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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022/03/21 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Regular Official minutes City council meeting St. Louis Park, Minnesota Mar. 21, 2022 1. Call to order Mayor Spano called the meeting to order at 6:55 p.m. 1a. Pledge of allegiance 1b. Roll call Councilmembers present: Mayor Jake Spano, Tim Brausen, Sue Budd, Lynette Dumalag, Larry Kraft, and Margaret Rog Councilmembers absent: Nadia Mohamed Staff present: City Manager (Ms. Keller), City Attorney (Mr. Mattick), Deputy City Manager/Operations and Recreation Director (Ms. Walsh), Community Development Director (Ms. Barton), Engineering Director (Ms. Heiser), Engineering Project Manager (Mr. Sullivan), Human Resources Director (Ms. Timpone), Interim Information Resources Director (Ms. Smith) Guests: Boy Scouts from Troop 46, Jim Alexander and Nkongo Cigolo, from Metro Transit 2. Presentations 2a. SWLRT construction overview and update Mr. Sullivan stated he helps to coordinate construction of the SWLRT . Mr. Alexander from Metro Transit presented a status report to council. Mr. Cigolo presented the communications status report to the council. Councilmember Kraft asked about the 2027 date and if that is an estimate. Mr. Alexander stated typically they do not give out completion dates, but this will be fine- tuned as the project goes forward, adding the Kenilworth Tunnel is the issue here. He stated they hope to complete the tunnel in 2025. Councilmember Kraft asked if they are past the phase of surprises now. Mr. Alexander stated they have a general idea of what they are up against now and have about one quarter of the tunnel completed. Councilmember Kraft asked when some of the bike trails will be open. Mr. Alexander stated it will be earlier than 2027, they are looking to open trails in Hopkins soon, noting it depends on the contractors and their equipment. Mayor Spano stated once the project is above ground, then the surprises stop. He noted some underground utilities in St. Paul were not known about during the Green Line construction. He asked if the SWLRT will be working above ground before 2025 and if DocuSign Envelope ID: 8EBAFC20-E7E2-4807-A0D2-C51D8456BAC5 City council meeting -2- Mar. 21, 2022 things will be clearer by then. Mr. Alexander stated there are stations finished and track being laid in Eden Prairie now, but the tunnel itself is a long way out before it is finished. Mayor Spano asked when they get from Beltline to Eden Prairie, if there has been any discussion about opening up that section and having another option then to get around the Kenilworth Tunnel. Mr. Alexander stated there really is not a practical way to do that, as there are challenges because the maintenance area is on the other side of the tunnel. Mayor Spano stated projects like this are hard and do not typically get done when projected as timing and labor all factor in. He asked if monies are not coming from the cities, what is the plan for the remaining additional funds. He also noted the legislative auditor is looking into this and asked what the progress on this is. Mr. Alexander stated they welcome the audit, which is to look at the overall project, how it was developed, budget, timing, history, and personnel and will be completed over the next year. He noted the additional funding of $81 million will be advanced and they are working with the governor’s office to discuss additional funding. He stated there is no plan yet, but they are working on this. Councilmember Budd asked about the new name, Green Line Extension, what effect that has on the project, and is it wrong to continue to call it the SWLRT. Mr. Alexander stated it can still be called SWLRT, but the Met Council has started to call it the Green Line Extension, as that is what it is, and is a rebranding. He recommended cities move to the new branding. Councilmember Budd noted the cost comparisons and asked if St. Louis Park’s portion of the project is the only one still being worked on or if others are also. Mr. Alexander stated it is a mix. Councilmember Dumalag stated last year Mr. Alexander talked about the two change orders and asked if he could speak to the one in Eden Prairie. Mr. Alexander stated the change order for the Eden Prairie station was added and the Eden Prairie council endorsed it for the civil and systems work. Councilmember Dumalag asked if there are new consultants on the project for parts of the line or the entire line. Mr. Alexander stated they are still collaborating with the same consultants and construction company on the entire line. Councilmember Dumalag stated there are three stations in the city with a lot of development and asked, as far as timing, are there any implications particularly at Wooddale and Beltline. Mr. Alexander stated they are working