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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022/01/18 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Regular Official minutes City council meeting St. Louis Park, Minnesota Jan. 18, 2022 1. Call to order Mayor Spano called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. 1a. Pledge of allegiance 1b. Roll call Councilmembers present: Mayor Jake Spano, Tim Brausen, Sue Budd, Lynette Dumalag, Larry Kraft, Nadia Mohamed, and Margaret Rog Councilmembers absent: none Staff present: City Manager (Ms. Keller), City Attorney (Mr. Shepherd), Environmental and Sustainability Manager (Ms. Ziring), Fire Chief Koering, Director of Community Development (Ms. Barton), Communications Manager (Ms. Smith), City Clerk (Ms. Kennedy) Guests: Members of the Environmental and Sustainability Commission: Any Willette, Tatiana Giraldo, JD Moore, Sasha Shahidi, Shaina Ashare 2. Presentations 2a. Recognition of donations Mayor Spano thanked Park Coin for their donation to the fire department for fire prevention programs and equipment. 3. Approval of minutes 3a. Study session minutes of Nov. 22, 2021 Councilmember Kraft noted on page 2 it should read, “…is accounted for in residential, meaning the commercial energy importance is even more important than the data represents, while the fossil gas multi-family is accounted for in commercial, meaning residential consumption is more important than the data represents.” Councilmember Kraft noted on page 3 it should read, “…noted pathways to wealth building through home ownership was described as a completed item in the graphic. She shared that while she appreciates the new wealth build ing program staff has put together, she felt the item was not completed because it is much broader and there are more ways to wealth building. It is one way to meet the goal but not the only way and she hoped that this wasn’t checked off the list like that’s all we are going to do.” It was moved by Councilmember Kraft, seconded by Councilmember Brausen, to approve the study session minutes of Nov. 22, 2021, as amended. DocuSign Envelope ID: D4C8041B-BB90-4A0D-B501-71C321A37E62 City council meeting -2- Jan. 18, 2022 The motion passed 7-0. 3b. Study session minutes of Dec. 13, 2021 It was moved by Councilmember Kraft, seconded by Councilmember Brausen, to approve the study session minutes of Dec. 13, 2021, as presented. The motion passed 7-0. 4. Approval of agenda and items on consent calendar 4a. Approve second reading and adopt Ordinance No. 2640-22 amending Chapter 36 pertaining to solar energy systems and approve the summary ordinance for publication. 4b. Approve second reading and adopt Ordinance No. 2641-22 amending Chapter 36 pertaining to daycares and approve the summary ordinance for publication. 4c. Adopt Resolution No. 22-013 authorizing installation of permit parking restrictions in front of 3049 Florida Avenue. 4d. Adopt Resolution No. 22-014 accepting donation to the fire department from Park Coin for fire prevention programs and equipment. 4e. Adopt Resolution No. 22-015 approving labor agreement between the city and the dispatchers employee bargaining group, establishing terms and condition s of employment for two years, from Jan. 1, 2022 – Dec. 31, 2023. 4f. Approve the 2022-2024 cooperative agreement for the police mental health program. 4g. Adopt Resolution No. 22-016 changing the name of the final plat for Belt Line Industrial Park 3rd Addition to Belt Line Industrial Park 5th Addition. It was moved by Councilmember Brausen, seconded by Councilmember Mohamed, to approve the agenda as presented and items listed on the consent calendar; and to waive reading of all resolutions and ordinances. The motion passed 7-0. 5. Boards and commissions - none 6. Public hearings - none 7. Requests, petitions, and communications from the public – none 8. Resolutions, ordinances, motions, and discussion items 8a. Resolution declaring a climate emergency in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. Resolution No. 22-017 Ms. Ziring presented the staff report. DocuSign Envelope ID: D4C8041B-BB90-4A0D-B501-71C321A37E62 City council meeting -3- Jan. 18, 2022 Commissioner Willette, ESC member, read a letter from ESC commissioner Holly Johnson, who could not be at the meeting. Commissioner Willette concurred with Commissioner Johnson’s statements, adding the city’s response to the climate emergency requires collective action, and collective action needs leaders, and Commissioner Willette appreciates the leadership of the council. Mayor Spano read a summary excerpt of the climate emergency resolution. Members of the public spoke regarding the climate emergency resolution. Gus Jansen, no address provided, stated that global cooling is a problem that will never be solved and is a moving target. The earth has always changed in temperature, will continue to do so, and to say that carbon emissions can be reduced to zero is unrealistic. Gus noted green energy initiatives are not a good replacement for what we have now and asked how much carbon emissions are used for mining lithium batteries for electric cars. Gus added solar panels and windmills do not last forever, they wear out over time are insufficient for energy production, the materials needed to remake them are costly, and create more carbon emissions as well. Gus noted even if this is the right path to take, it is not feasible--and pointed to Texas last year when they underwent a winter storm, during which their energy was diminished because of federal regulations on their emissions, and they were not able to produce enough energy. Gus also stated they would not want to see that happen in Minnesota and going further down this path will only allow for more disasters to occur. Larry Dalin, 3305 Zinran Ave., stated when they were a small child, they remember winters with no snow and added weather does not change. Larry stated sunspot activity has 1,000-year cycles and we have not been around 1,000 years. Larry