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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019/01/14 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study Session Official minutes City council study session St. Louis Park, Minnesota January 14, 2019 The meeting convened at 6:38 p.m. Councilmembers present: Mayor Jake Spano, Tim Brausen (arrived 6:50 p.m.), Steve Hallfin, Rachel Harris, Anne Mavity, Thom Miller, and Margaret Rog. Staff present: City Manager (Mr. Harmening), Director of Community Development (Ms. Barton), Housing Supervisor (Ms. Schnitker), Management Assistant (Ms. Carrillo Perez), Communications Manager (Ms. Larson), and Recording Secretary (Ms. Pappas). Guest: Derek Burrows Reise, STEP Executive Director and Dick Parsons, STEP Board Member. 1. Future study session agenda planning – February, 2019 Mr. Harmening presented the proposed study session agenda for February, 2019. Councilmember Miller asked about spending more time on the Climate Action Plan (CAP) and less time on the community health topic at the next study session. Councilmember Harris agreed, adding the CAP discussion could be coupled with a conversation on energy efficiency for home, in light of recent legislation related to energy efficient home designations. Councilmember Rog noted the report from the fire chief on community health has been presented in the past to the council. She proposed reducing the amount of time on this report and focusing more on the CAP discussion. Mayor Spano suggested the fire chief’s report be presented in written form, with recommendations, and then be discussed if needed. Councilmember Miller agreed. 2. St. Louis Park Emergency Program (STEP) facility discussion Mr. Harmening reviewed the concept previously discussed by STEP and the council and stated tonight, the council will be asked if they would like to pursue the idea of a community connection center. Mr. Parson’s stated he has been a resident of St. Louis Park for 40 years, and is the past chair of STEP. He said the needs are real for those who have needs in the community, adding that STEP has a vision of a center for services that would meet shared community goals, be close to the high school, library and new LRT area, and located in the Walker Lake district . Mr. Reise stated STEP currently owns its building which is centrally located, on two bus lines, and has on-site parking. The current building is 9,000 square feet of warehouse and office space, and the building is currently used at maximum capacity. DocuSign Envelope ID: AFF3E76E-FAB7-4C16-8B77-74E062DF6FC1 Study session minutes -2- January 14, 2019 Mr. Reise stated a partnership with the city would benefit STEP, the city and community. He noted currently STEP is constrained in their facility and need to better engage in p artnerships to have a bigger impact in the community. He noted the vision is to have a city-owned facility which has a STEP presence within it, and administers a significant portion of services to the community, along with having space for events, meetings and classes. Mr. Reise added there is limited space in their current location for the food and clothing programs, social workers and program and administrative staff . He noted there is also no space for volunteers or for seasonal distribution of healthy foods either. Councilmember Harris thanked the STEP board members for presenting their ideas. She asked how Hennepin County plays a role and if STEP collaborates at all with them. Mr. Reise stated the county administers federal programs; however, there is not much room for overlap in terms of collaboration with the county and STEP. Councilmember Harris asked what STEP’s needs will be over the next 10 years. Mr. Reise stated STEP is stable, but will try to help in a deeper, more effective way, and be more impactful with better food programs and connecting folks to other resources in the community . He added STEP will connect with the strategic goals of the council in responding to homelessness prevention and partnering better with others. Councilmember Miller stated he understands the challenges, and recognizes STEP is coming to the table with this request. He asked if other cities have resource centers that partner with food shelves. He asked if STEP is interested in expanding their own space, or if there is a strong need for a community resource center. Mr. Reise stated similar agencies have similar space such as STEP; however, other cities such as Plymouth and Bloomington have larger spaces and more services. He stated because of STEP’s great track record in working with the city, the logical conclusion is move forward with a resource center. He added STEP’s current location is best for now, and would be difficult to move from there. This is why they are looking to partner with the city on additional space. Councilmember Rog thanked Mr. Reise adding she understands their thinking. She is in favor of a much stronger partnership between the city and STEP as well. She asked about the type and size of facility STEP is asking about. Mr. Reise stated it is early and depends on how many pieces the city would want to be part of, but suggested 6,000-9,000 additional square feet, and $1 to $5 million in costs, depending on how and where the process evolves. Ms. Rog asked if STEP would do a fundraising or capital campaign. Mr. Reise stated it is early to commit to that, but if they did, STEP would need to raise funds to repurpose the current location first. Councilmember Rog asked about STEP’s clothing program and the number of c lients that use this. Mr. Reise stated STEP has hosted the no-cost clothing program since 1977 and it is available to St. Louis Park residents only. He noted they distribute to 3,000 residents each year, DocuSign Envelope ID: AFF3E76E-FAB7-4C16-8B77-74E062DF6FC1 Study session minutes -3- January 14, 2019 including 1,100 coats, and the clothing all comes from community donations and s ome retail partners. The clothing is for all age