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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026/05/04 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study SessionOfficial 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. 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 Special study session minutes - 2 - May 4, 2026 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 formal training that cannot be compressed and that the current staffing strain reduces the department's ability to invest in that development. Special study session minutes - 3 - May 4, 2026 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 also expressed personal concern about the behavioral health unit's reduced capacity given his family's experience with mental illness. Special study session minutes - 4 - May 4, 2026 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 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. Special study session minutes - 5 - May 4, 2026 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.