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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022/02/22 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Regular Official minutes City council meeting St. Louis Park, Minnesota Feb. 22, 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 Councilmember Rog Councilmembers absent: none. Staff present: City Manager (Ms. Keller), City Attorney (Mr. Shepherd), Project Engineer (Mr. Wiesen), Director of Engineering (Ms. Heiser), Director of Community Development (Ms. Barton) Housing Supervisor (Ms. Olson), Communications Manager (Ms. Smith), Zoning Administrator (Mr. Morrison) Guests: Stephanie Drews, Erica Bennett and members of the community calling into the meeting 2. Presentations 2a. Proclamation – Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month – March 2022 Mayor Spano read the proclamation recognizing March 2022 as Colorectal Cancer Awareness month in St. Louis Park. 2b. Recognition of donations Mayor Spano recognized Discover St. Louis Park’s donations of up to $2,000 for Jason West to attend the Sports Events and Tourism Association symposium. 3. Approval of minutes – none. 4. Approval of agenda and items on consent calendar 4a. Approve second reading and adopt Ordinance No. 2643-22 establishing the Bridgewalk Homeowners’ Association HIA. Adopt Resolution No. 22-029 approving a housing improvement fee for the Bridgewalk Homeowners’ Association HIA 4b. Adopt Resolution No. 22-030 approving renewal of liquor licenses for license term March 1, 2022, through February 28, 2023 DocuSign Envelope ID: 89238EAA-73DA-437A-A307-DC8DD1FECE14 City Council meeting -2- Feb. 22, 2022 4c. Adopt Resolution No. 22-031 accepting donation from DSLP for Jason West to attend the Sports Events & Tourism Association (ETA) symposium 4d. Adopt resolution approving the final plans and specifications and authorizing ad for bid for 36th Street and Wooddale Avenue improvements project 4022-6000 (This item was removed from the consent calendar and considered as regular agenda as item 8d.) 4e. Replace Rec Center arena flooring 4f. Adopt Resolution No. 22-032 approving off-site gambling for Community Charities of Minnesota 4g. Human rights commission meeting minutes of November 9, 2021 4h. Planning commission meeting minutes of January 19, 2022 Councilmember Dumalag requested that consent calendar item 4d be removed and placed on the Regular Agenda as item 8d. It was moved by Councilmember Kraft, seconded by Councilmember Dumalag, to approve the agenda and items listed on the consent calendar as amended to move consent calendar item 4d to the regular agenda as item 8d; and to waive reading of all resolutions and ordinances. The motion passed 7-0. 5. Boards and commissions – none. 6. Public hearings 6a. Public hearing to consider allocation of 2022 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds Resolution No. 22-033 Ms. Olson presented the staff report. Mayor Spano opened the public hearing. No speakers were present. Mayor Spano closed the public hearing. Councilmember Rog asked if the $30,000 for the land trust is for a buyer or landowner in St Louis Park. Ms. Olson stated the St. Louis Park allocation is for a home in St. Louis Park. Councilmember Rog asked about the availability of affordable homes that the land trust is looking for, if they are now in short supply, and how is the land trust doing in finding homes eligible for the program. Ms. Olson said the land trust has purchased tax forfeiture homes and there is a non- profit looking at selling a couple homes they were using and that they are working with the county on this. Ms. Olson added the legacy program then reaches out to owners of NOAH properties in case they were interested in selling their NOAH multi-family DocuSign Envelope ID: 89238EAA-73DA-437A-A307-DC8DD1FECE14 City Council meeting -3- Feb. 22, 2022 building. She added they have communicated with the community to sell their single- family home to the land trust through the legacy program. Councilmember Kraft stated $30,000 is not enough to buy a house. He asked how this works on the Homes within Reach program. Ms. Olson stated Homes within Reach has a variety of sources including home funds, funds through the county, and CDBG is another form of funding the city allocates, plus city funds are used to contribute. She added the land trust fills the gap between what new buyer can afford and the cost of homes and rehabilitation, so there are multiple sources available. Councilmember Kraft asked if there is a waiting list for this and if this is due to a hold up in processing at Hennepin County. Ms. Olson stated the waiting list is in reference to the deferred loan program and there are a couple reasons for this. One being the deferred loan program is now an online application system, which has increased the number of applications. This is being done with the Health Homes program as well. She stated Hennepin County administers this program for several suburban cities, and they are working with 50 loan applicants, and do not have the capacity to increase the number of loans they are processing. She stated they do triage based on emergency need. Ms. Olson explained if someone wants to rehab their home, but it is not