HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020/05/11 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study Session Official minutes
City council study session
St. Louis Park, Minnesota
May 11, 2020
The meeting convened at 6:30 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), Director of Operations and Recreation (Ms.
Walsh), CIO (Mr. Pires), Police Chief Harcey, Fire Chief Koering, Engineering Director (Ms.
Heiser), Sr. Engineering Project Manager (Mr. Sullivan), Communications Manager (Ms. Smith),
Senior Management Analyst (Ms. Solano), and Recording Secretary (Ms. Pappas)
Guests: Derek Reise, Executive Director, STEP; Curt Raymond, Treasurer, STEP
1. COVID-19 pandemic update
Mr. Harmening stated staff is working on a re-entry plan. He stated the number one priority is
the safety of the city’s residents and visitors, city employees, and the plan is being implemented
in a deliberate, thoughtful and incremental way. He noted with this plan, it is possible there will
be a number of staff that continue to work from home for quite some time, if they are able to
do their jobs remotely.
Councilmember Harris asked how long some city employees will continue to work from home
for their safety and well-being. Mr. Harmening stated through summer, and if the virus
continues to be a threat, it depends on the recommendations of the governor, the CDC , and
MDH. He noted the city has been fortunate that no employees have become ill, and added
when employees do return to city hall, temperatures will be taken, and masks will be worn. He
stated he is very pleased with the work staff has done on this plan .
Councilmember Kraft asked about the 4-phase plan. Mr. Harmening noted the details of the
phases and stated these phases will blur into one another as things change in how the
workplace will operate in the future.
Mayor Spano asked about healthcare data as it relates to employees returning to work and how
that will be managed in the city. Mr. Harmening stated staff is looking at information from the
state and resources on this currently, as well as studying what other cities are doing around the
country.
Chief Koering gave the fire and emergency management operations report. He noted fire call
volumes remain at pre-COVID levels, adding that calls are triaged more now and fewer runs are
completed. He stated there has not been a positive COVID case on the fire staff and added that
20% of fire calls are COVID-related, with 38% in private residences, and the rest in congregate
communities.
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Councilmember Kraft thanked Chief Koering for the work of the emergency management
operations team, adding it is reassuring the city has control over the situation.
Councilmember Rog stated she continues to hear about people congregating in parks and other
places and playing roller hockey on basketball courts. She asked if there was anything new to
report on this issue. Chief Koering stated the plan relies on human behavior and noted Ms.
Walsh would have more information to share.
Chief Harcey stated police staffing levels are consistent, and no one has tested positive on the
police force. Shifts remain full and very little sick time is used, and no vacation time. He added
there is a mutual aid plan with other cities in Hennepin County, if needed.
Chief Harcey stated calls related to social distancing have been tracked since the beginning of
COVID, and over the last week, there has been a significant decrease in calls. He added the city
has done a good job communicating expectations and some issues have been eliminated but
noted if the stay at home order is extended, people may become more reluctant to follow it,
and police will continue to monitor this.
Chief Harcey added the Park Nicollet testing site on Excelsior Boulevard is running smoothly
with no back up issues. He stated they are testing about 200 people each day. He noted there
has been no increase in calls for service nor in domestic violence, but there has been an uptick
in vehicle threats and burglarized construction sites.
Councilmember Kraft asked about dispatch data the state was supposed to start providing and
if this has happened now, if it has been helpful and if there is any information related to a
summary level of cases in St. Louis Park that could be shared. Chief Harcey explained the state
data has been minimal and has not been received in a timely manner. He noted the data is only
kept on file for 14 days and then required to be removed from the system, which has not been
working as well as it should.
Councilmember Mavity asked if the city is collecting data by race to see how it is impacting the
city’s work on race equity, noting nationally there has been an enormous impact on race. Chief
Koering stated the city does not collect data on race, adding the bulk of COVID cases are in the
long-term care facilities, in the senior and white populations.
Chief Harcey added 20% of cases are unknown as per the Department of Public Safety Data, so
it is hard to know who is affected. He added he can share the Department of Public Safety Data
with the council.
Councilmember Mavity added it is important for the city to collect this data as much as
possible, and as a council and staff, everyone needs to understand how to track this
information, to respond appropriately.
Ms. Walsh stated complaints about parks are down, noting either people are growing weary of
calling to complain or they are complying more. She noted maintenance is staffed in shifts,
especially the water treatment operators, to ensure water system safety.
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Ms. Walsh stated portable bathrooms are now out in several parks, at the request of many
residents. She added seasonal employees have been cut back also.