with the city and the Sherman Development, noting things are going well. Mr. Sullivan stated there are many meetings with community development and engineering for coordination and responsibilities. DocuSign Envelope ID: 8EBAFC20-E7E2-4807-A0D2-C51D8456BAC5 City council meeting -3- Mar. 21, 2022 Councilmember Rog stated she will watch for news on the Calhoun Towers property . Mr. Alexander stated they are undertaking a study, some cracks have been identified, so they are looking for the cause to figure out the next steps. Councilmember Rog asked if in Mr. Alexander’s view there is any chance this project will not come to completion. Mr. Alexander stated in his view no, adding it is not practical to not complete it, especially with so much already being built . He added this would not be feasible. Mr. Cigolo noted that 2021 communications continued as usual, including public walking tours, the hotline, and construction updates. He also noted virtual construction town hall meetings were held, as well as public construction tours, pop-up events, and weekly and bi-weekly updates. He stated the website, email, and social media information: Website: GreenLineExt.org, Email: swlrt@metrotransit.org Twitter: @GreenLineExtMN and Instagram: @GreenLineExtMN. Councilmember Brausen noted he is on the email list and appreciates the weekly communications. He thanked Mr. Cigolo for the information, noting it is important to keep the community informed. Councilmember Rog stated as the summer months come, it would be helpful to have more information about the trail situation. Mr. Cigolo stated they are working on a new page on trails and should be up and running in a couple of months. Councilmember Dumalag stated her husband has attended the tours and they have been great, adding they should continue doing those. 2b. Recognition of donations Mayor Spano recognized donations to the Operations and Recreation department and the Nature Center totaling $793.84 from Leslie Marcus, Leif Anderson, Linda Malf. 3. Approval of minutes – none. 4. Approval of agenda and items on consent calendar 4a. Adopt Resolution No. 22-43 approving acceptance of donations to the operations and recreation department totaling $793.84. 4b. Adopt Resolution No. 22-044 approving the appointment of Dispatch Supervisor Eric Lammle as the primary representative from the police department to the Metropolitan Emergency Services Board (MESB), 9-1-1 Technical Operations Committee (TOC). 4c. Approve a special assessment agreement and adopt Resolution No. 22-045 authorizing the special assessment for the Texa-Tonka shopping center sidewalk. 4d. Approve out-of-state travel for the mayor and council members. (This item was removed from the consent calendar and considered as regular agenda item 8c) 4e. Approve for filing human rights commission minutes of Feb. 15, 2022. DocuSign Envelope ID: 8EBAFC20-E7E2-4807-A0D2-C51D8456BAC5 City council meeting -4- Mar. 21, 2022 Mayor Spano requested that consent calendar item 4d be removed and placed on the Regular Agenda to 8c. It was moved by Councilmember Brausen, seconded by Councilmember Rog, 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 8c; and to waive reading of all resolutions and ordinances. The motion passed 6-0 (Councilmember Mohamed absent). 5. Boards and commissions – none. 6. Public hearings 6a. Public Hearing – Establishment of the 9920 Wayzata Blvd. Tax Increment Financing District (Ward 4) Resolution No. 22-046 Ms. Monson stated she is available for questions, noting this was presented in the EDA meeting earlier this evening. Mayor Spano opened the public hearing. No speakers were present. Mayor Spano closed the public hearing. At the invitation of Councilmember Brausen, the development team came forward and introduced themselves: Luke Hedberg, Bigos Management; Chris Grzybowski, Big D Construction; Adam Neumann, Bigos Management; Bill Stoddard, Stoddard Companies; Corey Schubert, Big D Construction; and, Neil Reardon, ESGR Construction and Design. Councilmember Brausen commented on the desires and goals of this group to hire minority-owned, BIPOC, and women-owned businesses, noting the city cannot require this. He asked for some type of reassurance that they will work on this to meet and exceed those goals. Mr. Grzybowski stated they can do this, and the most significant way is through the bidding process, utilizing their database, while also keeping statistics. He added now that they know the target, they will establish goals to meet it. Mr. Hedberg agreed and stated as a developer they are very interested in meeting these goals as well. Mayor Spano stated the secretary of state’s office registers all businesses in Minnesota and has a 5-question survey of each business that registers. He stated for $100 you can get that complete data set from the secretary of state’s office and research