urgent, they will be behind others that might have a dire situation on their hands, for instance where a home might be uninhabitable. She pointed out other communities are seeing the increase in need as well and soon all cities will most likely come together to work with Hennepin County on the waitlist situation. She stated other avenues might be an option to address needs in St. Louis Park. Councilmember Kraft stated he is supportive of this and looks forward to hearing more. Councilmember Mohamed stated generally she is in support of this as the spending is going to help affordable homes and investing. She asked what this looks like with preservation of the city’s 37 NOAH homes and if the funding goes directly to those homes. Ms. Olson stated the funding does not go to public housing single-family homes. She added these are homes owned by low- to moderate-income households that have a need for improvements and maintenance where without this funding, they cannot make them. She added, this allows them to stay in the home. Councilmember Mohamed stated she is in support of this. Councilmember Budd asked if the wait list of 65 is exclusively in St. Louis Park. Ms. Olson stated yes. Councilmember Budd stated she supports this and pointed out what a good deal this is in preserving a home for $30,000. Councilmember Dumalag stated she is supportive of this and glad to be talking about home ownership and preservation of current assets, particularly for homeowners that have homes needing a lot of maintenance, not only cosmetic, but structural. Mayor Spano added he is also supportive. DocuSign Envelope ID: 89238EAA-73DA-437A-A307-DC8DD1FECE14 City Council meeting -4- Feb. 22, 2022 It was moved by Councilmember Dumalag, seconded by Councilmember Brausen, to adopt Resolution No. 22-033 approving proposed use of 2022 Urban Hennepin County Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and authorize execution of sub- recipient agreement with Hennepin County and third-party agreements. The motion passed 7-0. 7. Requests, petitions, and communications from the public – none 8. Resolutions, ordinances, motions, and discussion items 8a. Shops at West End PUD major amendment. Resolution No. 22-034 Councilmember Dumalag recused herself from this discussion and the vote due to a conflict related to a client she is working with in this area. Mr. Morrison presented the staff report. Councilmember Brausen stated this all makes good business sense adding he sees no negative impacts for Ward 4. Mayor Spano noted the balance and blend at West End has been adjusted over the years. He stated new owners have worked on ways to come up with creative and full opportunities and did a good job bringing fun activities to the area during the holidays. He added he appreciates their creativity that reflects the reality of the space. Councilmember Rog asked what the current occupancy rate is at Shops at West End. Ms. Bennett stated it was 83% at end of the holiday season. Councilmember Rog asked if St. Louis Park resident Tammy Cabrera is at building 32. Ms. Bennet stated no, she is at building 23. It was moved by Councilmember Brausen, seconded by Councilmember Mohamed, to adopt Resolution No. 22-034, approving a major amendment to the Shops at West End planned unit development (PUD). The motion passed 6-0-1 (Councilmember Dumalag abstained). 8b. 2022 Pavement Management Project – Fern Hill (4021-1000) Resolution No. 22- 035 Mr. Wiesen presented the staff report. Councilmember Rog asked about the process to protect trees near a sidewalk project. Mr. Wiesen stated all options are looked at to preserve trees and limit impacts to tree DocuSign Envelope ID: 89238EAA-73DA-437A-A307-DC8DD1FECE14 City Council meeting -5- Feb. 22, 2022 roots. Sometimes this means moving the sidewalk away from the tree and look at street narrowing, for trees and for traffic calming as well. Councilmember Rog asked about treatment used on trees to promote the health of trees when undertaking projects like this. Mr. Wiesen explained that prior to construction, roots can be exposed to help minimize impacts and do clean root cutting , which is a safe way to preserve roots. He added they can also use cambistat treatment post construction to slow canopy growth and tree watering also helps with tree survival. Councilmember Rog asked in the 8 years of Connect the Park, how many trees have we predicted to preserve that we did not. Mr. Wiesen stated he is not aware of any trees that had to be removed after the fact. Councilmember Rog asked about landscaping installed in public right-of-way and how is this managed. Mr. Wiesen stated the city will take care of walls, fences, and pavers that are impacted, but sprinkler systems or dog fences are the property owner’s responsibility. Councilmember Rog noted the bikeway and asked why the 26th Street bikeway was not included in the project as well as options for the future to add a safe bike facility along 26th Street. Mr. Wiesen stated it has a level stress 3 and a design was evaluated there for a shared use trail. He noted staff evaluated that design and found it had extensive impact on private property and tree removal. Councilmember Rog asked if going forward, there might be an on-street bike trail for 