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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021/05/10 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study Session Official minutes City council study session St. Louis Park, Minnesota May 10, 2021 The meeting convened at 6:30 p.m. Councilmembers present: Mayor Jake Spano, Tim Brausen, Lynette Dumalag, Rachel Harris, Larry Kraft, Nadia Mohamed, and Margaret Rog Councilmembers absent: none Staff present: City Manager (Mr. Harmening), CIO (Mr. Pires), Director of Operations and Recreation (Ms. Walsh), Engineering Director (Ms. Heiser), CFO (Ms. Schmitt), Police Chief Harcey, Fire Chief Koering, Building and Energy Director (Mr. Hoffman), Director of Community Development (Ms. Barton), Community Organizer (Mr. Gray), Communications Manager (Ms. Smith), Interim Administrative Services Officer (Ms. Solano) Guests: Virginia Mancini, HRC Chair, Paul Baudhuin and Jamie Chismar, HRC members 1. Human rights commission 2021 workplan review Ms. Mancini presented. She noted the HRC has worked to support the council and the city on their racial equity goals. They worked on community outreach and developed partnerships with others in the city. In February 2020, they had their first event which got them started and helped them begin actionable goals. Ms. Mancini stated their workplan involved action and developing partnerships . They decided this summer would be a summer of action and this is how they developed this event, theme, and subcommittee. The HRC wants to be a community-oriented group, working on racial justice work within a racial equity lens. Ms. Mancini noted they worked on past policies and practices and looked at what they want to see in St. Louis Park moving forward. She added their work plan also focused on the HRC bylaws and updating the language. Ms. Mancini stated the HRC desires to work closer with council on racial equity goals and mission and to advise council. She noted the HRC has not been asked for advice from the council over the last few years, and they want to work on this as well . Councilmember Kraft asked what they worked on with the bylaws. Ms. Mancini stated a lawyer on the HRC, along with the St. Louis Park school superintendent, helped updat e language. She noted the desire of the HRC is to help council build capacity to address issues as they come up. They want to develop another subcommittee and work to support council and communicate more clearly with council. Councilmember Kraft asked if this is related to clarity on a purpose for the HRC. Ms. Mancini answered yes, and questioned if the HRC is an advisory board, what they advise council on. She asked if the HRC was developed in response to hate crime, or other issues. She noted the resolution on conversion therapy as an example. DocuSign Envelope ID: FEB98609-CA28-471E-8D03-1A03F8E742BD Study session minutes -2- May 10, 2021 Councilmember Kraft asked about building capacity for council and what that means. Ms. Mancini asked what racial equity work means for the council, and what is the council’s role in this, as well as what is the HRC’s role in that work – adding it is not clear to the HRC what that role is. Councilmember Kraft stated it seems the HRC is unclear on what the council wants from the committee. Ms. Mancini agreed and asked what the HRC relationship is with council and what council wants that to be. Councilmember Kraft stated he feels council is siloed from commissions and he thinks this workplan process is something that should be done earlier in the process – including priorities, and then have the council give guidance. He added he has specific goals as well that he can share later. Councilmember Rog appreciated the HRC workplan. She agreed with Councilmember Kraft’s comments and stated this is something the council is continuing to work on with commissions and how they can be best utilized. She stated the council needs to do work around all boards and commissions. She stated she wants to validate what Ms. Mancini has said . She added the sooner the HRC can get dates set for the summer events, the better, and she looks forward to the George Floyd event. Councilmember Rog stated the portion about reviewing city code is interesting and asked what the HRC is proposing and how they would do this work with staff . Ms. Mancini stated the city code has not been updated since 1976. Mr. Harmening, however, stated the city code is updated and amended all the time. Ms. Solano stated there is some general clean up to do and the HRC would like to look at it, make recommendations, and work with staff to re-write, and then send to council for approval. Councilmember Rog stated she supports this work on the code by HRC, adding a thorough review with an equity lens could be fruitful. Councilmember Rog stated she supports the updates HRC made to the bylaws . Ms. Mancini stated the idea of how the HRC advises council is their main concern, and lending the equity lens to the process, as part of this advising. Mr. Baudhuin stated the HRC felt the lack of nimbleness to say to the community that we see you and we understand you, as an HRC and a council, seemed a concern . He asked how can the HRC help the council and city at large respond to these types of things in a timely