stated warmings have occurred in the past on the earth and they are not bad. Larry noted the polar ice caps have been gone numerous times, science has proven this, and it is nothing new. Larry stated cold will kill you, and with hot you plant more grass. George Murray, 4806 West 27th St., asked that all references to climate change be removed from this resolution and replaced with health and environmental, which is an excellent idea along with the other ideas to reduce pollution and increase the hea lth of citizens. George added, however, the key phrase is if we cut emissions in half by 2030 and the aim is to reduce all carbon emissions by 2050, which is in that statement, this is not only ridiculous, but impossible. George stated the climate emergency is going to happen, but according to the resolution, this will happen no matter what the council does, and carbon emissions will not be cut in half or eliminated. George asked the council to change the resolution to health and environmental protections, make it about that – and not about a climate emergency that cannot be solved . George stated its frustrating when intelligent people claim a climate emergency, when they know emissions will not be cut in this way. George stated this will not stop and asked if the council had read any reports about if the temperatures rise, they will continue to rise , and there is nothing to be done about it. DocuSign Envelope ID: D4C8041B-BB90-4A0D-B501-71C321A37E62 City council meeting -4- Jan. 18, 2022 Josh Rose, no address given, stated the council is talking about making changes and anything they do will have absolutely no effect on the problem, it will be a drop in the bucket and will make people’s lives less than what they are today. This is common sense, and this is ridiculous. Josh read an article about carbon emissions and the consequences of reductions and stated the council needs to worry about getting everyone an air conditioner if they are concerned about people’s lives. Phil Weber, of Park Tavern, stated the city has been actively involved in all sorts of environmental issues and commended the council on their approach to climate change. Phil stated it is allowing them to make thousands of dollars of improvements on Park Tavern without having to incur additional expenses. Phil stated this is the way this should be approached and added the greatest fear is moving from incentivizing to mandating, and once that starts, it becomes more difficult. Phil asked that the council not mandate anything as it is counterproductive and affects businesses. Councilmember Kraft thanked folks for their comments and noted he disagreed with most of the comments made. He said that he wished folks were right, but climate change is a serious issue, and the science is clear. He acknowledged the great staff report, stated he liked the Year of Climate Action, and thanked his colleagues and prior councils for their attention to this crisis. He acknowledged the high school students from Roots and Shoots that initiated and inspired the climate action plan that the city has now and standing up for their future. He acknowledged staff for the fantastic work being done in St. Louis Park and the comments of Phil Weber as well, about how we are making this beneficial for businesses. He stated even if folks disagree with council on climate change, the things being done have tremendous side benefits in terms of public health, air quality, and long-term economics. He also acknowledged the ESC for customizing the city’s climate emergency plan in St. Louis Park to also cover equity and insist on this not only being symbolic and for pushing him to make sure this is the beginning of collaboration with other cities, and that a true coalition is formed . He complimented Ms. Ziring’s presentation about why this is being done at global and local levels. He added the most important reason to do this is around hope, pointing out climate issues are tough and often depressing, with concerns that nothing can be done. But this is not the way to do this, and we are making a difference in St. Louis Park and showing leadership. Councilmember Kraft stated there are 19 cities doing what St. Louis Park is now doing, and 16 new ones that include people from all over the state, with more coming on in the next few months. Councilmember Brausen stated this is the single most existential issue facing us as a world and the argument that the Titanic is going to hit the iceberg—so do not build any more life rafts—is silly. He stated 50 years ago on Earth Day we understood we were polluting our world and wanted to make changes and today we are concerned about keeping our air conditioners always running. To him, this is too little too late, he fears for the world we are leaving for our grandkids, and it is time to start making the investments necessary to turn this crisis around. He stated he will support this and is glad the city is finally getting to this. DocuSign Envelope ID: D4C8041B-BB90-4A0D-B501-71C321A37E62 City council meeting -5- Jan. 18, 2022 Councilmember Mohamed stated she will also support this. She stated when things as big as this come along, sometimes we think they are too big to handle, but we need to continue to lead and be good stewards of the environment. She added it is our moral right as humans to take care of mother earth and be creative with solutions. Councilmember Dumalag added she appreciated the comments as well this evening. She also thanked the ESC and staff for their work and stated she is supporting this. She added this is something to be mindful of and she will support it. Councilmember Rog added her agreement with comments from council and thanked those who presented their comments from the community also. She stated this is an emergency, she is glad the city is calling it this, and that the city will be the change that is needed. She stated some say leadership on climate change should come from the top, and more leadership from the top would be helpful, but