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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020/04/13 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study Session Official minutes City council study session St. Louis Park, Minnesota April 13, 2020 The meeting convened at 6:32 p.m. Councilmembers present: Mayor Jake Spano, Tim Brausen, Rachel Harris, Larry Kraft, Anne Mavity, Nadia Mohamed, and Margaret Rog Councilmembers absent: none Staff present: City Manager (Mr. Harmening), CFO (Mr. Simon), Fire Chief Koering, Police Chief Harcey, Director of Operations and Recreation (Ms. Walsh), City Assessor (Mr. Bultema), Appraiser (Ms. Nathanson), Engineering Director (Ms. Heiser), Deputy City Manager/Human Resources Director (Ms. Deno), Communications Manager (Ms. Smith), Race Equity Manager (Ms. Sojourner), Senior Management Analyst (Ms. Solano), and Recording Secretary (Ms. Pappas) Guests: none 1. COVID-19 pandemic update Fire Chief Koering gave an update. He noted there are 4 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the city’s congregate care areas. He stated the city’s emergency task force is now in the fifth week of planning and continues to plan one week in advance. Chief Koering stated all city liaisons report to the task force, with updates from the school district, congregate care, and Park Nicollet among others. He added they are also working on planning the reopening of certain areas of the city. Chief Koering added there is more stabilization on the care side now and a new normal is being created in emergency services, with emphasis on training. He noted while fewer medical calls are coming in, the calls that are coming in are COVID-related. He stated the fire department open house is postponed to October 2020. All PPE inventory within emergency services is in good shape and has been shared with some of the senior care facilities as needed . Police Chief Harcey stated all is going well in his area. He recognized the outstanding work being done by police, fire, EMS and Fire Chief Koering for his outstanding work as coordinator during this process, along with all city dispatchers adapting to the increased calls to the police department. He stated staffing levels are in a good position and noted that five officers had potential exposures to COVID, while 4 officers had gone out on sick leave, but all have since returned to work with negative results for COVID. Chief Harcey added police have been educating the community as many youth are becoming more resistant, not following social distancing rules at the basketball courts and skateboard parks over the last three weeks. He thanked Councilmember Mohamed for her assistance in talking with youth at the basketball courts recently about the importance of social and p hysical distancing. DocuSign Envelope ID: 701DD1F6-8E79-47DF-A96F-6B8289D189EF Study session minutes -2- April 13, 2020 Ms. Walsh added that staff handling water treatment are doing well, not overlapping during shifts and are never in the building at the same time. She added that staff had tried to educate youth about social and physical distancing in the parks, but efforts had been unsuccessful, so the rims were removed from 9 basketball courts today, while the skateboard park was fenced off and a closure sign posted. Ms. Walsh added all parks events are postponed through May 15, while parks are closed, and the July 4th fireworks display has been moved to Labor Day in September. She added the nature center ribbon cutting ceremony has been canceled, although staff will move from the old to the new nature center and hope to be able to use the building and open to the public by mid- September. She noted spring clean-up has been cancelled as well. Councilmember Mavity asked if there are any additional cleaning protocols for public works equipment. Ms. Walsh stated only one person per vehicle is allowed. Equipment and vehicles are wiped down at the end of a shift, and again at the beginning of a shift. Staff is also wearing gloves whenever possible. Councilmember Rog noted the governor has recommended folks wear masks in public and she wondered if there was a community engagement opportunity here with mask distribution, especially for vulnerable populations. Councilmember Rog also noted it would be helpful to have more communications information related to city event postponements and closures on the website. Ms. Walsh stated staff is discussing a revised summer brochure as well, once more information is available. Ms. Smith added there will be updates on the website, social media, Next Door, Park Perspective in May, as well as city cable TV and YouTube. Councilmember Rog asked if city tennis courts might be open and monitored, similar to Minneapolis. Ms. Walsh stated no, and that nets will be down until the governor’s shelter in place order has ended. Councilmember