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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022/02/14 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study Session Official minutes City council study session St. Louis Park, Minnesota Feb. 14, 2022 The meeting convened at 6:30 p.m. Councilmembers present: Mayor Jake Spano, Tim Brausen, Sue Budd, Lynette Dumalag, Larry Kraft, Nadia Mohamed, and Margaret Rog Councilmembers absent: none. Staff present: Deputy City Manager/Director of Operations and Recreation (Ms. Walsh), Fire Chief Koering, City Clerk (Ms. Kennedy), Communications Manager (Ms. Smith), Elections Specialist (Mr. Sund) Guests: Becky Bakken, Discover St. Louis Park 1. Discover St. Louis Park (DSLP) update Ms. Bakken presented the update. Councilmember Brausen noted the challenging times recently, adding Ms. Bakken had to take drastic measures to address the budget shortfalls. He asked how many employees DSLP had last year. Ms. Bakken stated they had 5, but at their lowest they were at 2 . She added an employee focusing on sales will be starting later in February. Councilmember Brausen asked what DSLP needs from the city. Ms. Bakken stated the support and collaboration with the city is very helpful. Councilmember Brausen asked how DSLP works with the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Bakken stated the Twin West Chamber was folded into the Minneapolis Chamber, noting that DSLP has a membership still within this group. Councilmember Rog stated she appreciates the new website and the promotion of St. Louis Park’s local businesses, especially during the pandemic. She asked about hotel workers given the city’s diversity goals and that many working in hotels are people of color. She stated it is important we support the laborers that work in the hotel industry and asked about any housing challenges or employees getting to work. Ms. Bakken stated she does talk with employees directly, noting this is a problem and a large challenge. She noted front line skills are the most difficult to find and this all ties together and will be more apparent as things build back, assuming they do. Councilmember Rog asked about Minneapolis, noting that occupancy is down, and Minneapolis is facing some image problems around safety. She stated it feels that St. Louis Park’s tourism seems to rise and fall with Minneapolis. Ms. Bakken stated we do better when Minneapolis does better, and Minneapolis is our greatest asset. She added the overflow from Minneapolis helps St. Louis Park, noting that St. Louis Park has a niche including the Icon Theatre, free DocuSign Envelope ID: 89238EAA-73DA-437A-A307-DC8DD1FECE14 Study session minutes -2- Feb. 14, 2022 parking, and other assets. She added Minneapolis needs to be whole again, when they rise, St. Louis Park rises. Ms. Bakken noted many corporations are not returning to in person work yet, which is also an issue in St. Louis Park. Councilmember Rog suggested folks might enjoy a walking tour about the history of St. Louis Park, adding this might be an exciting and fruitful project. Councilmember Kraft stated an art walking tour is another idea for tourism to the city. He asked if the trends seen in the last couple of months indicate that numbers could be like 2019. Ms. Bakken stated they are hopeful for this in 2022 and budget is based on 62% of 2019, which is still very conservative. Councilmember Dumalag mentioned the super bowl and final four events and asked if there are any other events DSLP is tracking now. Ms. Bakken stated in partnership with Sport Minneapolis, there have been bids for USA Volleyball, US Soccer, and several NCAA final four basketball events. She added the bids are out there through 2031, but most things are getting pushed out. Councilmember Rog referenced short-term rentals and asked what that means. Ms. Bakken stated this refers to anything under 30 days in hotel space, but not Airbnb . Councilmember Rog asked if they do tours of the Nature Center. Ms. Bakken stated yes, they do and work closely with the city on this. Councilmember Mohamed noted REM5 which does a virtual reality experience related to racial inequities within the nation and Minnesota. She asked if DSLP might collaborate with REM5 on this. Ms. Bakken stated they do work closely with REM5 and will look into this further, adding the owner sits on the DSLP board. Councilmember Budd asked if DSLP has a goal around racial inclusion. Ms. Bakken stated it is very important for DSLP to mirror the efforts of the city and be as inclusive as possible. She noted the new website is a great step in doing this and they continue to want to be inviting to all groups and promotion of this. Ms. Bakken noted DSLP collaborates with the Thai community, and they are a great group to work with, adding the Thai community is very loyal to St. Louis Park. She mentioned their upcoming festival and that their dignitaries will be staying in St. Louis Park hotels. Mayor Spano asked for more information on how DSLP partners with Minneapolis on events. Ms. Bakken stated they have an official partnership with Meet Minneapolis and DSLP gets leads from them for hotels. She added Minneapolis markets St. Louis Park events and DSLP markets Minneapolis events. She noted when large groups come to the area, they typically need more hotel space than what they find only in Minneapolis, so both cities work together in support of each other’s