noted this is not happening right now and the emergency is here now, so there is no more time to wait. She stated local governments are well suited to get behind programs and policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, have long-term economic benefit for communities, improve air quality, and increase the comfort and livability of our communities. She stated collectively local governments make up the nation and big strides will be made when working together on this. She hoped more communities will do their own declarations and there will be more leverage at the state level to make changes on a larger scale. She thanked staff, the ESC, and the council and indicated she will support this climate declaration. Mayor Spano stated he will also support this, adding this is the latest step in steps the city has taken for decades. Today, this declaration is being made and in years past, St. Louis Park had started organics and recycling pick-ups. He stated he understands the comments of the community and wishes the council would not have to do this but pointed out this is not being dealt with at the state or national level, so cities are having to take on these measures. He stated the Westwood Hills Nature Center was created as a net zero energy building and this is possible to do if efforts are made . He stated businesses are now adapting to this, making it part of their business model, and adding solar panels to help their costs and the environment. He thanked Phil Weber for his comments as this pertains to his business also. He stated the community has asked the council to do this work, make these advances, press forward on these issues, and while we want to be responsive to those concerned about costs, we also must be responsive to the majority, who want these investments made in climate action. It was moved by Councilmember Kraft, seconded by Councilmember Rog, to adopt Resolution No. 22-017, declaring a climate emergency in St. Louis Park. The motion passed 7-0. 8b. Remote meeting guideline and considerations. Resolution No. 22-018 Ms. Kennedy presented the staff report. DocuSign Envelope ID: D4C8041B-BB90-4A0D-B501-71C321A37E62 City council meeting -6- Jan. 18, 2022 Councilmember Brausen stated he has reviewed the resolution and confirmed it would go until Feb. 22, 2022. Ms. Kennedy confirmed the date. Councilmember Mohamed asked if the Feb. 22 date could be changed to earlier or later if needed. Ms. Kennedy stated yes. Councilmember Mohamed stated she supports the resolution as it is the safe solution for both residents and staff. She wants to make it safe for people to participate in council meetings and give everyone the opportunity to join from the safety of people’s homes or from the council chambers, with appropriate masking. Councilmember Rog added she is not in support of this item, although she understands and respects the comments made. She was concerned about a few members of boards and commissions not feeling safe meeting in person. She asked about how barriers can be removed without going remote for all meetings. Ms. Kennedy stated the remote meeting guidelines would apply to both the council and boards and commissions. She added during the pandemic, staff has worked to make each board and commissions meeting as safe as possible, and when the requirement is to attend in person, members have varying degrees of concern despite the mitigation strategies. She added when this happens, if there will not be a quorum present, meetings are generally cancelled. Councilmember Rog asked how many meetings have been cancelled recently. Ms. Kennedy stated she did not have numbers but noted that since COVID cases were increasing in December, there were more meeting cancellations of several boards and commissions. Councilmember Rog asked who makes the call on if a meeting occurs or not . Ms. Kennedy stated it depends on if there will be a quorum or not to conduct business. Councilmember Dumalag stated she is supportive of this and moving meetings to virtual. Councilmember Brausen stated commissions and boards are all run by volunteers and anything we can do to make it a safer and healthier environment for them, he is supportive. He would be comfortable still having the council meet in person, but he is supportive of the proposed resolution for remote meetings for safety reasons. Councilmember Rog asked if the council would meet all remotely or would it depend on if a quorum were present. Mayor Spano stated his preference would be to meet all remotely. Councilmember Kraft stated he is also supportive of this resolution . Councilmember Budd stated she will support this as well. DocuSign Envelope ID: D4C8041B-BB90-4A0D-B501-71C321A37E62 City council meeting -7- Jan. 18, 2022 It was moved by Councilmember Mohamed, seconded by Councilmember Brausen, to adopt Resolution No. 22-018, acknowledging the Omicron variant surge of the COVID-19 health pandemic and moving to remote meetings of the city council and advisory boards and commissions. The motion passed 7-0. 8c. COVID-19 face covering policy options. Ordinance No. 2642-22 Fire Chief Koering presented the staff report. Members of the public presented both on the phone and in person. BJ Goldman, Natchez Avenue, thanked the council and Mayor for addressing this issue. She supports the concerns of public health, noting she is a health professional, but added she also respects freedom and is concerned and uncomfortable with this mandate. She stated we are seeing a downward trend of the variant, and Omicron is seen to be less serious. She stated none of the studies show any correlation between mask use and flu infection, and there is no data showing that the use of cloth mask versus an N95 mask has any effect on COVID-19, noting there is no conclusive evidence, and there are dangers from infection from using masks. She asked if the use of masks will make a difference and noted having to police retailers is difficult as well. She asked if this would bring in more or less business