26th Street. Mr. Wiesen stated that can be evaluated in the future. Councilmember Rog referenced the community sidewalk designation on Toledo Avenue between 26th and 28th Streets and wondered if this can be taken up at another time . Mr. Wiesen stated the Toledo Avenue designation is based on the current definition of community sidewalk and it is staff’s recommendation that it does meet the definition of a community sidewalk at this time. Councilmember Rog stated her rational for the bike facility to run up Toledo was the Highway 100 pedestrian bridge as well as the MnDOT parcels there, which are under discussion. She added there is a conversation to take place at a future date on this. Councilmember Rog asked about the public process for this project, how it started, and how it compares to past project engagement programs. Mr. Wiesen stated the public process began in January 2021 with a survey sent to the whole neighborhood and interactive map, to gain feedback on traffic, drainage and bikeways, and sidewalks where there were challenges, along with gaps in the network. He also noted there were two open houses held in the fall and a video posted on the city website, with information on what to expect. He added the city also installed sidewalk signs on the boulevard, which listed the website and asked for feedback, as well as a QR code where people could access information and provide feedback. He noted 66 people responded to the survey, 45 noted the map, and 193 views were noted on the video. He stated DocuSign Envelope ID: 89238EAA-73DA-437A-A307-DC8DD1FECE14 City Council meeting -6- Feb. 22, 2022 there are now 1,700 people on the email list, which is very high compared to other projects. They did postings on Next Door as well. Councilmember Rog asked how this compares to past engagement. Mr. Wiesen stated the open houses had 40+ people attend, which is more than in past years, along with email sign-ups. He stated the public process was built on successes from past projects, adding there was a good turnout for public engagement. Councilmember Kraft asked if the letters and postcards went out to the full neighborhood and how many times these were sent. Mr. Wiesen stated 3 postcards and 5-6 letters went out to the neighborhood, and also 1 letter to those on Salem and Raleigh Avenues to notify them about sidewalks being added. Councilmember Rog asked Mr. Wiesen to share key ways the project has changed from the initial draft plan based on public input. Mr. Wiesen stated the continuous sidewalks and design on Salem as well as the narrowing of streets, pilot traffic management installations, and potential solutions were all changes based on resident feedback. He added changes on the width of 28th Street from Princeton to Monterey were also made in response to feedback. Councilmember Rog stated some residents are concerned about a violation of open meeting laws and lack of internet access. City Attorney Shepherd stated staff did conduct everything consistent with open meeting laws and consistent with past practices. He added there were numerous ways residents could respond in addition to the public hearing and he strongly disagrees there was something that did not follow open meeting laws. Councilmember Rog noted some residents had concerns that an environmental impact study was not done on the project. Mr. Wiesen stated a pavement management project does not meet the threshold of an environmental impact study, noting that is more for a new road construction project, larger industrial or development project, or if roadway is near a shoreline. Councilmember Rog asked what kind of study is done in a project like this. Mr. Wiesen stated staff works with a water resources manager to discuss potential contamination areas and address how storm water can be improved. Councilmember Rog added staff does careful tree counting and preservation as well. Mr. Wiesen stated yes, noting a tree inventory is also conducted and an important part of the process. Councilmember Rog asked the rationale for not using pervious pavers and if they can be used in the future. Mr. Wiesen stated pervious pavers are very labor intensive and have costs which are higher than concrete. He also noted their longevity is not good and they only last half the time of concrete, while maintenance costs are higher than concrete. He pointed out that safety is an issue as each paver is individual, and with freeze and DocuSign Envelope ID: 89238EAA-73DA-437A-A307-DC8DD1FECE14 City Council meeting -7- Feb. 22, 2022 thaw, pavers can become uneven for walkers, bikers, and wheeled individuals. He noted at this time, there is no improved technology for this. Councilmember Rog noted that instead of using the term ‘street narrowing’ we are using the term ‘reduction in impervious surfaces.’ She asked about benefits of reducing impervious surfaces, why the city has adopted that policy, and how it benefits the environment. Mr. Wiesen stated narrow streets are safer for pedestrians, with shorter crossing distances, there is more space to plant trees, they provide traffic calming, and there is less storm water runoff. He also noted with the use of less pavement, there are lower costs and less future maintenance. Councilmember Rog stated there are concerns about emergency vehicles getting through narrow streets, especially in the winter. Mr. Wiesen stated that public safety is involved in this process, noting staff have reviewed this issue, and are not concerned about the 28 feet with parking on both sides. Councilmember Rog stated she heard from residents on the issue of cleaning sidewalks of snow, especially with people who may have disabilities or are seniors and not able to do this work, or not able to pay for someone to do this work for them. She asked what type of support the city can provide to residents for this . Mr. Wiesen stated senior community services, as part of the homeowner program services, provide assistance for individuals 60 and older based on a sliding fee scale. He noted residents should contact staff for more details. Councilmember Rog commented on traffic from Benilde with speeding and stop signs being ignored and asked what the city will do to address this. Ms. Heiser stated the police have met with the school, put speed boards there, and will coordinate with the city on this project. She noted meetings have been conducted with parents and students on these issues, especially pointing out the reduced speed limits and stop signs. She also added flyers and announcements have gone out from the school to reinforce those behaviors. Councilmember Rog stated she appreciates this noting it is difficult to change driver behavior adding there is more that can be done to slow down traffic . She asked if this project is approved, what can residents expect and when. Mr. Wiesen stated staff will continue to engage and work with the neighborhood on their concerns. He noted the schedule will be shared in April, and residents can sign up for weekly email updates to know what to expect. He stated the project will begin in early May and be completed in October. Councilmember Rog stated she supports the modifications that staff included in the packet, especially those that support the mature trees. Shraga Smith, 2738 Raleigh Ave., stated he grew up on 26th and Quentin, there were no sidewalks there, and he is happy there are plans for a sidewalk. He noted students at Benilde do drive very fast and he felt the sidewalk would be better on the west side to DocuSign Envelope ID: 89238EAA-73DA-437A-A307-DC8DD1FECE14 City Council meeting -8- Feb. 22, 2022 Minnetonka Boulevard. He stated it is important to be safe here because there are a lot of kids in the neighborhood. Councilmember Kraft stated he got interesting feedback on this. He asked how this process works, how often the city does pavement management, and how streets are picked within that area each time. He noted some residents suggested there was an inequitable process in how the city picks locations. Ms. Heiser stated the city has a pavement management program and each year, staff surveys the condition of roads and in Pavement Area 8 there were concerns so a two- phase project needs to be conducted. She stated pavement surveys are conducted and the CIP is based on condition so when conditions are failing, there must be projects such as this, especially when they are too far gone, and mill and overlay have been exhausted. Councilmember Kraft asked if staff then generally looks at an area once every 8 years and whatever roads are like is the basis of when construction is done. Ms. Heiser stated yes, adding this project could not be put off any longer, adding they will not be back in the Fern Hill area now until 2030. She added these projects are purely condition driven. Councilmember Kraft stated he wanted folks to know there is a science behind how this is done. He asked how areas are chosen for sidewalk projects. Ms. Heiser stated staff has a plan in place based on council direction and if gaps exist in sidewalks, staff recommends filling in those gaps. She added staff reaches out to residents often to ask what sidewalks they would like reviewed, and staff then takes feedback from residents. She noted many residents have been interested in north south connections. Councilmember Kraft asked what was learned from the surveys. Ms. Heiser stated surveys are just one tool, a couple of specific locations were noted, and the rest of the feedback was from emails staff received. Mr. Wiesen stated the initial survey noted specific locations such as Monterey Parkway, and Raleigh and Salem were added after emails were received. Councilmember Kraft asked how some streets came off the project. Mr. Wiesen stated staff looked at impact and costs and determined from there . Councilmember Kraft stated he has learned these pavement management projects can be challenging and emotional, as they are changes in front of people’s homes, but the city must maintain its infrastructure. He added these projects are consistent with city values and priorities, while there are also tradeoffs. He is convinced this is being done well and added he received emails from residents asking him not to approve this project due to the removal of trees and use of impervious surfaces. He stated while he hates for any trees to come down, this plan will be conducive to more non-car traffic. Councilmember Kraft added while he recognized some are against this project, the council’s job is to represent all the