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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026/07/01 - ADMIN - Minutes - Police Advisory Commission - Regular1. Call To Order – Welcome New Members: Derek Fradenburgh, Anthony Del Percio, Tommy Hines, RaNae Bruesch, And Rachel Nieves Chair Karl Gamradt called the meeting to order at approximately 7:10 PM. New members present were welcomed and invited to briefly introduce themselves and share what brought them to the commission. Commissioner Derek Fradenburgh shared that he began attending meetings regularly in March 2026 following Operation Metro Search and became involved in community organizing, including anti-ICE efforts, and saw the PAC as a meaningful way to make an impact. Commissioner Tommy Hines echoed similar motivations, citing the complicated climate around policing and a desire to become more involved after attending meetings as a community member. Commissioner Anthony Del Percio noted that he had previously served on the commission approximately 30 years ago but relocated to San Diego before completing his term. He expressed a desire to finish what he started. He shared a background of over 40 years in psychology, grief and loss work, and stress management consulting with law enforcement agencies. Commissioner Rachel Nieves shared that her 16-year-old son encouraged her to apply based on her many years of experience in social services. She also noted that her husband is in law enforcement, giving her what she described as a unique perspective. 260701 PAC Meeting Meeting Minutes July 2, 2026, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM 5005 Minnetonka Boulevard, St. Louis Park, MN 55416, US Deputy Chief Siar Nadem introduced himself to the newer members, noting that he had attended prior PMAC meetings and expressed enthusiasm for the group, stating his intention to be a regular presence going forward. Lt. Matt Blomsness introduced himself as the new PAC staff liaison and thanked the existing members for helping orient him to his role. 2. Roll Call Present: Chair Karl Gamradt, Commissioner Jillian Dixon, Commissioner Michael Rydberg, Commissioner Diane Slais, Commissioner Jay Wolkenbrough, Commissioner Anthony Del Percio, Commissioner Tommy Hines, Commissioner Derek Fradenburgh, Commissioner Rachel Nieves Absent: Vice Chair Saul Eugene, Commissioner RaNae Bruesch (noted as having a scheduling conflict), Commissioner Kari Holmes. A quorum was established. 3. Approval Of Agenda The agenda was presented as distributed. No amendments were proposed. A motion to approve the agenda was made and seconded. The motion carried unanimously. 4. Approval Of June 2026 Minutes Chair Gamradt raised concerns that the AI-generated minutes from the June 2026 meeting contained several inaccuracies and omissions. He noted that nuanced discussion — particularly around the behavioral health unit and domestic violence follow-up protocols — had been misstated or oversimplified. He indicated a need to review the actual recording before the minutes could be accurately approved. Lt. Blomsness acknowledged that the recording he had attempted to share with Chair Gamradt had failed to transmit properly. He explained the general process: meeting recordings are transcribed by software, a high-level summary is generated and reviewed by the liaison, and members are given approximately one week to provide feedback before the minutes are finalized at the next meeting. Commissioner Fradenburgh asked whether minutes are sent to members in advance of each meeting. Lt. Blomsness confirmed that they are, and noted that the June minutes had not been sent to the newly appointed members, as they had not yet been members at the time of that meeting. It was agreed that the June minutes should be tabled to allow Chair Gamradt to review the recording and make necessary corrections before bringing them back for approval at the August meeting. A motion to table the approval of the June 2026 minutes to the August 2026 meeting was made and seconded. The motion carried unanimously. 5. Old Business There was no formal old business brought forward under this item separate from agenda items covered below. 6. Updates – Community Conversations With The PAC Chair Gamradt provided an overview of the Community Conversations initiative for the benefit of new members. He explained that the PAC piloted a neighborhood presentation last year and is now revising and restructuring the format for 2026. The updated program will be organized around three primary topics: 1. Traditional vs. Community Policing — including an explanation of what community policing looks like in St. Louis Park and how it differs from traditional enforcement-focused approaches. 2. Behavioral Health Unit and Domestic Violence Response — with a focus on community partnerships and resources. Chair Gamradt noted that specific law enforcement protocols would intentionally be kept out of the presentation to avoid giving abusers a roadmap. Officer wellness and mental health support programs would also be incorporated into this section. 