to stores and if there is enough to gain here if only gaining a minor impact. She added that mask mandates are illegal and pointed to the Supreme Court decision last week that overruled vaccination mandates and asked if mask mandates are constitutional. She added this is a very charged issue, and children are harmed by it noting a 20% loss of IQ in children who are not able to see faces. She asked if this would bring the community together or divide it, while also realizing the concerns of public health, and again reiterated there is no evidence on mask mandates. Sharon Lehrman, 2610 Vernon Ave., stated support for the mask mandate, pointing to the surging numbers from omicron, which is more contagious than other variants, so it demands immediate action. She stated wearing a mask is an obvious way to protect neighbors, first responders, health professionals, and those unable to be vaccinated. She stated she lives with a 4-year-old granddaughter with lung issues and who is too young to be immunized. She stated they do not go into public buildings due to no one wearing masks. In August, her sister who lived in a group home contracted COVID from an aide in the home and died along with another resident . She stated this was a horrible trauma to deal with and cannot bear to think what would happen if her granddaughter got COVID. She urged the council to implement and reinstate a mask mandate for the safety of all. Betsy Johnson, Cedar Lake Road, stated our own governor is not doing a statewide mandate for several reasons, one of which is there is no evidence to prove it is effective and he does not feel people will follow the mandate. She does not feel there should be a mandate in St. Louis Park and having a mandate will cause her to take her business to other restaurants and establishments outside of the city. DocuSign Envelope ID: D4C8041B-BB90-4A0D-B501-71C321A37E62 City council meeting -8- Jan. 18, 2022 Claudia Johnston-Madison, 3931 Joppa Ave., stated support of mandates in St. Louis Park. She stated we need to mask, have social distance, vaccinations, and boosters. She disagreed with the first caller and hopes the council passes the mask mandate, adding she does her shopping in Hopkins as they have a mask mandate. She thanked the council for all they are doing. Renee Jensen, no address given, stated originally, we were told 2 weeks to stop the spread and now here we are today, 2 years later with mandates that we would have thought ridiculous at the time. She stated nothing has changed; the council gives data, but we all know the masks do not work and pleaded that the council would see the truth in what they are doing and how it affects all in Minnesota. Gus Jensen, no address given, stated this is an appeal to reason and asked the council to open their eyes adding it is known that masks are ineffective as they do not stop transmission and it has gotten more obvious. He stated we live in a country where there are laws to detain people for being a health risk. He stated in Minnesota, there is guidance based on life-saving care based on race and asked the council to wake up adding we have been lied to in a huge way, and people are blind to this . He stated the vaccine is experimental gene therapy and it is graded by the people who have not even taken it. He stated this is not how immunity works and asked why have more people died since the vaccine has come out than before. He asked the council to consider this, as it is hard to see this is the country we are living in now and will not be broken and no mandate will change their minds. Jill Holter, 9401 Minnetonka Blvd., stated she is a 20-year resident of St. Louis Park and also is a public health nurse for 20 years. Jill stated the council’s consideration of doing a mask mandate is alarming and stated there are now so many published studies in medical journals demonstrating no evidence between mask use and reduced transmission of COVID-19 spread. Jill cited 3 studies that claim this in 3 medical journals, which are all evidence-based and peer reviewed. Jill stated there are also studies now of the negative effects of mask wearing including decreased oxygenation and increased bacterial contamination. Jill stated this does not even consider the negative psychological consequences of mask wearing on children in particular . Jill stated rather than rushing backward to measures that have proven to be ineffective, we need to focus on what works. She stated self-quarantine when having symptoms of illness protects others, as well as encouraging good health habits and early treatment to prevent hospitalizations. Jill stated if individuals feel they are protected with mask wearing, then they are free to make that choice. Jill stated the leaders of St. Louis Park should focus on better measures of public health such as safe drinking water, parks, crime, and carjacking. Jill read another letter from her daughter, asking the council to consider constituents concerns, noting mandates of any kind from the government have historically failed and will continue to fail. Masking has not prevented the spread of COVID, and it is time to try something new. If people want to wear a mask, they should do so, but having a single policy for all that does not account for the diversity of citizens is not the answer. Jill stated it would be better for officials to start talking about how to DocuSign Envelope ID: D4C8041B-BB90-4A0D-B501-71C321A37E62 City council meeting -9- Jan. 18, 2022 boost your immune systems and mental health should be an important factor in this decision as well, with rise in suicides. Phil Weber, of Park Tavern, stated other cities have done mask mandates, but St. Louis Park does not need a mask mandate as there are many other options. Phil stated people need social interaction and everyone knows the feeling and the effect mandates have on everyone. Phil wants people to have free choice to wear a mask or not, and customers are not that compliant. Phil and Park Tavern staff had to