events. DocuSign Envelope ID: 89238EAA-73DA-437A-A307-DC8DD1FECE14 Study session minutes -3- Feb. 14, 2022 Mayor Spano appreciated the efforts of DSLP and stated as events grow, it will be important to have a robust process in place within the city for all of the details . He asked how the process is managed now for large-scale events. Ms. Walsh stated the city has a work group that meets and works with DSLP on planning for large events, including items related to traffic, policing, and business marketing. Ms. Bakken added the city has worked hard to put together a very robust process and partners with groups to make sure events run smoothly. Mayor Spano stated as events grow and St. Louis Park continues to be a destination, event marketing will be very important, as well as marketing the city itself to those who visit. 2. COVID-19 update Mr. Sund presented an update to the council. He noted various metrics and the lower covid cases this past week and pointed out the city’s mask mandate will expire Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. without further action from the council. Mayor Spano asked for feedback from the boards and commissions on returning to in person meetings. Ms. Kennedy stated one commission feels it may be too soon if they have a larger group of members of the public attending their meeting. She noted the city asked if there is anything more staff can do to mitigate health and safety concerns, beyond the protocols already in place. Most of the responses received indicated there was nothing more the city could do at this point, it really was a matter of personal accountability in terms of masking and distancing. Mayor Spano asked if the commissions went back to meeting in person, could some commissioners still participate remotely. Ms. Kennedy stated once the resolution expires, all meetings would go back to in-person. The open meeting law does not provide for remote participation from non-public locations, outside of an emergency declaration or a finding that it is not practical or safe to meet in-person. She noted a member could participate remotely, provided they do so from a place that is open and accessible to the public and that location is disclosed in the legal notice of the meeting. Councilmember Mohamed asked what is classified as a public location, such as an apartment lobby. Ms. Kennedy stated if the lobby remained unlocked and was accessible to anyone from the public, that would meet the requirement. Councilmember Mohamed stated she would be comfortable coming back to in -person meetings as she is happy to see the metrics presented. She added she would like to hear what other councilmembers think. Councilmember Budd stated she is also supportive of returning to in-person meetings and is encouraged by the current metrics. Councilmember Dumalag stated she likes seeing these numbers and does like coming in to meet in-person but does understand the concerns of commission members. She asked if there DocuSign Envelope ID: 89238EAA-73DA-437A-A307-DC8DD1FECE14 Study session minutes -4- Feb. 14, 2022 are any more measures that can be done. Ms. Kennedy stated staff will continue to offer mitigation measures and will work with commissions to do everything possible to provide a safe meeting environment. Councilmember Rog stated she is supportive of letting the mask mandate expire on February 22 and the emergency remote meeting rule to expire as well. Councilmember Kraft asked if the city could require masks in city buildings for an amount of time. Ms. Kennedy stated that would be a policy decision of the council and would require an amendment to the existing regulation. Chief Koering stated if the council or commissions wants to use N95 masks, the fire department can provide this for them, as these masks offer the highest level of protection. Mayor Spano stated he is supportive of letting the mask ordinance expire on Feb ruary 22, as well as moving back to in-person meetings. He added the amount of risk and precautions being taken are in alignment with each other. He noted when the mask ordinance was passed, there was mention of another variant and asked if there is any other information on this. Chief Koering stated a few weeks back, there was talk of a sub-variant of Omicron. He stated that it has been spreading, but it cannot be tested, and is very much controlled by the vaccines. He added it appears to be running its course and there have been no red flags on it. Mayor Spano noted that as these variants continue to mutate, as more folks get it, and as more herd immunity is built, the symptoms seem to be less intense. Chief Koering stated that is true and as these continue to mutate and the more it spreads, it becomes less severe and more endemic in society versus more pandemic. He added this is what the WHO is seeing over the next 6 months noting, however, this would not preclude another virus coming along. Councilmember Kraft stated the endemic comments relate to those vaccinated, while for those unvaccinated, it can still be a dangerous situation. He was encouraged to see the data about emergency calls and compliance in the community, without confrontation. He added he is not in a rush to let this lapse, but he is fine with expiration on February 22. Councilmember Brausen stated he would prefer going a couple more weeks with the mandate and meeting in-person. He has concerns about service employees and the inequitable