groups, and many clients return clothes when their children have outgrown them for others to use. He stated STEP could do more with more space. Councilmember Rog stated this strikes her as being a really good investment for the city. Councilmember Mavity agreed and stated she is very much in support of STEP and the work they do, adding the needs are so great. She stated the council has, over the years, discussed a community center, noting they will need to have further discussions in order to know where the city wants to go with this. She said this will need to be decided prior to entering into a partnership with STEP on a community center. Councilmember Mavity noted the policies of the city providing funding to non-profits must also be addressed by the council, as there are many non-profits in the community, and the city must be thoughtful and fair to all of its non-profit partners, before entering into an agreement with STEP. Councilmember Mavity asked how important is proximity to STEP’s existing facility in terms of other areas in the city, and if tagged onto other services. Mr. Reise stated STEP strongly prefers a facility that is close to its current location, which is centrally located and can ser vice many clients that live close by. Councilmember Brausen noted he shares his colleague’s appreciation for all the work STEP does, but also agrees with Councilmember Mavity, and the need for the council to discuss the idea of a community center further. He also noted some folks may not want to come to a community center for help if it involves working with the city, depending on their circumstances. He stated he would like staff to explore this more, and would want the council to discuss this further as well. Councilmember Hallfin noted he is a STEP board member and in agreement with what STEP would like to do. He thanked the council for their support and their comments today . Councilmember Harris asked if there are any privacy issues that would need to be addressed with a co-location. Mr. Reise stated STEP would need to be sensitive to this, and maintain all social workers and the food program at the current STEP facility. Councilmember Harris noted STEP seems interested in this facility being in the Walker Lake district, and with the upgrades the city is currently doing, could the land space be better used for an addition onto the current STEP location . Mr. Reise stated STEP did discuss this as it related to their parking lot. Mayor Spano stated he is interested in proceeding with this conversation, and asked if STEP would pay rent to the city on a project such as this. Mr. Reise stated that was not discussed by the STEP board, and depends on the details of scale and scope, adding it would be mor e cost effective for STEP to pay rent vs. owning a building. Mayor Spano noted he would like to have a discussion with council as this project would be precedent setting, which is fine. He asked also if STEP will consider a bonding request. Mr. Reise DocuSign Envelope ID: AFF3E76E-FAB7-4C16-8B77-74E062DF6FC1 Study session minutes -4- January 14, 2019 stated there was little discussion on state bonding which is a long process, and this would need to be addressed within the next 3-5 years. Mayor Spano asked Mr. Harmening what types of services the city might offer in a facility such as a community center. Mr. Harmening stated it could be a one-stop shop, with a family resource center, STEP services, city services such as public housing, section 8, and also a housing staff person available to speak to residents. He added there might be park and rec programming, voter registration, and school district partnership as well, along with having the Central Clinic and Asset Families on location . He added discussions with the school district would be included as well. The council consensus was to continue this conversation. Mr. Harmening said staff will continue to research this and bring further information back to the council, as well as background information on past discussions the council had related to a community center. 3. Crime/drug free rental housing workgroup process Ms. Schnitker presented an overview of a proposed process to establish a workgroup of key stakeholders to review and evaluate the crime/drug free ordinance, and to present to council the workgroup’s conclusions and recommendations regarding possible amendments to the ordinance. Ms. Schnitker stated the composition of the workgroup would be primary stakeholders that are most impacted including, renters, property owners, managers and community members. She stated it will have 10 members and an outside third-party facilitator, Kathy Bennett, who served in the past as the NOAH workgroup facilitator. Ms. Schnitker stated staff’s role will be to attend meetings, and provide data and direction when needed. She noted there will be an application process for serving on the workgroup, and the final roster will include demographic, diversity and balance d membership of stakeholders. She added the meetings will be monthly, and there will be one public listening session . Final conclusions and recommendations will be presented to the council for final decisions. Councilmember Rog asked about whether meetings could be held more often than monthly. Ms. Schnitker stated it often takes time for staff to gather the data needed in between meetings, so this will allow for time to do so. It might be possible to hold meetings more often. Councilmember Rog asked if there will be openness to eliminate the ordinance if the workgroup comes to that conclusion. Mr. Schnitker stated yes, that could be a possibility, whatever the recommendations of the workgroup are, will be presented to the council. Councilmember Rog stated she has concerns about police and city staff being present at the workgroup meetings and that those most heavily impacted may not engage fully wit h police and staff in the room. Ms. Schnitker pointed out staff does not anticipate this would be an issue, and