constantly remind customers about masking in the past, so it is difficult to enforce. Phil added he and his staff cannot go through the confrontations again and it gets down to freedom of choice . Yvette B., no address given, lives a block away from city hall and asked if anyone on the council is aware of the pollution caused by masks. She is a behavior detection officer undercover and trains people at the airport on security. She stated with the masks, this is pretend, and we are fooling ourselves. She stated COVID is declining and she would like to dispute the arguments of the opposite opinion. She stated there are more cases of carjacking in St. Louis Park than there are of COVID cases. She stated people are vaccinated and boosted and they still must be masked up, so it is very confusing. She stated this is too little too late and the evidence on masks is that they are useless, and this is an invasion of constitutional rights. Rod Takata, 3601 Quebec, stated he is in favor of option #1 and against mandating. He is against mandating but not masks and believes statistics are accurate but the forecast that masking is associated with lower COIVD rates is untrue. He noted there are other studies that show this not to be the case and pointed to a study in Denmark in 2021. He stated there was no statistical difference between those who use masks and those who do not in COVID cases. He also noted Dr. Gottleib who spoke recently on Face the Nation, saying that cloth masks will not provide protection. This is an airborne illness and cloth masks do not protect. It could protect droplet transmission, but not the Coronavirus. He added there are costs on children who need to see faces for communication, facial expressions and tone of voice and if an entire avenue of communication is removed, we will suffer. Alex Yuzefovich, 5733 W. Lake St., thanked the council for this work. He spoke against the mandate and indicated he understands wanting to lessen transmission, but in other countries it is not working to use masks to stop transmission . He added having a false sense of security can lead to more problems, mental health, and child development issues are also concerning. He stated no matter how many resources are put into this, you cannot guarantee there will not be harm. He also has concerns about people reporting each other, as anger is so high right now, and is worried fear will increase verbal and physical violence. George Murray, 4806 W. 27th St., thanked the police for protecting the city during the riots of 2021 and for protecting the police department and city hall. He stated he appreciates the statistics given by the fire chief, but his question is if there is any hard evidence that masks reduce the transmission of COVID. He asked if the city council DocuSign Envelope ID: D4C8041B-BB90-4A0D-B501-71C321A37E62 City council meeting -10- Jan. 18, 2022 knows how many children in the United States are affected by COVID, and how many are adversely affected by masks. Larry Dalin, 3305 Zinran Ave., stated it will ruin a whole generation by forcing the wearing of masks, adding it is madness. He stated COVID is not a real thing and has been fake since the beginning. He stated the CDC admitted their testing does not actually show it is COVID, and false positives are determined through flu and cold, adding all the numbers are fraudulent. He stated there is no vaccine, it is a lie, and it is a chemical they are injecting in people to change their DNA to fight something. He stated this is all an experiment and masking will harm children, adding there have been more suicides versus people dying from COVID. Steve Koch, of Bunny’s Bar & Grill, stated he appreciates what the council does. He stated in looking at the policy options, he would be in favor of supporting the option of wearing a mask versus the mandate. He stated the mandate is difficult and hard to enforce with their staff and takes management ’s time away to deal with this. He hoped there will be no carding for vaccination status. He stated they are very busy right now, and those that are comfortable, go out and those that are not comfortable, do not go out. Those fully vaccinated can still get it, people know that, so those folks do not go out. He appreciated the choices and encouraging wearing masks versus the mask mandate and to not do COVID carding. Josh Rose stated this is causing massive disruption including bankruptcy, mental health issues, suicide, and drug overdoses among other things. He stated Israel is quadruple boosted and the chart shows cases going up and breaking the daily totals. He stated COVID-related death is not the same as deaths caused by COVID, and all should understand that. He stated omicron will be the dominant strain and will reduce the effects and transmission of the virus. He added the vaccine does not reduce COVID spread, and 75% of those hospitalized for COVID are overweight. He asked about smoking and tobacco cessation and what the council is doing about that – nothing, he said. He stated there are a lot of cases, but people are not dying at the same rate from omicron. He stated the mask usage is bad information and will cause more problems for healthcare workers who will not be able to get N95 masks, which will add to bad outcomes. He stated they will not put up with masks in the city and want to go back to normal life. Daniel Takata, 3601 Quebec Ave. S, stated we all have to live together, societies are built on trust, and if there is a lack of trust, there is stress and crime . He stated if people have different opinions on wearing masks, we can argue about it and persuade each other, but if they will be fined then trust is broken. He added there are people here with weird ideas and if only one opinion is mandated and forced, then people lose trust in each other and the authorities and people start to see each other as enemies, which is not good. He added we do not think about people’s thought processes, why some wear masks, some do not, and it