community and be responsive. He commended Councilmember Rog for her work on this and staff’s work, and the fact that concerns DocuSign Envelope ID: 89238EAA-73DA-437A-A307-DC8DD1FECE14 City Council meeting -9- Feb. 22, 2022 from the community were incorporated as much as possible into the process. He stated he is supportive of this. Councilmember Budd stated she is new to this process and did get to look further into this with Ms. Heiser and staff. She stated a lot of careful planning goes into this and sophisticated analysis that must be coordinated. She also thanked Councilmember Rog for her questions, while showing due diligence was met. She noted this will be coming up in her ward soon and she appreciates how much goes into the process, adding she will support this. Councilmember Mohamed stated she will also support this, noting the people of Fern Hill are thrilled to have Councilmember Rog as their representative. She added she likes how staff found the right balance and is being responsible. She noted a lot of work and effort goes into the process. She thanked those who reached out to her this past week, noting this is the right move for our city. Councilmember Dumalag also thanked staff for their work on this, adding this is happening in people’s neighborhoods and change can be destructive. She noted, however, that sidewalks are an infrastructure item allowing for safely going from one block to the next, and she will also support this. Councilmember Brausen thanked Councilmember Rog for her detailed questions. He noted there will also be changes in Ward 4 next year on Cedar Lake Road, stating change is hard, but infrastructure is important, and the city needs to continue to do these projects and do them in a responsible manner. He added when the city makes these types of major investments, it will get a good return in the long run. He stated people feel proprietary about the right-of-way in front of their house, but noted the city makes accommodations for homeowners, while narrowing the street to protect oak trees. He stated this project is very worthwhile, the city plants more trees, and trees do grow back. He hopes neighbors will give this a chance and stated they will definitely like the changes in a few years, noting he will support this. Shelly Hanson, 2824 Raleigh Ave., stated this project was based on a survey of 66 people, all in Fern Hill, and the council is ignoring petitions with 93 signatures and 65 signatures from those who do not want these sidewalks. She noted the earlier discussion with council providing funding for affordable housing, but noted the city is not interested in funding an environmental study. She stated misinformation was given to the council as her tree, which staff said will not be affected with one-third of it cut down. She stated the council is basing this on a survey from last year and many did not understand the pathway would change. She asked the council to table this until an independent arborist is consulted. She added that more than 14 trees are affected and after the roots are cut off her tree, it will go down in a storm. She stated if the council is responsive to the community, they would not ignore the petition, adding this project will not help the climate and to declare a climate emergency and then cut down trees does not make sense, as this will have a drastic effect. DocuSign Envelope ID: 89238EAA-73DA-437A-A307-DC8DD1FECE14 City Council meeting -10- Feb. 22, 2022 Mayor Spano stated pavement management programs impact people’s property and there is no single solution. But for a city that was designed around the car, the city will need to divert roads and sidewalks around trees. Mayor Spano stated the city tries to focus on providing opportunities for dialogue with residents, adding some will like the project and some will not. He noted the city’s engagement process is as good as it can be in getting the word out and getting feedback so staff and council can make the best decisions. He noted all the ways staff reached out to the community on this issue and that Councilmember Rog mentioned the project five times in her newsletters. He also noted there were 10,891 interactions that went out or came into the city alone, and that is a tremendous amount of engagement going in and out of the city. He stated the solution will not always be perfect for all, but the process is important, and while some will not like the outcome of this vote, staff has gone above and beyond with robust outreach. He referenced the city’s visioning process over many years and stated he appreciated all the feedback on the project. He stated he will support this. Councilmember Rog asked Mr. Shepherd about the city right-of-way. Mr. Shepherd stated city right-of-way is an easement for transportation services, noting it is platted. He stated this project with sidewalks and roads is within the right-of-way and the city is not taking land or contemplating eminent domain to get the right-of-way. He noted if people have put items in the right-of-way, staff will work with them to remove the items, but residents have no right to have personal items in the right-of-way, and they should be mindful of this going forward. Councilmember Rog asked if the city right-of-way