3. Department Response During Homeland Security Events — intended to demystify the SLPPD's role during large-scale events, such as protests or significant public gatherings. Chair Gamradt described an interactive element planned for each session: attendees at tables would be asked to write words or phrases that come to mind when they hear terms like "community policing" on Post-it notes. These responses would be shared and used to help the commission better understand and respond to community sentiment. Deputy Chief Nadem added context on the changing demographics of St. Louis Park, noting that a significant portion of current residents are younger individuals or families without long-term roots in the city, who may lack historical context about the police department's community-oriented approach. A longstanding member expressed frustration with the pace at which the commission's outreach goals have been realized, noting that similar plans had been discussed for approximately 20 months without tangible implementation. He cited a failed attempt to secure a tabling opportunity at Parktacular and noted that a previously identified venue — the nature center — could not be used without City approval. Lt. Blomsness shared an email from City Liaison Pat Coleman acknowledging that the commission had not been adequately kept informed about the tabling process, and apologizing for the oversight. Deputy Chief Nadem encouraged the commission to focus its energy on one work plan item at a time rather than attempting multiple large initiatives simultaneously. He suggested using the two hours of each monthly meeting more productively by working in groups to finalize presentation content, then identifying specific dates and venues through the City for delivery. Commissioner Fradenburgh raised a recent City Council action to assign council liaisons to attend commission meetings more regularly, suggesting this could help address the challenges in moving commission work forward. Chair Gamradt and Lt. Blomsness confirmed that once the commission approves a final version of the Community Conversations presentation, it would need to be reviewed by the Police Chief and city leadership before events can be scheduled — though the City Council had previously indicated that a commission-approved work plan item does not require separate council authorization. To advance the content review, Chair Gamradt proposed scheduling an informal working session approximately three weeks out. After a brief discussion of scheduling preferences, the group settled on Thursday, July 16, 2026 at 6:30 PM via Zoom. Chair Gamradt committed to distributing the current presentation materials to all members by July 10th, with an open invitation for written feedback from anyone unable to attend. 7. Updates - Community Survey Chair Gamradt provided background on the community survey initiative for new members. He explained that the concept originated in 2017 as a PAC effort to gauge community attitudes toward policing. In the fall of 2025, the PAC partnered with a student team from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, whose semester project was to design a survey instrument on community attitudes toward policing, complete with implementation recommendations. The final product was presented to the PAC in December 2025, shortly after the commission's annual meeting with the City Council. Chair Gamradt indicated that the commission's role at the upcoming August council meeting would include presenting a synopsis of the students' work and advocating for the council to pursue a formal survey effort. Deputy Chief Nadem noted that the recently completed Axtell consulting report — an independent assessment of the police department covering community perceptions, department strengths and challenges, staffing, and long-term strategic priorities — covers substantial ground that overlaps with what a community survey would seek to learn. He encouraged all members to read the report, noting it would be distributed via email. He suggested that if the commission's energy could be redirected, it might be better deployed elsewhere, rather than duplicating work already captured by the consultants. He added that the department would be presenting on the "welcoming, safe community" strategic priority in September as part of the city's Vision 4 planning process. Chair Gamradt acknowledged the overlap but indicated the commission still intended to bring the survey concept to the council's attention, given the years of work invested in it. 8. Workplan Review / Need For Updates? Chair Gamradt summarized the current 2026 work plan items for the benefit of new members: Community Conversations — actively in progress, as discussed above. Community Survey — complete in terms of the student-developed design; advocacy for implementation ongoing. Youth Member Accreditation — addressed below under agenda item 9. Outreach to Other PAC-Like Groups in Other Cities — acknowledged as receiving little attention in 2026 due to time consumed by the separation ordinance review and other priorities. Deputy Chief Nadem suggested this item may not be the best use of commission bandwidth, given that other communities face different challenges. Bylaw Updates — Chair Gamradt noted the commission's bylaws were last updated in 2003 and contain provisions that are no longer consistent with current city ordinance or practice, such as a secretary officer position and an outdated work plan submission deadline. He indicated he would distribute the bylaws and proposed edits for member review, framing this as a low-priority but achievable item. Chair Gamradt also noted that the commission's 2026 annual work plan and report, submitted in January, may not have been formally received or acknowledged by City staff, and committed to sharing those documents with all members. Upcoming Council Presentation: Lt. Blomsness confirmed that the commission's annual presentation to the City Council has been scheduled for Monday, August 17, 2026 at 6:30 PM. The presentation format is a concise, approximately three-slide update covering work plan progress and any requests for direction. All commission members are welcome to attend. Chair Gamradt noted the presentation would also include the community survey synopsis. Officer Elections: Chair Gamradt noted that officer elections (chair and vice chair) are held each December, immediately preceding the January deadline for the annual report and work plan. He and Commissioner Slais raised the concern that this timeline places an unreasonable burden on newly elected officers, and suggested the commission consider adjusting the election timing as part of the bylaw update process. 