manner, adding if it comes a month after the fact, it becomes noise . Ms. Chismar stated she likes the idea of making statements, but the city needs to look hard at its communications strategy and move forward in the best way. She added statements are concrete and that is why people latch on to them. But she added there should be a better way to communicate. DocuSign Envelope ID: FEB98609-CA28-471E-8D03-1A03F8E742BD Study session minutes -3- May 10, 2021 Ms. Mancini added there is a fear of the HRC that human rights are addressed in the community to make it a better place. She stated the HRC wants to do something, and sometimes silence is also a choice. Councilmember Rog asked how we can capture these ideas today and what are the action steps. She also stated as a former member of the HRC, she believes the city should look at the HRC having an independent communications channel and a way to communicate directly to the city to avoid delays. Councilmember Harris appreciated the presentation and asked how the HRC can create systemic change within the community. She noted events, communications, bylaws, city codes and added she would like to see the work of the HRC move outside of the values area and into the rudimentary portion of city work. She asked if it is possible for the HRC to have a lens on planning and development for example, or other areas of city operations, so as to have the equity lens imbedded in everything the city does. Councilmember Harris noted she is not in favor of adding a communications channel for a commission and is not in favor of ongoing statements either. She stated she is more interested in actions that are influencing city systems and can create lasting change. Councilmember Mohamed asked what the HRC needs direction on or permission from the council, to act on. Ms. Mancini stated being nimble and flexible, as well as responsive would be helpful. She stated there is some ambiguity and being responsive is important, adding it does feel like HRC has to ask for permission and communication is part of that. Councilmember Mohamed asked if the HRC needs permission from council or the city to host an event or do outreach. Ms. Mancini stated HRC has not done many events as yet, but since it is part of their work plan, they do not need council guidance or permission . She added HRC can be dragged down by some of the protocols they must follow. Mr. Baudhuin added he is learning he does not know a lot about city government . He stated since being on the HRC, he has seen the policies and procedures in city government can be barriers for things to move along in a meaningful pace. He added a healthy tension between a HRC and a council is helpful, in order to get past these barriers . Councilmember Mohamed agreed with Mr. Baudhuin’s comments. She added racial equity and social justice is very personal to her. She stated the power of the HRC comes from the people and the activities they are doing. Councilmember Mohamed added she understands the HRC’s comments on communications issues, but this will need to be an ongoing discussion. She stated she likes the events they have planned for this summer and she is excited to participate . Councilmember Mohamed added this year she has seen so many statements going out from cities with nothing to back it. She asked what is being done and stated the HRC is the solution here. Ms. Chismar stated different people need to be engaged in different ways. She added there should be no rapid communications without a gatekeeper. DocuSign Envelope ID: FEB98609-CA28-471E-8D03-1A03F8E742BD Study session minutes -4- May 10, 2021 Ms. Mancini stated what the HRC wants is to work directly with council and work on city goals, adding she does not want to lose site of what is important to the HRC, and to uplift community members and work on the commission’s goals. Councilmember Dumalag asked for a copy of the HRC bylaws. Ms. Solano stated every commission has a set of bylaws and she will ensure the council has copies. Councilmember Dumalag noted the HRC commented on the statement about the situation in Atlanta and the resolution was not fast enough. She noted the action is more important in a situation like this and added she has concerns that racial equity might be reduced to statements and resolutions. She prefers the HRC work on city code, and language in bylaws, which all impact how city residents live, and would be helpful to council. She stated this is how she perceives the importance of the HRC in St. Louis Park. Ms. Mancini agreed, adding the HRC wants to be of use to the council. Councilmember Rog stated council’s concerns are around policy, zoning, housing policy, and a multiple set of eyes would be helpful to council. Councilmember Kraft added that his view of the purpose of the HRC matches what is on the website with one addition. The HRC ‘advises city council on how to ensure equal opportunity and participation in housing, employment, public service, public accommodations and education,’ and the addition is on being a bridge to the community. Councilmember Brausen stated he was also on the HRC back in the 1980s and even then, there were conversations about the role of the HRC and the council. He stated the council does need to hear from the HRC regularly and ask for the