situation with them having to wear masks all day when customers do not have to. He stated he has spoken with staff in city facilities about this and is concerned for their well-being. Mayor Spano stated with businesses such as Target, it is their own corporate policy on masking. Ms. Walsh stated staff’s recommendation would be to continue to follow the CDC recommendations and guidelines. Chief Koering added the city needs to drive the energy around vaccines, prioritize vaccination in the community, and keep that as the focus. It was the consensus of the council to allow the mandate to lapse on February 22, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. DocuSign Envelope ID: 89238EAA-73DA-437A-A307-DC8DD1FECE14 Study session minutes -5- Feb. 14, 2022 3. Federal issues in legislative priorities Mr. Sund presented the report. He noted the areas of interest of the council to be added as priorities of the city to the legislature as follows:  Medicare for all/universal health care  National Vote Interstate Compact  Legalization of adult-use cannabis Councilmember Brausen noted his interest in the legalization of cannabis would be to use a portion of the taxes generated from sale to adults, for law enforcement and mental health, because folks in municipal areas will be the ones to need assistance related to this. Councilmember Brausen stated he is in favor of adding all three of the initiatives to the legislative priorities. Councilmember Mohamed stated she is also in favor of all three as well. Councilmember Dumalag stated she is also in favor of all three being included in the legislative priorities. She asked on the Medicare for All if the draft resolution in the packet is the one the council will approve. Mr. Sund stated the resolution in the packet mirrors the resolution given to staff by residents and will be up for approval at a regular council meeting in the future. Councilmember Rog stated she is willing to collaborate with staff on the Medicare for All draft resolution and incorporate elements of universal health care into the draft. Councilmember Budd stated she is supportive of all three and is encouraged that they will all help the community. Councilmember Kraft is supportive of all three as well. He noted on the cannabis issue, this will be the support of the legalization of cannabis and directing funding generated through the legalization to local uses centered around mental health support and programming. He stated he is in favor if this is legal and well-regulated, especially because this is an area of concern for teens and can be a path to other drug usage. He added he also agrees on the Medicare for All Act. He asked if there is any other approach on these issues with the legislature other than doing resolutions only. Mayor Spano stated this is simply adding these three items to the city’s legislative priorities. Mr. Sund stated he will add these items, noting the Medicare for All resolution originates from constituents. Mayor Spano asked if the Medicare for All Act does not pass and another bill comes up next year with slightly different provisions, would it make sense to have a resolution in case a new resolution would need to be passed the next year. Mr. Sund stated this could be a statement of general principle and refer to a specific piece of legislation or it can be left out. Mayor Spano asked how much a provision like Medicare for All might save the city in costs and the impact on the budget. Ms. Walsh stated she does not have any information on that and will look into it and report back. DocuSign Envelope ID: 89238EAA-73DA-437A-A307-DC8DD1FECE14 Study session minutes -6- Feb. 14, 2022 Mayor Spano stated he is broadly supportive of the ideas behind these three items . He noted he is curious about how people feel about the spirit of Medicare for All v ersus a specific resolution. Councilmember Brausen stated he prefers to put everything into the legislative list, but not do resolutions, especially when we focus on national issues that the city has little control over. Councilmember Mohamed stated she is not convinced a resolution is needed, and these three items are priorities for the city. She noted resolutions are just words on paper and agreed with the idea of the spirit behind this versus a resolution. Councilmember Rog stated there is general support for adding the Medicare for All into the legislative priorities, and the question is how is this different than a resolution . She stated there are many items in the city’s legislative priorities list, but this item of universal healthcare rises to the level of the climate emergency issue and should be pulled out. She noted there is momentum building around this issue and many cities are also considering a resolution, which is a tool to communicate the importance of this to the state and federal government . Councilmember Rog stated the media is reporting on resolutions passed within the city. She noted that thanks to the persistence of several residents, she sees this as a goal for the community, adding there is a need for the council to support this resolution and to let our state leaders know we are very supportive of this issue. She noted healthcare costs too much and is inaccessible to many in St. Louis Park and across the nation, especially people of color . Councilmember Rog explained why this affects St. Louis Park including racial equity, city budget, focus on