9. Senior And School Outreach Lt. Blomsness shared upcoming community outreach events hosted by the police department, welcoming all commissioners to participate: Senior Social Hour — Lenox Community Center, July 8, 10:00 AM Skate-a-Palooza — Carpenter Park Skate Park (south of the police department), date noted as upcoming Basketball in the Park — Ainsworth Park, every Thursday in July (July 9, 16, 23, and 30) at 6:00 PM; the July 3rd date is canceled due to the holiday Fishing with a Cop — July 15; the prior session was canceled due to weather National Night Out — Tuesday, August 5; commissioners were encouraged to attend as it was identified as a prime opportunity for direct community engagement Deputy Chief Nadem strongly recommended the Basketball in the Park events and National Night Out as particularly valuable engagement opportunities. He and Lt. Blomsness explained that commissioners attending outreach events can be introduced as PAC members, answer questions, and engage in dialogue with community members and officers. For outdoor events, commissioners were advised to monitor the department's social media channels by 1:00–2:00 PM on event days for any weather-related cancellation notices. Commissioner Del Percio asked about receiving background materials on the police department's structure and history to better prepare for community interactions. Lt. Blomsness offered to share a general overview document previously prepared for incoming council members, adapted appropriately, and indicated he would send it via email for members to review independently. Youth Member Credit: Commissioner Slais reported on her outreach to other city commissions that have youth members, with the goal of sharing the PAC's successful model for awarding school credit. She contacted liaisons for five other commissions — including Community & Technology, Environmental & Sustainability, Human Rights, Parks & Recreation, and Planning — in mid-June, and received callbacks from three. She also spoke with Principal Paddock at St. Louis Park High School, who confirmed awareness of the program and indicated that City Liaison Pat Coleman may reach out to request a copy of outgoing Youth Commissioner Dixon’s reflection paper to use as a reference for other schools. Commissioner Slais noted that she informed Pat Coleman of the PAC's progress on this effort, and that he acknowledged and expressed appreciation for the outcome. She also raised the importance of outreach to students attending schools outside of St. Louis Park through open enrollment, encouraging them to explore youth commission opportunities in their city of residence. Youth Commissioner Dixon shared that she had learned about the PAC through a teacher connected to a summer youth data analyst program with the school district. She recommended promoting youth commission opportunities consistently throughout the school year, with particular emphasis in May and June, and suggested that PAC could reach out directly to schools to post flyers or make announcements. She noted that the City Council has the authority to appoint youth members at any time and encouraged pursuing that avenue to avoid waiting for a formal application cycle. 10. New Business No new business items were formally introduced. 11. Other Business A commissioner shared a firsthand account of calling the non-emergency police line and noted a prompt and effective response. Deputy Chief Nadem took the opportunity to encourage all commissioners to call the non-emergency line whenever they observe something out of the ordinary, emphasizing that it is always better to report and have officers investigate than to wait and risk a more serious outcome. 12. Thanks To Commissioner Jillian Dixon Chair Gamradt extended formal recognition and thanks to outgoing Youth Commissioner Jillian Dixon for her exceptional service to the commission. He noted that Commissioner Dixon maintained a near-perfect attendance record throughout her term, attended events outside of regular meeting hours, and contributed meaningfully to the commission's work — including efforts that directly led to the establishment of academic credit for youth commission service. Chair Gamradt stated that "thank you doesn't even seem like enough." Commissioner Slais and others echoed the sentiment, and Commissioner Dixon expressed that she had found the experience rewarding and was grateful for the opportunity to contribute to her community. 13. Adjournment A motion to adjourn was made and seconded. The motion carried unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at approximately 9:00 PM. These minutes were created with the assistance of a generative AI transcript service, then edited and finalized by a city staff person.