council to respond on issues as they arise . He added he has worked on human rights for many years and it is a passion for him. He thanked them for their work on the census and the election, and indicated anything he can do to help with the summer events, he is happy to. He stated on the communication piece, statements are appreciated, but the council has the role to make statements to the city. He added, however, he does worry about these statements just becoming noise . He stated the council needs to talk in a unified voice, through the Mayor or Police Chief , and to reflect the positions of city input, which is not always in agreement. Ms. Mancini stated she recognizes there needs to be a unified voice, she added it is different to achieve change if you have to operate in the system in place. She added to achieve the change she would like to see in the community, there will need to be push back on the system . She stated this is what she wants council to look at. She stated she respects the council’s thoughts, but there are times when the system needs to be changed, and she will w ant to push back at times. She added the HRC will assert themselves more with their concerns to the council as well in the future. Ms. Chismar added she appreciates the council helping the HRC find their role, and the challenge will be to find the process. She stated the HRC needs more tools in their tool kit related to communication, and noted she is excited about the commission’s work. DocuSign Envelope ID: FEB98609-CA28-471E-8D03-1A03F8E742BD Study session minutes -5- May 10, 2021 Councilmember Rog stated communications can be a barrier on city events. Ms. Solano stated communications staff is working on city events currently and will be posting information in the coming days. Councilmember Kraft stated as the HRC talks about roles, please be as specific as possible. He noted on the bylaws changes, he has not heard about a defined problem as yet, so he would like to hear about that before having the HRC working on other commission bylaws . He also noted on public statements he would like to see the HRC create a requirement for a response policy including timeliness and a checklist on response. He added he likes the summer of action, but it looks very ambitious, adding that fewer things done well might be best. He stated specific things such as commission diversity would be helpful for council to hear about, and also city goals for election participation and how to do that. He added the advisor role is there for the HRC to the council. Mayor Spano stated more conversations need to happen with the HRC and the council . He stated he is excited about the HRC workplan and hopes the council will be asked to participate in these events. He noted the conversion therapy ban is on the council’s list of topics to discuss and asked where the HRC is on this topic. Mr. Gray stated this should be included on the HRC plan and is something the commission intends to review and provide recommendation on to the council. Mayor Spano asked when new members come onto the HRC, how much review of the bylaws take place with new members. Ms. Mancini stated she did review the bylaws with Mr. Gray when she came onto the HRC but noted they did not spend a lot of time on the bylaws as they are mainly procedural. Mayor Spano noted the bylaws state the roles and procedures and do need to be reviewed by each commission ongoing. He stated related to statements and communications by the council, anyone can make statements on their social media, but the concern is that a statement comes from the council as a unified statement. Mayor Spano asked what a partnership looks like with the HRC. Mr. Baudhuin stated when tension is at play, then organizations function best. He stated he views the HRC as one point of tension that pulls the council in a certain way, as it relates to the rights of all humans . He stated tension is where energy is, and where balance or peace can be found . Ms. Mancini added the HRC is different because they are appointed by the council and the HRC is St. Louis Park, and this is our community. She stated this is a voluntary commission that is hoping to make real change in the community. Mayor Spano stated he is trying to get to the nature of the interaction of the council and the commission. He stated the HRC is interested in more engagement and picking up the pace and asked if this is correct. Ms. Mancini stated they have been able to do more work and move their agenda forward through subcommittees. She added the summer of action committee has helped as well. Mayor Spano noted a concern of the former racial equity manager on city staff was about moving too fast, rather than slowing down to dig deeper on issues and being more engaged. DocuSign Envelope ID: FEB98609-CA28-471E-8D03-1A03F8E742BD Study session minutes -6- May 10, 2021 Ms. Mancini stated the HRC is concerned about the fierce urgency of now, and as much as she appreciates the idea about not doing something, just to do something. She added the HRC was stalled. Mayor Spano stated last summer after the George Floyd murder, he received many emails from residents and topics to work on. He stated he asked to come back to these conversations later and noted he did not receive any emails again