becomes this binary political fight. He is against the mandate. DocuSign Envelope ID: D4C8041B-BB90-4A0D-B501-71C321A37E62 City council meeting -11- Jan. 18, 2022 Jacqueline Adams, 4424 Cedar Lake Road, stated she has lived in St. Louis Park for 20 years and works in the West End. She stated this has been tough and she is for the mask mandate. She stated her son got COVID in the beginning and was in the hospital then every two weeks, and when he got vaccinated, he got COVID again but did not have to go to the hospital. She stated people are not sure about the vaccine, but it worked for her and her family. She stated everyone takes a chance and she is for the mask mandate. Esther Spar, 2708 Monterey Ave., stated she is opposed to the mask mandate and personally does not like to wear them. She stated we should not have to tell everyone to wear masks and thinks 80% of the population in St. Louis Park will wear a mask anyway, so a mandate is not needed. She stated if she wears a mask, she cannot enjoy air quality, so she does not wear a mask. She stated if everyone feels so safe with masks, then there is no need to move to remote meetings. She stated we are playing a game, but if people feel safer with masks on then wear them, but we should not force this on anyone. She added she does not want her children to wear masks unless they want to when around others. She stated masking is not for everyone and the same way the council makes decisions on climate change, everyone should be able to make their own choices. Marianna Greenberg, St. Louis Park, stated as the CDC is coming out and saying the case counts do not tell the story, what matters are the death counts. She asked if people died from COVID or underlying issues, noting all these numbers do not tell the whole picture. She added the CDC said 75% of all deaths were in people with at least 3 other co- morbidities, so again, the numbers do not tell the whole story. She stated hospitals are overwhelmed because they fired nurses and doctors who are not vaccinated, even though they had immunity. She stated those vaccinated and had COVID were told not to go to work for 10 days and that has now changed to 5 days. In some cases, they are told to go in even with still having COVID. She stated her husband is a physician, worked at Bethesda, and because of financial reasons, they closed the only COVID hospital in the Twin Cities. She stated America is about freedom of choice. Marsha Rome, Monterey Avenue, pled with the council to not go forward with the mandate. She noted she and her family were at the airport and checking in and had an issue with check in, and because of having masks on and they could not communicate with security or each other. She stated it was not a real emergency, but it could have been and noted masks can create other problems. She stated her friend quit teaching this year and it does not work in schools. She stated at this point we know hundreds of people who have had COVID, everyone she knows is okay, and while some have not survived, most have. She stated if you want to wear a mask, please do, but do not force everyone to wear them. Paulina B., 4444 Cedar Lake Rd., stated study after study shows that masks do not help. She added at the same time, council is so concerned about the environment, and asked if they realized how many tons of waste are created by the non-compostable masks, and how awful they are for the environment. She added at the same time the morbidity for COVID is very low for those under 70 years old and who are at risk. She added one of DocuSign Envelope ID: D4C8041B-BB90-4A0D-B501-71C321A37E62 City council meeting -12- Jan. 18, 2022 the most vital points related to who lives and dies with COVID is the level of vitamin D. So, the council should educate themselves since the citizens of St. Louis Park are of their concern. She stressed the council should check resident’s vitamin D levels and assure it is in the normal range, noting that most people in the US are vitamin D deficient and that is the biggest contributor to who dies and who lives. She stated masks destroy the environment and do not prevent against COVID, and yet vitamin D would have saved a lot of people who died. Ellen, St. Louis Park, stated she cares about health, noting most masks are made from petrochemically derived constituents and people wearing masks are breathing materials that have toxic chemicals. For those who have allergies to masks or trouble breathing, masks can be harmful to them as they breath in off-gasing chemical toxins. She stated if they breath these toxins for weeks, it goes into the brain tissue and can produce neurological symptoms as well. She stated masks diminish healthy oxygen levels and deprive people from breathing clean air. She added coughing and sneezing into a mask causes additional issues as well as depression, effecting cortisol levels, creating lower immunity, and it can be emotionally distressing. Haifa, Huntington Avenue, stated she is in favor of the mask mandate, as it is the least anyone can do to help the community. She stated the studies that say masks do not work only refer to half of the studies, and N95s are what all should be using. She does understand the issues with business owners but feels there will always be people that defy the mask mandate, adding it is sad people are so obsessed with their own freedom, they will not think about those around them. She added that most people will put on masks with a mandate and those that do not care will most likely put it on. She stated those that work in the stores are put at risk and do not have options if people do not wear masks, noting masks help others more than yourself. She stated her kids wear masks all day, every day, have had no issues including no mental health issues, and there has been no spread of COVID within the school. Jova, Basswood Avenue, stated she is in favor of the mask mandate and wants to speak to those concerned about masks for children. She stated she has a 20-month-old