is generally about 10-14 feet from curb. Mr. Shepherd stated yes, typically this is the amount. Councilmember Rog noted the items that residents had questions on, such as Ms. Hanson on Raleigh Avenue, have been answered this evening by staff. She noted the $186,000 figure per block in not correct and it is only about $50,000 per block. Councilmember Rog also noted the city allocates millions of dollars for affordable housing through the housing levy at $1.5 million per year, $300,000 per year for the BIPOC first generation home ownership program, and through TIF requests, while pavement management is something that funds are allocated for as well. Councilmember Rog stated after 14 months of deep public engagement we are at the final approval stage. She noted there has been a lot of support shown and some confusion but all in all, this is an excellent project design which will upgrade critical infrastructure and improve the safety and livability of the community. She reminded folks that the bulk of this project is critical infrastructure work, adding that 85% of the total cost is for water main, sewer, storm water, reconstruction, and rehabilitation, and 15% is sidewalk and bikeway installation. She stated and yet sidewalks get the most attention, adding that most folks who originally balk at sidewalks ultimately like them . She stated sidewalks have a way of building community and she wishes there could have been more with this project. DocuSign Envelope ID: 89238EAA-73DA-437A-A307-DC8DD1FECE14 City Council meeting -11- Feb. 22, 2022 Councilmember Rog stated, as Mayor Spano noted, the community has repeatedly made it clear that walkability is a priority and a goal of the community and during the 2040 Comp Plan, the council made this a priority as well. She added the city’s strategic priorities are committed to expanding the network of sidewalks, trails, and bike facilities. She added community walkability cannot be achieved if left to individual residents to petition or vote for or against a sidewalk on their particular block. This is not how sidewalks, roads, or any other infrastructure system can be created within a city. She stated she regrets some residents are left with this impression when they provide input on pavement projects, which are based on many factors. She added the city might need to revisit its approach to make it crystal clear to all that its strong commitment to walkability will always utilize the public right-of-way for sidewalks and bikeways where it makes sense for the neighborhood and community for all . She thanked Mr. Wiesen for his patience, creativity and expertise. She also thanked Ms. Heiser for her leadership of engineering and development of this plan. Additionally, she thanked residents for their comments, concerns, good plans and ideas and also the council for their support of this project. It was moved by Councilmember Rog, seconded by Councilmember Brausen, to adopt Resolution No. 22-035 accepting the project report establishing the 2022 Pavement Management Project (4021-1000), approving plans and specifications, and authorizing advertisement for bids. The motion passed 7-0. 8c. Adopt resolution approving health care for all Resolution No. 22-036 Mr. Sund presented the staff report and resolution. Mayor Spano read the resolution into the record. Hillary Bastien, 3654 Glenhurst Ave., stated when she was a young adult, she was not concerned about not having health insurance between 18-23 years old, and since that time she and her husband have always had insurance because of their jobs. She noted a time when they had to pay $11,000 per year for insurance and now, she is on Medicare. She noted she has been so fortunate but has known for a long time that she did not deserve to have insurance more than others that work for McDonalds, Walmart, or those who are unemployed. She added most bankruptcies in the US are connected to medical bills, and GoFundMe sites are the place to go to fund healthcare. She stated there have been over 650,000 GoFundMe sites to fund healthcare and people end up competing with each other to fund tragic medical issues. She stated this must change. Her daughter at 49 was uninsured last year and her partner was unemployed . She added many who are freelance workers must go uninsured and must work part-time jobs, which cuts into their creativity. She stated healthcare has to be de-coupled from employment and this is holding back our economy. She stated the solution is universal health care and thanked the council for their consideration of the resolution . DocuSign Envelope ID: 89238EAA-73DA-437A-A307-DC8DD1FECE14 City Council meeting -12- Feb. 22, 2022 Councilmember Rog asked about the emails to city hall regarding the resolution. Mr. Sund noted there were 14 messages received in support of adopting the resolution and after the 14 emails were sent to the council, an additional comment was received that was supportive. Councilmember Rog stated local government has a role to play in elevating issues that matter to residents, at the state and national levels. She added the city is a player on the local level and in the larger system on issues such as this. She stated the council should be discerning around the passing of resolutions, just