it. He recommended they do this. Councilmember Dumalag asked Big D, which projects are relevant, what have been their hiring goals, and have they achieved them. Mr. Grzybowski stated they have not had a DocuSign Envelope ID: 8EBAFC20-E7E2-4807-A0D2-C51D8456BAC5 City council meeting -5- Mar. 21, 2022 project yet where they have had to prove the statistics. This will be one of their first projects tracking this information and they are looking forward to doing this . Councilmember Dumalag stated she would like them to think about these as soft costs, as well as hard costs. Mr. Grzybowski added breaking up the contracts, like Mayor Spano mentioned, is one of the key strategies for this project . Councilmember Rog stated she will not be supporting this project because she believes too much of the city’s tax base is tied up in TIF, and because she believes this project or some version of this project could and should be funded with private funds, so as to collect property taxes and thereby reduce the tax burden on residents . Councilmember Kraft stated he would like to have the group come back when they have pulled the data and explain what they have learned from the process on minority and women-owned business tracking. He added this is a great step and can be a differentiator for them. It was moved by Councilmember Brausen, seconded by Councilmember Kraft, to adopt Resolution No. 22-046 approving the establishment of the 9920 Wayzata Blvd. Tax Increment Financing District (a housing district). The motion passed 5-1 (Councilmember Rog opposed, Councilmember Mohamed absent). 7. Requests, petitions, and communications from the public – none. 8. Resolutions, ordinances, motions, and discussion items 8a. Resolution related to boundaries and polling locations for the 2022 election cycle Resolution No. 22-047 Mr. Sund presented the staff report. Councilmember Budd stated many in her Ward used to vote at Aquila, but now will need to vote at Lenox. Mr. Sund stated the requirement is that the designated polling place be located within one mile of a precinct boundary and each of the proposed polling locations meet that requirement. He noted it can be challenging to find polling locations that meet the legal requirements and can serve voter needs. Lenox is a great facility for a polling place and is accessible by transit. He noted feedback received from voters was also factored in when selecting polling places. Councilmember Budd asked if there were also some racial equity considerations. Mr. Sund stated yes, that is correct, noting ward 3 is comprised of diverse precincts and feedback was received from voters who felt more connected to certain locations. Those preferences were considered when selecting polling places for precincts. DocuSign Envelope ID: 8EBAFC20-E7E2-4807-A0D2-C51D8456BAC5 City council meeting -6- Mar. 21, 2022 Councilmember Rog asked why the polling place for precinct 2 was relocated from Peter Hobart. Ms. Kennedy stated a few years ago Peter Hobart underwent construction and was unavailable for use as a polling place. At that time, a new facility became available, and the polling place was reassigned. Additionally, staff works with the school district to address security and safety concerns associated with use of facilities on Election Day. To the extent suitable alternatives are available, the city attempts to use non-school facilities as a compromise with the district. Due to the limited number of facilities available that meet all the criteria, it is not always possible to find an alternative. In this case, Wat Thai is a suitable alternative and, in some respects, a better facility in terms of serving the volume of voters in this precinct. She noted Wat Thai is very responsive and works closely with elections staff to ensure that Election Day goes as smoothly as possible. Councilmember Rog stated there are typically people out the door and down the street waiting to vote and maybe that is part of the experience of voting in St. Louis Park. She asked if staff is aware of the construction under way at Wat Thai. Ms. Kennedy stated yes, staff is aware but feel this will continue to be a good location to serve voters in the precinct. She added at peak voting hours, lines are not uncommon – especially when you are asking voters to observe physical distancing guidelines. The good news is voters in St. Louis Park generally don’t have to wait very long to vote and that is a key part of the service delivery model. Ms. Kennedy reiterated Wat Thai has been a great partner to work with and the city is grateful that they allow their facility to be used as a polling place. It was moved by Councilmember Brausen, seconded by Councilmember Dumalag, to adopt Resolution No. 22-047 confirming ward boundaries, establishing precinct boundaries, and designating polling locations for the 2022 election cycle. The motion passed 6-0 (Councilmember Mohamed absent). 