from anyone afterwards. He noted this would have been a good place to have the HRC step in and help work on these issues, and it was a missed opportunity. Ms. Chismar stated summer of action will introduce partners to share their missions with the city and provide volunteer opportunities for residents, as well as offer tools. Councilmember Kraft noted there may be too many events scheduled, especially since no dates have been set yet. Ms. Mancini stated the HRC is aware of this, and will only be able to do so much, and are working on this. Councilmember Dumalag added she has had several folks interested in Just Deeds and she would hope the HRC keep this on their list of events. Mayor Spano added he has spoken on the Just Deeds issue and is happy it will remain as a priority on the HRC’s list. Councilmember Rog stated the policing and race equity in community policing topics are important to keep as a priority as well. Mr. Gray asked the council to continue to provide their feedback, and validated Councilmember Kraft’s concerns about the number of events planned. 2. Preliminary levy/budget discussion Ms. Schmitt presented the report. She stated this will be a high-level overview of 2022 budget, levy scenarios and discussion on direction on budget process. Ms. Schmitt noted the budget timeline, with regular approval of the 2022 preliminary tax levies on September 20 and final approval of the 2022 budget and final property tax levies on December 20, 2021. Ms. Schmitt noted the 2022 projection of market value increase at 4.68%. She noted all union contracts are up for negotiation this year, ending in December of 2021. She also added consideration on potential COVID impacts will be reviewed. Ms. Schmitt noted capital project challenges including cost to fund capital plan, increasing maintenance costs, and changing infrastructure, and exploring additional revenue sources. She noted 2022 debt realities, including the Dakota Bridge project. Councilmember Harris asked if there are any predictions beyond five years and wondered if there are any projections on Connect the Park in 5 years. Ms. Schmitt stated yes, she has made future projections, and noted the next 5 years will have increases, but added there will be DocuSign Envelope ID: FEB98609-CA28-471E-8D03-1A03F8E742BD Study session minutes -7- May 10, 2021 opportunity to take on debt without increases to the levy and debt will start to fall off later as well. Councilmember Harris stated as she represents many who have financial hardships, she feels responsible to mitigate increased financial hardships, therefore she feels scaling down Connect the Park may be in order. She added the city’s goals on climate action are very large, so levies can be lower on an annual basis and continue investing in climate action plan efforts. Councilmember Rog noted COVID impacts and asked about federal monies that might be coming to help the city on recovery. Ms. Schmitt stated the city is supposed to get recovery money and she is working on this currently. She stated it could mitigate revenue losses, but she does not have specifics yet. Councilmember Rog stated the comprehensive plan is prioritizing walking, bikin g, mass transit and vehicles in that order. She noted road repair is a priority but asked if that aligns with investments for community dollars. She stated she would like to discuss how much is being invested in road repairs, and possibly there could be de lays there, especially since we have committed to alternate modes of transportation. She suggested redirecting franchise fees toward Connect the Park or toward areas that do not prioritize roads. She added she is open to the idea of sales tax to finance infrastructure projects. Councilmember Mohamed stated on local sales tax she is now supportive of this, especially with challenges coming in 2022. Councilmember Kraft stated he is interested in reprioritization conversations as well . He asked about the market increase slide and if that is total market value or if the market value captured by TIF is shown. Ms. Schmitt stated no, it does not include tax capacity. Councilmember Kraft stated he would be interested in seeing more information about the city’s TIF program over the next 10 years, to get a sense of how it changes over time, to look at longer term debt scenarios . Councilmember Kraft noted on increasing maintenance costs and asked if productively efficiency stays the same. Ms. Schmitt stated each area builds their budget and in certain areas efficiencies are built in, but it depends on the department. Mr. Harmening added for improvements, staff contracts this out and some efficiencies can be built in if the contract allows for it. Ms. Walsh stated they do get price quotes, and everything is priced out each year, and it is more efficient to hire contracted services at this time. Councilmember Kraft stated capital is driving the levy increase according to Ms. Schmitt’s presentation. He asked if this is the debt levy driving it. Ms. Schmitt stated yes and also the new levy for sidewalk and trail which pays for gap sidewalks. Councilmember Kraft asked what an EDA levy would be used for . Ms. Schmitt stated it could be used for the climate investment fund, adding this would be an additional revenue source coming. Councilmember