mental health, business growth, job creation , and overall public health and community wellness. She explained in zip code 55416, 9% of black people and 7% of Asian, are uninsured versus 2% of white people. Overall, 12% of immigrants are uninsured and 26% of non-citizens are uninsured. She noted how disparities fall hard on the city’s BIPOC population. She pointed out this is one reason to get serious about this issue and take a public stand . Councilmember Rog stated 8% of the city budget is spent on health coverage and there may be reductions on that. She added mental health issues related to police and emergency resources and the time they consume are difficult, and under this universal healthcare plan, mental health assistance would be available in the way it should be. She noted many businesses cannot grow because they cannot afford the insurance costs their employees would need. She added more healthcare care workers in the community are needed and with a hospital in the community, there is more opportunity for job creation. Councilmember Rog stated passing a resolution aligns with what St. Louis Park stands for as a community, similar to the climate emergency resolution. She noted this is a timely discussion as last week a bill to introduce a MN health plan was presented and over 50 legislators from the senate and house will be working on this, so it is a good time to support this issue and bring forth a resolution. She noted St. Louis Park has an opportunity to lead in the southwest metro to work on providing healthcare coverage for all Minnesotans, and specifically those who are underserved, and to add to the momentum of Medicare for All. DocuSign Envelope ID: 89238EAA-73DA-437A-A307-DC8DD1FECE14 Study session minutes -7- Feb. 14, 2022 Councilmember Kraft stated he had seen data that healthcare expenditures in St. Louis Park are $3 million. He is supportive of this and would be in favor of focusing on the principle and using this information as examples, which are now represented in bills such as Medicare for All and MN Health plan. Councilmember Budd thanked Councilmember Rog for her comments and for the zip code data, which helps us all remember this element of the issue. Mayor Spano stated he does not have a strong feeling either way on doing a reso lution or not. He added it should speak to the spirit and principle of what we are trying to achieve, and he would like to see some data in the resolution to show the impacts to St. Louis Park and how much could be saved in costs. He added there are many reasons to support universal healthcare, including ensuring that people’s lives are not tied to their wealth. He added before it comes back to the council for a vote, it would be helpful to see the final version of the resolution. Councilmember Rog stated since the council is generally in agreement, she would hope staff does not need to spend too much time on this. Mayor Spano stated the draft should come back for a quick review to council and discussion before it goes for approval. Ms. Walsh stated staff will work on it and bring it back to the February 28 study session and then it can be voted on at the March 7 meeting. It was the consensus of the council to add the three items to the city’s legislative priorities list. Councilmember Kraft raised the idea of getting state backing or matching funds for the climate investment fund. He stated after meeting with staff, Mr. Hoffman mentioned it might be worth meeting with the city’s legislators to discuss further, and he wanted to bring this forward to council. Mayor Spano stated he is fine with these discussions and asked if anyone else would be interested in assisting. Councilmember Brausen stated he would be interested . Written Reports Councilmember Kraft noted the written report CDBG funds and i f being on the waiting list is 10- 15 years long, he would be interested in learning more about this and what else could be done, to help people keep their homes. Councilmember Dumalag agreed and added she would want to know how behind the city is on this. Ms. Walsh stated Ms. Olson can come back to discuss this further with council or include another update to the written report. DocuSign Envelope ID: 89238EAA-73DA-437A-A307-DC8DD1FECE14 Study session minutes -8- Feb. 14, 2022 Councilmember Rog asked if the affordable housing trust fund allows for transfer to rehabilitation, noting it could make a big difference in that fund. Ms. Walsh stated she will look into this. Communications/meeting check-in (verbal) Councilmember Brausen noted the Cedar Lake Road listening sessions will be coming up soon and to please look for more information on the city website. Councilmember Rog noted the Children First Breakfast, which is scheduled for March 3 and is virtual again this year. She stated more information is available on the Children First website. Mayor Spano noted STEP is in need at this time, and the Baseball Association is raising funds to send kids to Cuba for an exchange program The meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m. Written Reports provided and documented for recording purposes only: 4 Proposed allocation of 2022 Community Development Block Grant funds 5. Update on Wooddale Station LLC’s proposed Wooddale Station Redevelopment ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Melissa Kennedy, city clerk Jake Spano, mayor DocuSign Envelope ID: 89238EAA-73DA-437A-A307-DC8DD1FECE14