Ms. Walsh stated they are receiving many calls on tennis and pickle ball court nets and noted
nets will not be put on courts until the governor order is released . She added when nets do go
up, they will be set up on every other court.
Councilmember Mavity asked, with all the folks out biking and walking, if signage that says
‘please wear a mask’ can be put up along the creek and Bass Lake trails, where it is very
confined for walking. She added there needs to be more education about these trails and
stated the city will not want to close them down. Ms. Walsh stated staff will work on these tight
spots on trails. She added staff has had many requests to use fields; however, she stressed
there will be no league play, no reservations taken, or bending of the rules. She added that
coaches and leaders will need to think through a plan on social distancing, wearing masks, and
using hand sanitizer before teams return to fields.
Councilmember Rog asked what the masking rules are for staff and seasonal maintenance staff
when out in the community. Ms. Walsh stated staff is told to keep social distance wit h residents
and other staff, and if possible, to wear a mask or PPE.
Councilmember Rog asked about the possibility of having a single basketball hoop on larger
courts at Birchwood and Sunshine Parks. Ms. Walsh stated yes, staff would like to put single
basket nets up at various parks, and that will be considered, but they were removed because
there was so much activity. She added this will need to be monitored to see how re-entry will
evolve.
Councilmember Rog asked if more portable bathrooms can be added, and can folks reach out
to staff with questions. Ms. Walsh stated yes; however, some of the portables were vandalized
and folks were stealing hand sanitizer, so this is being monitored.
Councilmember Brausen stated he appreciated the basketball rim at Willow Park, noting he
plays there. He also noted the Jr. High School has a singular rim available for shooting baskets .
He added he is starting to see smaller children play on park equipment and asked if there is any
way to clean the equipment over time. Councilmember Brausen stated it will be difficult to get
little kids to social distance, adding this is a reality.
Councilmember Harris noted recently there are fewer cars on her street, with folks using bikes
and walking more, which gave her an image of what might be in the future. She noted families
feel safer on busy stretches of road when there are fewer cars, adding this will be a future
conversation for the council to address.
Councilmember Harris added she had a parent reach out asking about the city maintaining a
single mountain bike track created by kids in a small wooded area within the city . Ms. Walsh
stated staff can follow up on this but noted single track mountain biking areas do need to be
maintained. She stressed there would need to be a much larger area here to allow for safe
mountain biking, and the city does not have that available. Ms. Walsh noted Three Rivers Park
has great mountain biking courses with more open area available.
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Councilmember Mohamed asked if facilities will be closed when the stay at home order has
been lifted. Ms. Walsh stated staff is waiting to see what the governor will do next, addin g they
are not sure if he will lift the order or modify it .
Councilmember Mohamed stated regarding the basketball courts, it might be perceived by
some in the city that this is a takeaway, especially if tennis court nets are put back up, and golf
courses are open. She asked if one of the basketball rims could be replaced, as this takeaway
might be perceived by minority kids as unequal. Ms. Walsh thanked Councilmember Mohamed
for this observation and noted staff is thinking about this as well.
Ms. Walsh stated when nets are replaced on tennis and pickle ball courts, they will be set up
every other court, and only singles play will be allowed, so as not to attract groups. She stated
the city encourages folks to go shoot baskets at the single nets, set up at parks across the city.
Mayor Spano asked when the cut-off date is to not offer any summer programming within the
city. Ms. Walsh stated early June. She noted all June programs have been cancelled or realigned
to July or August.
2. St. Louis Park Emergency Program (STEP) update
Derek Reise, STEP Executive Director, and Curt Raymond, STEP treasurer, presented an update.
Mr. Reise reported that COVID has changed the staffing at STEP, and most volunteers were sent
home in March. He stated STEP is continuing to serve the community with a no-contact grocery
pick up. He noted STEP is not closed and is still operating and responding to t he community
needs.
Mr. Reise stated there has been an increase in first -time users at STEP, and while the model has
changed at STEP, the food choices have changed also. He also noted the clothing program has
been suspended. He stated the biggest impact has been in housing security and he really
appreciated the city’s quick reaction on this and partnering on a grant to give emerg ency
assistance to renters. He added STEP has also begun administering a county program with
CDBG grants as well. Mr. Reise added he believes STEP has enough funding at this time to help
folks with rental payments, however he is not sure how long it will l ast.