Kraft stated on local option sales tax, he would be interested in possibilities of this. He asked if there are any tools to address perceived inequity levies, such as hitting a DocuSign Envelope ID: FEB98609-CA28-471E-8D03-1A03F8E742BD Study session minutes -8- May 10, 2021 certain property owner or renter in inequitable ways. Mr. Harmening stated property taxes are based on a formula from the state of MN and depends on the market and what is selling. He noted there are a variety of factors that are involved, adding the state has tools in place. Ms. Schmitt added the state does offer some property tax refund programs. Councilmember Kraft stated he wants to see the city have a modest amount added to the climate investment fund this year, so we get in the habit of doing so. He added that in subsequent years we could add more as needed and as we see how the fund performs. He liked the idea of using the EDA levy for this and added he does not want to push out Connect the Park any longer and would be interested in looking at trade-offs such as those that Councilmember Rog mentioned. Councilmember Brausen stated he is in favor of scenario b – current long-term plan. He stated the sidewalk gaps should be filled in, and also, he is fine with investigating the sales tax, but doesn’t see the current legislature doing anything on that this year or next year, especially with possible redistricting. He agreed with an EDA levy on climate action, but stated a tax is still a tax and will impact residents, however folks have been responsive for the most part. He does have concerns about Cedar Lake Road not being maintained and he is concerned about moving that out further, adding that electric cars are currently not a reality and infrastructure will need to continue to be improved. Councilmember Dumalag stated she likes the idea of the EDA levy for climate action and is interested in delaying some of Connect the Park and MSA but would want to know what it looks like if they do not stick with the schedule. She stated she is open to look at the local sales option tax as well and learning more about this. Mayor Spano asked Mr. Harmening for a synopsis about local sales tax option . Mr. Harmening gave specifics, noting the legislature has a deadline every year to approve this. Ms. Solano stated it would be helpful to have the council’s decision in advance in order to meet the state’s timeline. Mayor Spano asked about the levy scenarios presented and if these were increases over last year. Ms. Schmitt stated yes, it would be an increase over last year. Mayor Spano stated he is not interested in continuing to defer Connect the Park or pushing it back any further . He added in shifting franchise fees he would need to better understand implications of that . He asked for more details on the potential EDA levy for climate action funding. Ms. Schmitt stated this would be a new funding source as there is no EDA levy at this time. Mayor Spano asked what the limits are around EDA levies. Mr. Harmening stated there are limits, and can be used for loans, grants, items that promote business or jobs, and incenting businesses for energy uses. Mayor Spano asked when the council can get more feedback to her. Ms. Schmitt stated emailing her is fine, so she can get this information to the directors as they build their budgets. Mr. Harmening stated he understands the council needs more time to consider this, and that there is interest in an EDA levy and the council wants more information. He stated the more DocuSign Envelope ID: FEB98609-CA28-471E-8D03-1A03F8E742BD Study session minutes -9- May 10, 2021 input council gives staff in the next week, staff can include in their response at the June 14 meeting. Mr. Harmening added the council seems to be interested in more detail on the local sales tax option, adding staff can provide background information to council as well . Councilmember Harris asked if the park improvement fund is associated with development projects. Mr. Harmening stated yes, noting it is funded with a levy and also park dedication fees. He stated this is used for park capital projects. Councilmember Harris asked if this can be used for walking trails or sidewalks. Mr. Harmening stated the levy in the park improvement fund can be used for anything and if council wanted to shift this to something else one year, they can. However, park dedication fees must be used for park and trail improvements. Councilmember Harris asked if in future reports that levy can be added in as a line item so it can show flexibility. She also asked if the federal Care Funds can be used for park operations and use fund dollars for Connect the Park. Mr. Harmening stated yes, adding there is very little guidance on what the federal dollars can be used for, and the city is not yet aware of the amount they will be receiving yet. He added it is possible those dollars can help with levies, this or next year, but that is not known yet. Councilmember Harris added the environmental cost for additional construction and carbon output for new developments should also be discussed by council, because if more was known about this, the council may decide not to do a certain project. She added instead of building new, if the city could use on street facilities and remove an aisle of parking on streets , that might be more useful. Mr. Harmening stated ultimately that is a council decision on what type of facility they want. Councilmember Kraft stated the levy increase needs to be taken in the context of the city’s tax base growth and if the tax base is growing significantly then the city may do a levy increase that is a tax decrease for all, and that is why he wants to see the profile over time. Councilmember Rog asked about the future scenario with debt coming off assumes no new debt is coming on. Ms. Schmitt stated there will be new debt, but in 2026 two large projects debt will end, and new projects should not be as large. Mayor Spano stated councilmembers will provide additional feedback to Ms. Schmitt as needed by next Wednesday. 