8b. Resolution accepting city manager’s six-month evaluation and adjusting compensation Resolution No. 22-048 Ms. Timpone presented the resolution regarding adjustment of compensation. She noted the council met two weeks ago to discuss Ms. Keller’s 6-month above average performance. She explained after 6 months, city employees can receive a 5% increase, based on performance. Currently, Ms. Keller’s salary is $180,000 and with the 5% increase will move to $189,000 which is under the state salary cap. Mayor Spano gave a summary of the city manager’s 6-month performance evaluation and noted the council met in closed session with a consultant. He stated the council found that Ms. Keller has effectively transitioned into her role as city manager, noting collaboration, systems approach, and building trust as her great strengths. He stated there are opportunities for her to balance and delegate to keep herself open and available for the most important items of the city. He added council unanimously decided they made the right decision in hiring Ms. Keller as city manager. DocuSign Envelope ID: 8EBAFC20-E7E2-4807-A0D2-C51D8456BAC5 City council meeting -7- Mar. 21, 2022 It was moved by Councilmember Kraft, seconded by Councilmember Rog, to adopt Resolution No. 22-048 for acceptance of the city manager’s six-month performance evaluation and adjusting compensation effective Feb. 16, 2022 . The motion passed 6-0 (Councilmember Mohamed absent). 8c. Out-of-state travel for the mayor and council members Mayor Spano stated he pulled this off the consent agenda because he wants the community to understand why the council does this. He referenced the recent National League of Cities Conference last week and another one-day conference for Mayors, noting these out of state conferences are because several of the councilmembers have roles on various committees and the opportunities for councilmembers to learn best practices are very helpful for all. He also noted that meetings with legislators are helpful in supporting the community and he is pleased the councilmembers and staff members were able to attend last week. Councilmember Brausen agreed and stated these learning opportunities are positive experiences, along with learning from others, plus building relationships, which is also invaluable. It was moved by Councilmember Brausen, seconded by Councilmember Rog, to approve out-of-state travel for the mayor and council members. The motion passed 6-0 (Councilmember Mohamed absent). 9. Communications 9a. Proposed study session agenda topics – discuss and decide next steps Mayor Spano and Councilmember Dumalag presented two items, one being exploring debt-free budgeting to be used as a tool for the city budgeting process. Councilmember Brausen indicated he is supportive of this but prefers not to be completely debt-free and would not like to see staff spend a lot of time on this. Councilmember Kraft agreed but stated this is a worthwhile discussion. Ms. Keller stated this would be discussed within the budget process for 2023. Mayor Spano noted creative placemaking as a community engagement tool around change and development in the city. Councilmember Dumalag stated this was drafted prior to the discussions on community and civic engagement, but could be discussed in conjunction with that system also. DocuSign Envelope ID: 8EBAFC20-E7E2-4807-A0D2-C51D8456BAC5 City council meeting -8- Mar. 21, 2022 Councilmember Kraft stated he would prefer not asking staff to do any more with this topic until council has completed the community and civic engagement system already in progress. Mayor Spano agreed and stated this could involve a small pilot after the process bein g worked on is finished. Councilmember Rog stated she would like to learn more about how they are defining creative placemaking. Mayor Spano stated he is thinking more about using art as an opportunity to build and connect with communities, in a different way, to yield different feelings around city projects. He added there could be many different applications of the concept. Ms. Keller stated staff would do some work offline on this, see if there are any opportunities to try a small pilot project, and then report back to council on what has been done around creative placemaking. Ms. Keller noted there is an additional vaccine clinic at YUM on March 28, 2022, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. It was noted the Wooddale Station developers will be working with engagement consultants with workshops held in early April and more information will be on the city website. 10. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 8:46 p.m. ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Melissa Kennedy, city clerk Jake Spano, mayor DocuSign Envelope ID: 8EBAFC20-E7E2-4807-A0D2-C51D8456BAC5