Rog stated she is surprised at the defiance in the community related to physical distancing, noting this was food for thought. She asked what the council can learn here and stated this is a situation the council may want to address again in the future. Chief Koering noted with face masks, it would be helpful to have councilmembers notify him about where they might be needed, so emergency services can help coordinate donations. Councilmember Brausen stated as the weather gets nicer, people will want to get outdoors more, noting it will be important to have bathroom facilities open at parks and cleaned several times per day. Ms. Walsh agreed and stated staff is discussing this issue, adding that signs may need to be posted and possibly porta-potties used at parks. Councilmember Harris asked as folks report potholes or other items on MySLP, how will responses be communicated if there is currently a longer response time. Ms. Walsh noted staff is filling potholes and folks are doing their work in shifts, so no delays are expected . DocuSign Envelope ID: 701DD1F6-8E79-47DF-A96F-6B8289D189EF Study session minutes -3- April 13, 2020 Councilmember Harris asked about the city’s scooter program, if it will be continued this summer, and if the scooters will be cleaned. Ms. Heiser stated staff has been discussing this with the scooter company. The company will be working through this issue and the scooters will remain in St. Louis Park this summer. Councilmember Harris asked Chief Harcey about the increase in officer calls related to th eft, and what led to this. Chief Harcey stated there has been a considerable increase in burglaries . Most of them had occurred during spring break time when youth were out of school. He stated this now has decreased with students doing online learning. Mayor Spano asked how the city is planning return to work and normal workflow. Chief Koering stated it’s still unclear from the state and federal leaders what that will look like, and how folks will be reintroduced back into the work force. He added that staging a return to work will be based on the needs of the community, and so the city could be ramped back down again if needed. He stated a lot will rest on how the governor approaches this. Chief Koering stated his team will take direction from City Manager Harmening and the council, adding this is being worked on currently. Mayor Spano asked how cancellations are being communicated, noting many events are still on the city website calendars. He asked if an event cancellation tab might be included on t he website, so folks had quick access to that information. Councilmember Rog agreed and added it is difficult to find information about closures on the website. She suggested more detailed tabs on the website to help folks get to the information they need. Mr. Simon stated related to finances, this is a very fluid and ever-changing situation, adding his report is based on revenue assumptions. He noted the directors are engaged and have daily and weekly meetings to work collaboratively. Mr. Simon stated impacts from COVID will involve building permits and licenses, recreation revenues, and tax delinquencies. He noted because the city had a solid 2019, some funds from the general fund might be assigned to COVID expenses, and FEMA reimbursements will be tracked and filed as well. Councilmember Kraft asked what the best-case and worst-case scenarios are. Mr. Simon stated after all data points are collected, a model will be created . Councilmember Kraft asked about cash flow, the possibility of tax revenue being pushed out several months, and how that was being modeled. Mr. Simon stated property tax will be received from the county in July and December, adding this will be tracked. Councilmember Kraft asked what areas Mr. Simon is most concerned about . Mr. Simon stated his main concern is the debt market, bond issues, and tax settlement being pushed out 3-4 months. DocuSign Envelope ID: 701DD1F6-8E79-47DF-A96F-6B8289D189EF Study session minutes -4- April 13, 2020 Councilmember Harris asked how COVID-19 impacts at 5.6% of the general budget compare to the recession of 2008-09. Mr. Simon stated the impacts will be significantly higher than the recession. Councilmember Harris asked Mr. Simon to present more information on cost containment measures at the next meeting. She added by Mr. Simon explaining he doubled the impact of the recession figures to make estimates for the current COVID-related figures, she has concerns about the amount of rental assistance being given to STEP. She asked whether they might need a larger amount of rental assistance. Mr. Simon stated he and staff continue to pull all of this information together. Councilmember Rog stated she has heard about governors advocating for more funds and is wondering if this will help cities at all. Mr. Simon stated that