3. Future study session agenda planning and prioritization Mayor Spano commented on a potential project on Excelsior Boulevard and parking guidelines in the area. He and Councilmember Kraft are looking at making a corridor vibrant and walkable, but some of the guidance given to staff in the past might run contradictory to this. Mayor Spano stated this would be worth a conversation at a future study session. Councilmember Brausen suggested that discussion be added to other parking areas as well . Mayor Spano stated this is different in that it might become a bigger discussion on vital corridors, and guidance given to staff in past. DocuSign Envelope ID: FEB98609-CA28-471E-8D03-1A03F8E742BD Study session minutes -10- May 10, 2021 Councilmember Dumalag stated she would be less inclined to look at this unless it were more looking at a city policy overall. Councilmember Harris stated on this topic, she prefers a commission look at this and come back to advise council. Mr. Harmening stated the planning commission can look into this and present recommendations. He suggested that staff discuss with the council first, however. Ms. Solano stated the council will be in person at the May 17 meeting . The special study session will follow and will allow the public to attend, and the community room will be set up for overflow. She stated all the safety protocols are set up for council and will be adjusted as changes are made. She added the technology will also be set for those wanting to attend virtually, and open meeting laws are being reviewed as well. Councilmember Rog stated she wants to discuss continuing to provide study session meetings for the public to view similar to how the council meetings are shown. Ms. Solano stated we are currently broadcasting all study sessions and providing the link on the website as well. She stated the council will need to discuss if they want to continue with live broadcasts of the study sessions. Mayor Spano stated he believes the study sessions should be broadcast live to the public. Mr. Harmening stated the first regular study session on June 14 can be a live broadcast . The council agreed to this. Mr. Harmening stated he will work with ParkTV staff on how this will work . Councilmember Brausen stated he is not concerned about partitions between councilmembers . Mr. Harmening stated the partitions are all set up but at the May 17 meeting , councilmembers will be seated similar to a study session set-up. Councilmember Rog asked about future discussion related to community and neighborhood sidewalk designations combined with Connect the Park, noting she doesn’t think this has happened yet and asked how this will be handled. Councilmember Rog referenced the easy access to nature report and stated she wants to ensure equity is happening here and someone is reaching out to the school district. She also noted the ESC report which discusses their looking into idling. She stated this is a good example of how city commissions can be utilized to research items and report back to council. Councilmember Dumalag noted the inclusionary housing proposed amendments and asked if co-ops should be included as a sales option, knowing Aldersgate will not be happening, related to the payment that goes into the fund. Mr. Harmening stated he will discuss this with staff. Councilmember Kraft asked what happened with Aldersgate. Mr. Harmening noted it is related to inclusionary housing funds and requires a payment-in-lieu for affordable housing and that amount was a concern of the developer and they decided to step away . He added there is another developer interested in that property as an affordable site, so the policy objective is being met. DocuSign Envelope ID: FEB98609-CA28-471E-8D03-1A03F8E742BD Study session minutes -11- May 10, 2021 Councilmember Rog stated she was happy to see the report on larger apartment units and stated for clarity it seems a three-bedroom apartment should be called family size units, vs. larger family units, and would mirror what other cities do as well. The meeting adjourned at 10:11p.m. Written Reports provided and documented for recording purposes only: 4 Inclusionary housing policy proposed amendments 5. Perspective update 6. Environment and Sustainability Commission (ESC) Environmental Justice report 7. Completion of Westwood Hills Nature Center project ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Melissa Kennedy, city clerk Jake Spano, mayor DocuSign Envelope ID: FEB98609-CA28-471E-8D03-1A03F8E742BD