child who has teachers that have been wearing masks and she is developing perfectly well. She has not had COVID and been healthy despite being in daycare because the teachers and students around her are masking. She stated masks are not harming her and they are only helping her. She worries about her and other children that have never been in a grocery store or a museum and are missing critical life experiences because it is unsafe for her as there are unmasked, potentially unvaccinated, and COVID-positive people in these places, so she does not take her. She stated wearing a mask may save another’s life and is the bare minimum you can do for others. Mayor Spano thanked those who spoke to this item. He read a note from Adam indicating masks do not work, he and other kids have the right to breath, and you, and other people know this virus is called COVID-19 because there were many before so why would this virus be any different. DocuSign Envelope ID: D4C8041B-BB90-4A0D-B501-71C321A37E62 City council meeting -13- Jan. 18, 2022 Councilmember Rog asked about the definition of face coverings and masks and if everyone understands and is comfortable with that . She referenced page 9 of the policy option and defined masks and explained she wanted to make sure this definition is sufficient and aligns with the CDC. Chief Koering stated face covering definitions are important, there are varying degrees as to what they are, and the rules have changed. He added today the CDC and MDH say it is a good fitting mask that sets a seal around the face and you can breathe through properly; that is the definition. He also noted the KN95 or the N95 masks are now viewed as the optimum level of protection, and what the fire department adheres to. Councilmember Kraft asked about other masks and if multi-layered cloth masks or N94’s also have protective capabilities. Chief Koering stated for every option there are multiple options that work, including multiple layers and it is all over the map . Councilmember Brausen asked if staff can make this go away. He stated he will support this emergency ordinance mask mandate reluctantly as he and so many in the community have masking and COVID fatigue. He does this because the science supports masking and slowing the spread of the virus and its variants. He stated if we can save a few people with the temporary inconvenience of a 6-week mask mandate, then he supports this. He stated there is a service class in the city that are required by their employers and the demands of their profession to wear masks all day while working, while we as consumers do not extend the same courtesy and protection to them. He stated this is manifestly unfair and if we can protect any of them to being exposed to COVID, he is willing to impose this temporary burden on citizens to endure . He stated folks are concerned about the environmental aspect of masks that are trashed and he shares that concern. He thanked those who will abide by this public health measure and all those who contacted the council about this. He stated HealthPartners contacted them also and asked them to institute a mask mandate to help their 3 ,500 employees in St. Louis Park. Councilmember Mohamed stated last week she had concerns about this topic, including concerns for enforcement within the BIPOC community and enforcement being left to front line workers. She has shared stories about this in the past and last week there was no communication or resource plan presented, but to be clear , she was not saying masking is not essential. She wanted to pause and challenge the council and city to go above and beyond. She added after discussing this further with community members and updates on communications and resources, she is now happy to support this mandate. She stated there are different ways people wear masks, and there will be different languages to communicate this, so she wanted to focus on the equity piece to this mandate. She stated this mandate is a yes and for her, and yes to moving forward and continue to find creative ways to address the inequities that arise from this mandate. She asked to look for more creative ways to get more people vaccinated , what barriers can be removed, and incentives can be given so we are not facing this year after year. She hears residents when they say they are exhausted, and she is too. She stated it has been two years and she does not believe we should do the same things over and over again and expect different results, noting this is the definition of insanity. She DocuSign Envelope ID: D4C8041B-BB90-4A0D-B501-71C321A37E62 City council meeting -14- Jan. 18, 2022 agrees with this, but the city needs to be proactive and not reactive. She stated she does not wear the mask for her, but for her family, community, and residents. She stated this is for the community, we make sacrifices, and she is willing to work on this and initiatives to face the problems we have and wants to talk more about this. She works at a school, and this is important to her, but she wants to take a different route on this and come out better than ever. She does not want to argue about masking or not masking and added what is effective is the vaccine. Mayor Spano stated he will support this also, noting last week staff had pointed to omicron being gone sooner and now that has been clarified this evening . He stated hearing about what nurses and doctors are going through at work has convinced him that whatever the city can do to support healthcare, it should . He added everyone has different experiences; some children are experiencing issues with masking, and some are not. He noted some are unvaccinated and able to fight off COVID and others are not. He stated he was vaccinated, and he got COVID, but his symptoms were minimized. He stated there is overwhelming evidence that masking and social distancing do work. He asked staff to look into what tools can be used to increase vaccination rates and think creatively on this. He is interested in incentives