funding is typically for cities with populations over 100,000, but he is still looking for this informa tion. Mr. Harmening noted Ms. McMonigal is also working to find assistance for cities as it comes out from the federal government. Councilmember Rog asked if furlough for city employees is being considered . Ms. Deno stated it is being discussed with directors at this time, adding many different considerations could come into play. Councilmember Mohamed left the meeting at 7 p.m. Ms. Sojourner reported on focusing, adjusting, and shifting the work council is doing. She explained what is happening with racial equity within COVID-19 currently, and disparities being seen across the board. She noted there are current concerns by the Asian community who feel unwanted and unwelcome, at a micro-aggression level. She also pointed out the immigrant community has a higher fear of seeking support, especially if they are under documented, and seeking healthcare, are homeless, have a low income or are disabled . Ms. Sojourner pointed out that front line workers are feeling major impacts as well, including childcare workers, home health care providers, Instacart workers, janitors, low-wage workers, and people of color. She added the 2020 census is seeing delayed responses and voting in primaries has become difficult as well. Students are experiencing education and food interruption, as well as homelessness. Ms. Sojourner added that as it relates to COVID, social distancing and stay at home is a privilege. She noted in Minnesota, disparities are not being seen; however, there is a high percentage of unknown race data, so part of the story is missing. Ms. Sojourner explained the social vulnerability index and barriers, stating these are the most fragile, exposed groups without safety nets or systems to help them navigate, adding there are socially vulnerable communities in St. Louis Park. She noted these groups are fearful about their economic status, about food, and also obtaining culture-centered food, dietary needs and the DocuSign Envelope ID: 701DD1F6-8E79-47DF-A96F-6B8289D189EF Study session minutes -5- April 13, 2020 huge gap in learning and activities for youth. She stated when resources are taken from youth, such as the basketball rims being removed, then a gap is not filled, so this is problematic and a cycle. She also noted there is a huge gap in access to mental health services for communities of color. Additionally, these groups are worried about their black male youths wearing masks, ICE enforcement, and not being able to receive anything from the stimulus package . Ms. Sojourner stated staff has connected these groups with resources, but it is difficult for them to navigate. Ms. Sojourner reminded the council to be taking intentional pauses, asking what racial equity means when making policy decisions, what this looks like moving forward, and how council policies cover core needs. Councilmember Kraft asked how these gaps are filled. Ms. Sojourner stated filing these gaps is a historical problem for the underserved and needs to be thought about in the long term . Councilmember Brausen asked Ms. Sojourner to send the PowerPoint presentation to the council and asked if staff has looked at the small business grant program through a racial lens. Councilmember Harris asked Ms. Sojourner to elaborate on thinking about the community, and if this refers to neighborhood, work community, friend or family community. Ms. Sojourner pointed out there are many communities that people live in, but when council members receive calls or emails from their community members, what does this look like based on equitable action based on the community bein g served. She stated if vulnerable groups are not even on the radar, it is difficult to make equitable policy decisions. Ms. Sojourner added the most socially vulnerable won’t call councilmembers on a regular basis. Councilmember Mavity stated she appreciated the information presented and asked if the funding for STEP provided by the city has restrictions on it or if it is flexible for housing. Ms. Barton stated there are no restrictions with the STEP funding and the city made it very clear that STEP is not to ask about documentation when folks come in to learn about funding. Councilmember Mavity stated with CDGB funding, the city is able to designate that as it flows to the city, and if a need arises, there is money to allocate. She also asked how the city can make sure funds for small business loans are set aside specifically for people of color . Ms. Barton stated to her knowledge, the city has not given a small business loan to a person of color as yet, but one has been given to a female business owner. She added marketing has been done to people of color and indigenous folks as well, but none have come forward. Councilmember Mavity stated the city may want to create better personal relationships with folks in order to get the resources to them. Ms. Barton stated she will work with Ms. Sojourner further on this initiative as well. Mayor Spano added the secretary of state’s office has a tool to help identify businesses owned by persons of color, women, veterans, and recent immigrants. He noted this database can be requested for folks in St. Louis Park or within the whole state. DocuSign Envelope ID: 701DD1F6-8E79-47DF-A96F-6B8289D189EF Study session minutes -6- April 13, 2020 Mayor Spano noted that some of this work related to racial equity has happened within the city, but there is always a need for more and better connections, and networking. 