for the sake of passing them, and not to dilute their value. Councilmember Rog noted in the resolution being considered tonight will significantly heighten awareness of and build momentum around serious discussion at the state level about universal health care. She added the legislature needs to hear from cities, and many have already passed similar resolutions, noting if the resolution is passed tonight by the council, this will make St. Louis Park the first west metro city to do so . Councilmember Rog stated the city will be leaders then to an issue important to all city residents, and especially to BIPOC residents, who are likely to lack health coverage and even if insured are more likely to face barriers to health access due to being disproportionately low income. This resolution aligns with the city’s strategic priority to be a leader and create a more just and inclusive equity for all. Councilmember Rog stated this also aligns with the city’s goals to be more fiscally responsible with the city, when spending $2.8 million on city employee health coverage. This coverage will help to create more funding within the budget for cities, so funds can be used for other programs and projects, and/or lower tax levies, which makes this hyper-relevant to the city and residents. Councilmember Rog thanked all residents who worked on this, stating she hopes to pass this resolution in order to let the legislature know where St. Louis Park stands on this issue. Councilmember Kraft thanked Councilmember Rog for her comments. He noted the US spends per capita almost double that of comparable countries on healthcare in Western Europe of similar GDP status and yet the US has worse outcomes. He added US patients have shorter hospital stays and fewer physician visits per capita, and yet we still pay twice as much, and the difference is they have universal healthcare. Mayor Spano stated he is fortunate to have healthcare coverage adding the amount of time spent on filing paperwork to be reimbursed is very time consuming, and a laborious process. He added he will support this because he does not believe a person’s life should be tied to your wallet, stating this is morally wrong. It was moved by Councilmember Rog, seconded by Councilmember Kraft, to adopt Resolution No. 22-036 in support of the Minnesota Health Plan and Medicare for All Act. DocuSign Envelope ID: 89238EAA-73DA-437A-A307-DC8DD1FECE14 City Council meeting -13- Feb. 22, 2022 The motion passed 7-0. 8d. Final plans and specifications and authorizing ad for a bid for 36 th Street and Wooddale Avenue improvements project 4022-6000 Resolution No. 22- 037 Councilmember Dumalag noted this is the last phase in a 3-phase project. She stated she is grateful for staff scheduling the open house for this item, adding a resident asked her about this item in an open house. She pointed out that council wants to ensure folks can bike and walk safely to businesses and other destinations including the ROC. Councilmember Brausen stated he walked from Ward 4 to Micro Center and over to Steel Toe Brewery recently, noting this project will enhance walkability and biking ability in the area. He noted this was incorporated into the city’s 2019 plans, will come to fruition soon, and he will be supporting this. It was moved by Councilmember Dumalag, seconded by Councilmember Brausen, to adopt Resolution No. 22-037, approving final plans and specifications and authorizing advertisement for a bid for 36th Street and Wooddale Avenue improvements project 4022-6000. The motion passed 6-0 (Councilmember Mohamed absent during this vote). 9. Communications Ms. Keller stated a snow emergency was declared in the city beginning this evening at 10 p.m. She also noted community COVID clinics start this weekend at the Icon Theatre at West End, February 26, from 2-6 p.m. and on February 27 at The Block from 2-5 p.m. Ms. Keller noted the upcoming Shamrock Ice Bowling event on March 12, with only 34 team spots remaining. She also noted upcoming open houses for Louisiana and Cedar Avenue construction and the Wooddale station neighborhood meeting on March 3, with more details on the city website. Councilmember Brausen stated there are two upcoming virtual open houses regarding Cedar Lake Road construction in 2023, and community outreach is already un derway. He added road signs are up and there will be open houses on February 23 at 2 p.m. and February 24 at 6 p.m. with more details on the city website. He encouraged Ward 4 residents to attend and be part of the process from the beginning. Councilmember Rog also reminded everyone of the Children First fundraiser virtual event on March 3, with more information to be found on the city website. She explained that due to audio issues on tonight’s meeting, Judith Moore did not get to speak this evening, while she thanked Hillary for her comments. She also thanked everyone that has advocated for Minnesota Healthcare this past year. 10. Adjournment DocuSign Envelope ID: 89238EAA-73DA-437A-A307-DC8DD1FECE14 City Council meeting -14- Feb. 22, 2022 The meeting adjourned at 8:54 p.m. ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Melissa Kennedy, city clerk Jake Spano, mayor DocuSign Envelope ID: 89238EAA-73DA-437A-A307-DC8DD1FECE14