Mr. Reise stated last time he updated council on STEP, he had talked about the possibility of a
new shared facility; however, he no longer believes this adds significant value, noting STEP is
able to connect to many resources virtually. He did, however, state for their own programs to
continue to function, STEP does need more space.
Mr. Reise added STEP will not be able to continue the clothing program in their current facilities
during COVID, noted they will need a city partnership in order to respond to the community’s
basic needs.
Mr. Raymond stated STEP did a strategic visioning process last year and identified many i ssues
with their facility. He stated the owner of their handicapped parking area has also threatened
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to break the lease, so parking will be another issue for STEP. Mr. Raymond stated STEP has a
building committee working on modifying the existing building, or purchasing a new building, or
building new. He stated they have hired a broker to look at all options .
Mr. Reise added STEP is in a period of increased need now and does not have 5 years to raise
funds for a building.
Councilmember Harris asked about the loss of handicapped parking at the end of 2020. Mr.
Reise noted they may lose their lease for handicapped parking by the end of the year, which
does put the pressure on to find an alternative. He stated they do have on street parking in
front, but it is very limited.
Councilmember Harris stated historically Hennepin County has been a safety net for human and
social services and asked if this is waning. Mr. Reise stated yes, federal funding is waning for the
county’s SNAP program. He stated STEP has been a back-up for SNAP for decades, has filled in
the gaps, but now the gaps are bigger, and many families are not eligible for SNAP or the
benefits are not adequate.
Mr. Reise added another area the county supported in the past was housing, but the federal
government and county have now fallen off on this, and STEP has always filled the gaps on this
also, with helping folks to pay their rent, and now the county is forcing agencies like STEP to
administer those programs vs. the county doing it.
Councilmember Harris asked what system changes can be enacted to ensure long-term help for
resident’s needs, if the city can offer a loan.
Councilmember Mavity stated she generally would have some concerns about the city acting as
a direct lender and providing STEP with a loan. She stated she agrees STEP is community-
owned, but she wants to be careful on setting precedent. She added in the past, the city has
been creative in finding solutions, and doing guarantees, but she has concerns, adding the
council would also need to consider other non-profits in the city as well. Councilmember Mavity
stated the city is in partnership with STEP, but she would have concerns about being a direct
lender and would be in favor of other ways to support STEP.
Councilmember Kraft stated STEP’s rental assistance program is short-term only and asked if
this situation existed for a long time for some folks, would there be changes in the rental
program. Mr. Reise stated yes, typically STEP offers 1-3 months of rental assistance with city
and county funds, but not all at once. He stated STEP is not able to provide support for longer
than 3 months, adding it would take a significant number o f additional funds to continue this
program.
Councilmember Kraft asked if STEP has a way to track this over time to see how many people
go through this program and how they fair at the other end . Mr. Reise stated STEP can track
what is coming in, but it is harder to track results. He noted the city has a 3-year housing study
that provides information on housing insecurity.
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Councilmember Kraft asked what is needed for the clothing program, especially the winter
coats program. Mr. Reise stated STEP might still be able to do it offsite, for one or two days per
week, but it would not be easily accessible, and will be more costly to STEP.
Councilmember Kraft stated he feels like the city is in partnership with STEP and he is interested
in continuing this discussion, noting he wants to learn more about the direct loan process.
Councilmember Rog asked Mr. Harmening to confirm that the city makes loans. Mr. Harmening
stated yes; however, they are loans to improve buildings, or loans to housing associations for
improvements and sometimes forgivable loans. He added a loan to STEP would be different, as
it would be lending to acquire property and then the city would be a mortgage holder.
Councilmember Rog stated she is supportive of continuing the conversation with STEP and look
for ways to continue to provide support. She asked if utility payments qualify through the rental
program. Mr. Reise stated yes, a small subset of funds is available for utilities, but rent is the
biggest focus.
Councilmember Mohamed stated she is aware the city has funded STEP previously and asked
why this situation is different. Mayor Spano explained the parking issues and space limitations
as updated issues. Mr. Harmening added the loan is being discussed due to parking and building
issues, and the fact that it would be more difficult for STEP to do a capital campaign to raise the
funds needed for a new facility.
Councilmember Mohamed stated she agrees and wants to discuss this further as well, to
understand the loan process better.
Councilmember Brausen added he is glad to hear STEP is not overwhelmed being asked for
resources yet. He added he shares Councilmember Mavity’s concerns about a direct loan to
STEP and added the council has had requests for loans in the past on a building from the
historical society, which was turned down. However, he added he does want to continue the
discussion on how the city can partner with STEP.