2. Future study session agenda planning and prioritization Mr. Harmening stated for the foreseeable future, items deliberated by council should be items that are needed or have to be in place such as zoning, small business loans, or the Wooddale bike lane project. He stated staff is immersed in COVID-related work and does not have the bandwidth to work on other items at this time. Councilmember Harris thanked Mr. Harmening for his candor. She asked about basic core services, as they relate also to underserved populations, and how long Comcast hot spots will be offered within the city. Mr. Harmening stated there are Wi-Fi hotspots all over St. Louis Park, at the rec center, pool area, facilities at parks, and in the west end area. However, with social distancing right now, folks are not encouraged to be together in park areas. Councilmember Harris added that affordable housing is top of mind, especially for the most vulnerable. She asked if the amount contributed to STEP could be doubled. Councilmember Mohamed noted in the Muslim community Ramadan is coming soon, and it will look different. She stated she and Mayor Spano are connecting with the Muslim community in St. Louis Park and folks are looking at possibly doing Ramadan virtually . She added she agrees with Mr. Harmening about focusing on basic core services at this time, as well as items that affect socially vulnerable communities. Councilmember Mavity also appreciated Mr. Harmening’s comments. She stated the concerns about marginalized communities receiving basic services is something the council needs to be attentive to, along with keeping basic services going. Councilmember Brausen agreed and stated basic core services are the priority. He would like to see the 2019 housing activity report updated, adding this data will be crucial for understanding how things are today, after the COVID crisis, and how the city will move on. He stated as it relates to STEP, the council has not yet been asked for more help. He noted at some point he would like to discuss the small business assistance program, how it looks through a racial lens, and if it targets the smallest businesses or not. Councilmember Rog stated she is concerned about meeting basic needs but also if other opportunities come forward that involve climate change or racial equity, she would like the council to remain open to discussing this. She added she will communicate with staff on the small business loan program and would like to see this policy fine -tuned. Councilmember Kraft stated he wants to hear more on the small business grant, and he appreciated Mr. Harmening’s directness. He stated he does not need to hear daily items on COVID, but noted it is the top priority now. He stated the other crisis that needs attention is the climate crisis, adding he would like to make time to discuss high level goals on this at the right time. DocuSign Envelope ID: 701DD1F6-8E79-47DF-A96F-6B8289D189EF Study session minutes -7- April 13, 2020 Mayor Spano stated he agrees with staff about focusing on basic needs, but also agrees with Councilmember Rog that on some issues, there will be opportunities to discuss items through the COVID lens. Ms. Barton stated there will be more detailed information in the next staff report on the small business loan program, adding it will address more on outreach and targeting funds to businesses of color. She welcomed council feedback and added she will work to tailor this program to meet the needs of the community. The meeting adjourned at 9:40 p.m. Written Reports provided and documented for recording purposes only: 3. 2019 housing activity report 4. Proposed sixth amendment to purchase and redevelopment contract with PLACE E - Generation One, LLC. 5. Business terms for redevelopment contract with Sela Investments - Parkway Residences 6. Business terms for redevelopment contract with Cedar Partners, LLC – The Quentin 7. Proposed Small Business Emergency Assistance Program 8. Best Cleaners conditional use permit and variance extension ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Melissa Kennedy, city clerk Jake Spano, mayor DocuSign Envelope ID: 701DD1F6-8E79-47DF-A96F-6B8289D189EF