for getting folks vaccinated. He added this is not easy but noted his wife who is a teacher prefers to teach in class and he will continue to work with the council on ways to keep the community safe. Councilmember Kraft stated he is in favor of a temporary mask mandate . He addressed the input he heard tonight against a mandate and stated the feedback fell into two areas, one being an infringement of personal freedom. He stated to be part of a functioning society we have many rules we need to follow to protect our fellow citizens and one of the primary reasons for wearing masks is for protecting others . He added the second area he sees is from people that are concerned if mask mandates are effective, if they will have potential negative effects on businesses, frontline workers, children and the environment. He wants to acknowledge that reasonable people can disagree on this issue. He is in favor of a mask mandate for the following reasons: the science is clear and according to the CDC masks provide protection on all variants ; and, because omicron is more transmissible, higher-grade masks are recommended. He assumes this education and making masks available in the community will be helpful. He stated mask mandates have been shown to work and reduce infections, hospitalizations , and death. He stated the healthcare system is in danger, cases doubled in a week, hospitalizations are at an all-time high, and staff is impacted. He acknowledged concerns from businesses and asked that the mandate focus on maximizing compliance and minimizing confrontation, efforts around education , and mask availability. He agrees with Mayor Spano and Councilmember Mohamed about working to get vaccination rates up and he supports looking into creative approaches to doing this, adding that everything should be on the table. He would like to see council go back to a regular update on COVID, noting the longer we go with unvaccinated people, the longer there will be more variants and more decisions that will need to be made like this, that the council does not want to make. Councilmember Dumalag thanked all who presented tonight from the community. She pointed out there is nothing included about cloth masks, there are special exclusions DocuSign Envelope ID: D4C8041B-BB90-4A0D-B501-71C321A37E62 City council meeting -15- Jan. 18, 2022 within the mandate, and this is a temporary ordinance that will expire on Feb. 22, 2022. She supports the emergency mandate and added that masking does work and decreases transmission and spread. She understands the virus effects people differently and she has family in healthcare who have gotten sick. She added she is long-time donor of blood with the Red Cross and has been rescheduled several times because there is no one to staff it. She stated there is a vital need in the community for blood, so this is an additional concern beyond seeing smiles and faces. She stated the council is doing their best here and the data presented shows what is happening within the city and state . Councilmember Rog appreciated the council and public’s comments. She stated much was said and it is too much to counter. She was in support last week and what helped her make her decision today was reading two emails, one from Hennepin County and one from Park Nicollet, which she read into the record and are part of the meeting packet. She stated to protect the public health she will support the mandate. Councilmember Budd stated she will also support the mandate tonight and appreciated the comments of the public. She is hopeful to have this pandemic behind everyone and stated this can be done according to the data from Chief Koering and the utilization of a mask mandate, where there is 80% adherence. She stated if the city does things right and leads by example, the end of the current variant is in sight so she will support the ordinance. It was moved by Councilmember Brausen, seconded by Councilmember Mohamed, to adopt emergency regulation Ordinance No. 2642-22 mandating community masking for indoor places of assembly in St. Louis Park. The motion passed 7-0. Ms. Keller stated this will go into effect on Friday, Jan. 21, 2022 and there will be 2 business days to get communication out and allow businesses time to prepare . She noted various communication, outreach measures, and translation support as well. She recapped that the council stated they want to continue to discuss this and look at tools to increase vaccination levels. Councilmember Kraft asked if the city could help with mask availability. Ms. Keller stated in the past, the St. Louis Park chamber of commerce provided masks in large quantities and that is no longer available. She added, however, masks are much more readily available now in ways they were not in the past. She stated at this point, the city does not have those resources but if council wants to look into that, staff can work on this . Mayor Spano stated he would be interested in more information on this. 9. Communications Ms. Keller stated council will be moving to remote meetings next week. She stated there will be discussions on US Internet and with Police Chief Harcey and community policing. DocuSign Envelope ID: D4C8041B-BB90-4A0D-B501-71C321A37E62 City council meeting -16- Jan. 18, 2022 Mayor Spano gave an update on the carjacking cases and the mayor’s meetings. He stated the mayors had reached out to the Hennepin and Ramsey County attorneys and Mayor Frey and discussed how to work on this to make changes and examine programs that have worked in the past. He added it has been encouraging and the collaboration has led to arrests. Councilmember Rog stated the Birchwood winter party is scheduled for Sat., Jan. 22, 2022, from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. for winter events. 10. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 9:27 p.m. ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Melissa Kennedy, city clerk Jake Spano, mayor DocuSign Envelope ID: D4C8041B-BB90-4A0D-B501-71C321A37E62