again there will be a third-party facilitator at all meetings who will discuss this issue with the workgroup members. DocuSign Envelope ID: AFF3E76E-FAB7-4C16-8B77-74E062DF6FC1 Study session minutes -5- January 14, 2019 Councilmember Mavity agreed Kathy Bennett is an excellent choice for the third-party facilitator, adding staff knows how to do this process. However, she challenged them on this approach, and to think outside the box, especially when it comes to balancing the various stake holders in the workgroup. She noted that sometimes more voices are needed in order to create equitable balance in the group, and also noted staff must think about transportation to and from the meetings for workgroup members, as well as day care provisions. Councilmember Mavity stated there will need to be packets of information provided in advance of the meetings, and this may all take additional staff effort . She also pointed out the city might need to hire analysts to do some of this additional work as well, similar to what Minneapolis did when they were having ordinance issues. Councilmember Mavity stated one public listening session is not enough, and there will need to be 2-3 along the way, in order to better engage folks on issues along the process. Councilmember Harris noted minor suggestions, stating folks who have been negatively impacted might not be comfortable applying for the workgroup, and she suggested doing a focus group so folks can share in a session as well, and to help protect anonymity. Ms. Schnitker stated staff will bring all applications to council for selection, and staff will do outreach in person, on social media and on the city web page, along with recruitment for the workgroup positions. Councilmember Miller stated he is confident in staff conducting this process, and obtaining data. He asked if the data will be made up of police reports. Ms. Schnitker stated staff is currently looking into this, and will pull data from police reports . Councilmember Miller asked if there will be a way to differentiate between data and anecdotal information. He also asked how the city will ensure there is a balance of folks on the workgroup that are both in favor of and opposed to the ordinance . Ms. Schnitker stated this will be addressed on the application, and will ask which stakeholder group a person represents. She added the NOAH workgroup process was very respectful of differing ideas and opinions, even while folks did not always agree. Councilmember Brausen stated he is supportive of the workgroup and trusts that a well- balanced group will form. He is not worried about staff being in the room as they are a necessary part of the process, and they understand also where council is coming from and will make clear recommendations. He suggested the city pay for day care expenses for workgroup members also. Councilmember Hallfin agreed with Councilmember Brausen stating he utterly trusts staff on this process and agrees with their report. He stated the city is working to make the best policy and is tasking the workgroup to make recommendations to council. Ultimately the decision will be up to the council, on how to proceed. He did not agree with talk of thinking outside the box, and noted there are some who were negatively impacted by the ordinance and also some who were positively impacted. He stated he is looking forward to the public process. DocuSign Envelope ID: AFF3E76E-FAB7-4C16-8B77-74E062DF6FC1 Study session minutes -6- January 14, 2019 Mayor Spano stated he generally is supportive of staff recommendations on this, but added it will be important that workgroup meetings are not consistently held at city hall. He also agreed transportation will be an issue that needs to be addressed, and added there will need to be more than one listening session. He stated the first listening session must be very early in the process and then additional ones later. Mayor Spano added he is concerned about folks that may have been touched by police and may not want to speak, noting it would be helpful to have an anonymous phone number available to call, to be sure the city gathers all input. Mayor Spano suggested staff provide a written report that council can review at another meeting and then proceed. It was the consensus of the council to move forward with the workgroup application process at this time. Communications/meeting check-in (verbal) Councilmember Brausen noted in Ward 4, there have been ongoing discussions with staff on the pavement management project, and the process has moved along well. Councilmember Mavity stated regarding the land trust housing report, it would be a great idea to demonstrate technologies, and asked when someone will be moving into the house . Ms. Schnitker stated the city will purchase the home in the next month and do renovations and energy improvements. By late fall, there should be folks living in it. She added the city will want to do an open house first and showcase the home with all its improvements . Councilmember Rog appreciated the census count update from staff, adding she is available to help, and also has volunteers from various organizations that are willing to help as well. She suggested the city integrate census information in all information from the city to residents, noting this was discussed at the recent conference she attended. Ms. Carrillo Perez asked the council to encourage people to apply for boards and commissions through Feb 28 and to apply on the city website. The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m. Written Reports provided and documented for recording purposes only: 4. 2019 Pavement Management Project update (4019-1000) 5. Food security and access study 6. Update on 2020 Census 7. Purchase of tax forfeited property located at 3611 Glenhurst Ave. S. 8. November 2018 monthly financial report ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Melissa Kennedy, City Clerk Jake Spano, Mayor DocuSign Envelope ID: AFF3E76E-FAB7-4C16-8B77-74E062DF6FC1