been met and any additional SAC charges have been
paid to the Met Council. The applicants have provided proof of liquor liability insurance to cover
the additional temporary outdoor space. Staff recommend approval of the proposed premises
amendment for Lago Tacos.
Financial or budget considerations: Not applicable.
Strategic priority consideration: Not applicable.
Supporting documents: Map of proposed licensed premises extension
Prepared by: Amanda Scott-Lerdal, deputy city clerk
Reviewed by: Melissa Kennedy, city clerk
Approved by: Cindy Walsh, deputy city manager
City council meeting of May 18, 2026 (Item No. 5f) Page 2
Title: Approve temporary seasonal premises amendment for liquor establishment
Lago Tacos
3801 Grand Way
St. Louis
Park
Meeting: Council Retreat
May 18, 2026
May 18, 2026 – City Council Retreat
Following city council meeting: Follow-up facilitated conversation on Public Statement
Guidelines
Facilitator: Dave Unmacht
Retreat follow up:
At our retreat in February 2026, council spent time going over their norms and interactions
with each other. It was a rich and productive conversation. During the meeting, council
members suggested time to review current guidelines used when council makes public
statements. The current guidelines were established in February of 2023. At that time, council
spent time going through the pros and cons of when statements are made. They realized that
jumping too quickly could have unintended consequences and thus established the current
guidelines.
The intent of the retreat follow-up is to allow time for council members to review the current
practices and determine how to proceed going forward.
Attached are the current guidelines of when council makes a public statement.
Council Retreat of May 18, 2026 Page 2
Title: Follow-up facilitated conversation on best practices
Public Statements: Current Guidelines
Notes: In early 2023, city council and key staff worked on a set of prompts to help guide
decision making for potential public pronouncements about issues and/or current events. A key
takeaway from the group was a desire to keep public messaging like this rare, meaningful and
focused on the needs of our community.
The prompts are:
1. Is there a significant connection to St. Louis Park residents?
2. Will our voice on the topic be meaningful in the conversation?
3. Would we make the same statement if the situation were occurring in St. Louis Park?
4. Are we currently taking action around the issue or have a formal role in helping solve the
issue?
• This helps make sure the statement is not performative.
5. Is our community organizing around the issue? (Especially those most directly impacted.)
6. Who benefits if we do/don’t make the statement? Who will be burdened?
7. What are unintended consequences of making/not making the statement?
• Often the downstream impacts of “responding to” or “being held
accountable to” a statement are borne by people who did not make the
decision or are also directly impacted by the situation.
Example:
When the Israel/Palestinian war began in October 2023, council members received a number
of questions about what they thought and whether the city was going to take a position. The
council didn’t take a position; however, city staff put together talking points for council and
staff about what was being done to support residents who may feel unsafe and what neighbors
can do for each other to promote a sense of welcome and belonging.