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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1968/04/22 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Regular MINUT S OF CIT Y COUNCIL iv-EETING 5T . LOUIS PARI{ , MINNESOTA April 22 , 1968 1 , CALL TO ORDZA A regular meeting oa the City Council was called to order by President Pro Tem Howard at 8 : 05 p . m . 2 . INVOCATION Invocation was given by President Pro Tem �: oward . 3 . ROLL CALL The following Councilmen were present at roll call : Murray Galinson Richard Craves James Heltzer Frank Howard Richard Koch Also present were the City Manager , City Attorney , Planning Director , Director of Public -iT orks , Supervisor of Protective Inspection and sec - retary . Councilman Reynolds arrived at 8 : 09 pm . 4 . MINUTES On motion of Councilman Koch , seconded by Councilman Craves , the minutes of the regular meeting held April 15 , 1968 were approved by a five yea vote . Councilman Reynolds was not present . 5 . COMMUNICATION CONCERNING PROMOTION OF RACIAL EQUALITY AND JUSTICE . Reverend Robert Bar :ly , Westwood Lutheran Church , urged Council to take positive action to promote racial equality and justice in the City by taking the lead in implementing a nine point recommendation and establish them as a policy for St . Louis Park . He read the nine points as follows : 1 . That in light of the current crisis , all St . Louis Park City employees participate in educational programs in human relations , minority history , jects designee? to make them more sensiti urban sociology and other subve 101 Council Minutes - April 22 , 1468 5 . to the rights , needs , and desires of members of minority races . 2 . That each employee of the City of St . Louis Park be assigned the responsibility for promoting racial justice and that any employee who discriminates , exhibits prejudice or disrespect towards minority races , or who , by failing to take positive action , condones racism , be subject to disciplinary action . 3 . Tit St . Louis Park require all contractors and suppliers to submit affirmative evidence that they do not discriminate in employment . Such evidence should consist , as a minimum , of proof that they either have employed minority individuals at all levels or have actively recruited them to fill each vacancy as it occurred . 4 . That St . Louis Park take positive action to require as a condition 1 of their deposit , that each of the depositories of their funds are not only acting in a non - discriminatory manner but also have positive pro - grams designed to make financial resources more readily available to members of minority races . At a minimum such positive programs shall make at least 1 %a of their allowable loan funds available for per - sonal or business loans to minority individuals regardless of whether they are considered 'nigh - risk loans by current or future credit standards . 5 . That St . Louis Park make every available elffort to recruit members of minority races to fill every vacancy or new position in city employ - ment with the substitution of more intensive on - the - job training for formal job qualifications which too often have the effect of discriminat - ing against members of minority races . 6 . That necessary changes be made in both the comprehensive plan and the zoning ordinances to ensure that a substantial portion of remain - ing undeveloped land will be reserved for low income housing . 7 . That St . Louis Park immediately develop a proposal for a publicly owned low income housing project which hopefully would assist in re - dressing our ptesent racial imbalance . 8 . That St . Louis Park require as a condition for any permit or license that the individual or business applying for such license or permit or renewal thereof submit evidence of nondiscrimination in employment as part of the application . 9 . That St . Louis Park immediately employ sufficient staff as part of the anticipated Human Zelations Commis s ion to not only carry out the responsibilities of that commission but also to make regular , routine inquiries and investigations as to whether all contractors , suppliers , 102 Council Minutes - April 22 , 1968 5q licensees , permittees , depositories , and employees are living up to their responsibilities pursuant to these requests , and to take other ' appropriate actions to promote equality of opportunity and justice in our community . Councilman Koch explained that the reply to the request of the Attorney General for an opinion as to whether the proposed human relations ord - inance conflicted with the City Charter had not been received . It was moved by Councilman Koch , secor. ded by Councilman Graves , to waive first reading of proposed ordinance establishing the Human Relations Advisory Commission and defining its powers and duties , and set date for second reading April 29 , 1968 . Motion passed by a roll call vote of six yeas . Councilman Koch stated the Council Nominating Committee would be making the recommendations for the commission and if anyone wished to serve he should submit a personal resume to the City Manager ' s office by Friday noon , May 17 , 1968 . The Council committee will present recommendations to Council May Z ( for the commission . A motion was made by Councilman Heltzer , seconded by Councilman Koch , that points 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 8 , 9 be adopted as part of the Council policy for the City of St . Louis Park , and direct staff to prepare a report indicating how the specifics of this general policy statement may be 4 implemented within the structure of the City government . Before a vote was taken it was moved by Councilman Reynolds , ' seconded by Councilman Koch , to amend Mr , * Heltzer i s motion to include points six and - seven and refer them to Planning Commission for consideration . It was brought out that all of the Council did not agree with the entire wording ' of the nine points but agreed with the intent . Councilmen Heltzer and Koch accepted Councilman Reynolds ' s motion as part of the original motion . Robert Gendreau , 3057 Ottawa Avenue , stated many of the points made good sense but he did not agree w _ th all the wording and went on to point out specific wording . It was suggested that other agencies within the City , including schools and churches , be approached with the same points as recommended to the City . Don Gallaway , 4320 Brookside Avenue , spoke as a City employee . It was moved by Councilman Galinson , seconded by Councilman Koch , that the original motion be amended by adding the words " and elected officials!" to points one and two . Motion passed by a roll call vote of six yeas . Vote was taken on the original motion as amen ded to read as + fdilows : That points 1 , 21 3 , 51 6179 8 ) 9 be adopted as part of the Council policy for the City of St . Louis Park , refer points six and seven to Planning Commission for their consic: eration , and direct staff ' 103 Council Minutes - April 22 , 1968 5 . to prepare a report indicating how the specifics of this general policy statement may be implemented within the structure of the City govern - ment . Motion passed by a roll call vote of six yeas . N It was moved by Councilman Calinson , seconded by Councilman Heltzer , that a committee be established to study the feasibility of point 4 and r report its findings to Council by May 6 , 1968 , the committee to be com - posed of Earl hanson , Bal Mathieu , i' virs . Curtis Anderson , Richard Koch and Lloyd Graven as chairman . Motion passed by a six yea vote . 6 . RESOLUTION E' XTE' NDING S YMPATH Y TO THE FAMILY OF GORDON i D . WALENSK 'Y , RESOLUTION NO , 3503 It was moved by Councilman Reynolds , seconded by Councilman Graves , to waive reading and adopt Resolution No . 3503 entitled " Resolution Ex - tending Sympathy to the Family of Gordon Do V1 alensky . " Motion passed by a six yea vote . 7 . DISCUSSION OF THE WORKABLE PROGRAM , Elmer Binford , Minnesota representative for the U . S . Department of > > Housing and Urban Development , was present to answer questions . The City Manager outlined the areas which need improvement in order to comply with the requirements of the Workable Program . It was moved by Councilman Koch , seconded by Councilman Reynolds , that staff work on the following four points * ( 1 ) Planning Commission adoption of Com - prehensive Plan , ( 2 ) updating and adopting the building codes , ( 3 ) devel - oping a plan and time schedule for code enforcement , and ( 4 ) completion of a capital improvement program , and that Council act on those items that are necessary , all of which are to be completed by June 15 , 1968 with a progress report to Council at the May 20 , 1968 meeting . Uiotion passed by a six yea vote . 8 . INCREASING AUTHCAIZED POLICE STRENGTH . A motion was made by Councilman Koch , seconded by Councilman Heltzer , that staff prepare for the April 29 , 1968 Council meeting the necessary materials to increase the police to authorized strength in the City . After discussion concerning costs and budget vote on the motion lost by a roll call of four nays and two yeas,. Councilmen Koch and Heltzer voting yea and Councilmen Graves , Howard , Reynolds and Galinson voting nay . 9 . INVESTIGATION OF AREA OF PRINCETON AVENUE , OTTAWA AVENUE AND WEST 27TH STREET . . . It was moved by Councilman Koch , seconded by Councilman Reynolc; s , 104 Council Minute s - April 2 2 , 1968 90 that the City Manager investigate the swamp area near Ottawa Avenue , c Princeton Avenue , Ottawa Place and West 207th Street for control of rats . Motion passed. by a six yea vote . 10 . COMMUNICATION CONCERNING GLEASON SPECIAL PERMIT . Paul Ravich , 630 Osborn Building , St . Paul , was present on behalf of J . V . Gleason Co . to ask for reconsideration of the Gleason special permit and also the compromise agreement which had been discussed at a previous meeting . Mr . Gleason also spoke concerning the special permit . After discussion by Council, President Pro Tem Howard ordered the communication filed with no action taken . 11 . ADJOURNMENT On motion of Councilman Reynolds , seconded by Councilman Heltzer , the meeting was adjourned at 12 ; 00 p . m . by a six yea vote . Le ?prard J . Thie , Mayor Attest Betty C well , Secretary 105