Mayor Spano added he is also interested in continuing the conversation . He asked Mr.
Raymond how the budget has changed during the time Mr. Raymond has been treasurer. Mr.
Raymond stated when he started the budget was near $800,000 and now it is in excess of
$2 million.
Mayor Spano stated the city is seeing an expansion of need and it is di fficult for STEP to keep
filing the gap. He noted STEP is doing the work that state and county agencies should b e doing,
while these agencies are providing less and less funding every year to STEP.
It was the consensus of the council to continue this discussion with STEP.
3. Wooddale petition
Councilmember Mavity stated the Wooddale neighborhood is asking to change the plan and
have the city go with the staff’s original plan of bike lanes on Wooddale and no parking, and
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with three trees removed. A petition of 31 signatures, all those who live on Wooddale Avenue
from Morningside Avenue to 44th Street, was signed and submitted to the council, asking to
return to the original plan presented by staff two years ago.
Councilmember Mavity stated she is frustrated and unhappy about this petition and cannot
support it. She now has concerns for the adjacent neighbors, who are worried about overflow
parking coming onto their streets. She asked the councilmembers to continue to support the
approved project in place.
Councilmember Brausen agreed, and stated he is not in favor of the petition and supports the
approved project in place.
Councilmember Rog stated the residents are struggling with the process and looking for the
best outcomes. She stated the petition is completely legitimate and she is aligned with the best
outcome for the area. She is not comfortable with how the public engagement process went,
and she will support the petitioners.
Councilmember Harris stated she took much time listening to the residents and hearing how
important parking was to them, adding she is going to support the original plan staff present ed
and is in opposition to the petition.
Councilmember Kraft stated he understands the concerns from folks who live in the adjacent
area and asked about doing permit parking. Mr. Harmening stated yes, this could be done, but
added that this is the public right-of-way, and there is a concern about reinforcing the thinking
that on-street parking equals resident parking.
Councilmember Mohamed stated this is a complicated situation, but she will support the
petitioners.
Mayor Spano stated he does share Councilmember Mavity’s views; however, he did not hear
from anyone about this issue as it relates to engagement. He added that this does not mean
there were no issues. He stated he will also support the petition as it is the simplest and most
cost-effective way of doing the project and was also the original plan presented by staff.
Councilmember Kraft stated he is struggling with this but prefers the solution that costs less. He
is concerned about making a change to the street that might be regrettable late r, and added he
is concerned about the public process as well. He stated the decision was made and now it is
changing, and this bothers him. However, he will support the petition and if the plan does not
work, it can more easily changed. He also had concerns that the other option might be more
costly.
Councilmember Mavity stated she preferred this design from the beginning, it’s more cost
effective, and not a horrible outcome. However, it subverts the process and shows that things
do not end when the council votes, and she is concerned about that. She stated the council
needs to be cognizant that public streets are public. She added she would like to pursue permit
parking, as folks’ driveways cannot support this, as well as supporting the interests of residents
on Morningside Avenue or Dart Avenue.
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4. Future study session agenda planning and prioritization
The following items were discussed as future study sessions topics:
- Budget, climate action in time of COVID
- Crime-free work group presentation
- ESC will present the work plan on climate action plan
- Re-visit commission and board interviews, appointment process, and timeline update
- Biking and walking during pandemic as an alternative to public transportation, and how
this fit into Connect the Park
Councilmember Kraft noted the written report on the small business resources update . He
stated he would like Ms. Barton’s summary thoughts about the business community,
considering staff is speaking to over 1000 businesses during the pandemic. He asked if there are
certain businesses in the city, in terms of climate action, that would increase biking and
walking.
Councilmember Rog noted smaller businesses don’t have access to consultants like ADP who
can help with COVID-related issues, updates and information, noting it could be helpful to have
some of that information go to small business from the city through an email or list serve . She
added she has heard concerns from several small businesses that there will be cash flow
problems when they re-open, and could the city look at rental assistance for small businesses
down the road, when there is no longer rent relief from landlords. She stated she did hear a lot
of gratitude for the city’s small business grant program, and added if the city can do it again,
they should, as there will be more needs as time goes on.
Councilmember Harris thanked staff for looking into options on pop-up licenses, adding this will
be a good tool to support the small business community.
The meeting adjourned at 10:00 p.m.
Written Reports provided and documented for recording purposes only:
5. Annual small business resources update
______________________________________ ______________________________________
Melissa Kennedy, city clerk Jake Spano, mayor
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