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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016/11/14 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study SessionfffSt. Louis Park OFFICIAL MINUTES MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA NOVEMBER 14, 2016 The meeting convened at 6:30 p.m. Councilmembers present: Tim Brausen, Steve Hallfin, Gregg Lindberg, Anne Mavity, Thom Miller, and Susan Sanger. Absent: Mayor Jake Spano Staff present: City Manager (Mr. Harmening), City Attorney (Mr. Mattick), Deputy City Manager/Human Resources Director (Ms. Deno), Housing Supervisor (Ms. Schnitker), Police Chief (Mr. Luse), Communications Specialist (Ms. Larson), CIO (Mr. Pires), City Assessor (Mr. Bultema), Assistant Housing Supervisor (Ms. Olson), and Recording Secretary (Ms. Pappas). Guests: Marian Green, Hennepin County Commission; Gail Dorfmann, Metropolitan Council; Rachel Robinson, Greater MN Housing Fund; Warren Hanson, Greater MN Housing Fund; Tim Thompson, Housing Justice Center; Vic Rosenthal, Jewish Community Action. Members of the city's Human Rights Commission (HRC) and Multicultural Advisory Committee (MAC); Mike House, Police Advisory Commission. 1. Future Study Session Agenda Planning — November 7 & 14, 2016 Mr. Harmening presented the proposed Study Session agenda for Nov. 7 and 14, 2016. Councilmember Mavity noted the SWLRT agreements and wanted to be certain the Belt Line Trail Bridge design is wide enough. She pointed out that renderings show the bridge to be slightly narrow, and that is a concern related to congestion. She asked that staff pay attention to this. Councilmember Mavity pointed to Minneapolis and St. Paul as sanctuary cities and stated she would like St. Louis Park to look into being a sanctuary city, meaning the city's Police Department, and law enforcement would not participate in enforcing federal immigration laws. She added she would like to further discuss this at a study session before January, 2017. Councilmember Sanger stated she thought the city already did not enforce federal immigration laws. Mr. Harmening noted the St. Louis Park Police Department does not enforce immigration laws. Councilmember Mavity stated she wants to be sure the city is protected in case they are asked to enforce immigration laws. Councilmember Miller noted the water quality written report which mentioned potential increases in water rates in order to improve #4 and #6 water treatment plants permanently. He asked to discuss this at a future study session. Councilmember Mavity agreed. Councilmember Sanger stated she thought this had been discussed a few month ago and wondered why it needed to be brought up again. Councilmember Miller stated it is worth a discussion since the report notes what would happen with water utility rates. Study Session Minutes -2- November 14, 2016 Councilmember Lindberg stated any discussion needs to be framed. He pointed out the city is fully in compliance with the EPA, and he did not want to send any unneeded alarm or concern to citizens about water quality. Mayor Pro Tem Hallfin stated the city is within EPA levels, and he did not think another discussion was needed. Councilmember Brausen agreed and stated unless something has radically changed, he did not feel a discussion was warranted. He stated the city does have safe water. Mr. Harmening stated the city's water is safe to drink and meets all state requirements. If it did not, it would be shut off. He added there are concerns about one particular well, and it is being watched, but reiterated the city's water is safe to drink. Councilmember Mavity asked that for the November 28 meeting, staff present the timeline for decision-making related to the TIF application for the PLACE development land use and overall financing. 2. Preservation of Naturally Occurring Affordable Rental Housing (NOAH) Ms. Schnitker opened the presentation explaining that rental housing is currently in short supply across the Twin Cities. Additionally, the rising cost of housing has contributed to a number of cost burdened households, particularly among those with lower incomes. She noted that the shortage of affordable housing and the likelihood of continued rent increases creates a need to expand the region's housing supply and preserve the current stock of affordable rental housing. Mr. Hanson, with Greater MN Housing Fund, thanked Hennepin County for its investment in housing, noting they were the first investor in their Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH) Impact Fund. He noted the scale of this problem in the metro area continues to rise. The goal is to preserve 1,000 units of NOAH in the next two years. Ms. Robinson, NOAH Impact Fund Manager with Greater MN Housing Fund, explained this funding program is a private market housing fund, which is not subsidized. She added that the government is not involved in this private sector project, which has served all 87 counties in Minnesota since 1996. She noted the program provides equity funding and significant innovation within a defined area. The program supports the preservation of Class B/C buildings, which represent more modest housing and feature $550 - $1,200 per month affordable rents for families. She added there is concern that this type of housing is being lost to investors, who are buying up these units, upgrading the buildings, and renting them for higher costs, thus forcing lower income renters to leave. Ms. Robinson said that this housing is typically focused in first ring communities and aligns well with opportunity areas with access to shopping, transit and good schools. She added that rents are increasing faster than incomes, and lower income households are losing ground quickly. Families continue to struggle to secure affordable apartments with vacancies. Ms. Robinson pointed to the project at Crossroads at Penn in Richfield. This complex was sold to a local owner and displaced many residents as rents increased significantly, and Section 8 vouchers were no longer accepted. She added that the new owners targeted young professionals, with credit scores of 625 or higher. Study Session Minutes -3- November 14, 2016 Ms. Robinson stated that the Greater MN Housing Fund began with a pilot project in New Brighton, working with owner operators. The property was purchased and assured affordability for 15 years. Rents are kept low, and the owners have made it work. Ms. Robinson stated that 75% of the units must be affordable. When non-profit owners are purchasing property, they are keeping it affordable for 20-30 years. Ms. Robinson noted that cities can be proactive sources of acquisitions and can watch for an identification of potential sales. She added they should also know landlords and be in the know about exit strategies if owners are thinking of exiting. She pointed out that the Greater MN Housing Fund is very serious about this project, and they ask the cities for their help. Councilmember Mavity stated she feels everyone here is really committed to this opportunity right now in St. Louis Park, and she wants to be sure the city makes sure all residents are allowed the benefit of stable homes. She added that Meadowbrook is in the forefront, and rents there have increased. This is a wake-up call and is causing pain for many residents there. The rents are becoming out of reach for them, so the city needs to utilize other strategies quickly. Councilmember Mavity asked how the city can participate in the NOAH funding and how to prioritize projects. She asked of all the potential tools that can be used by the city to move forward, what is the best way to go fast and deep with this project. Mr. Hanson stated that identifying the properties that are more affordable, especially around the light rail, will be important. He added that the city will need to align projects and make certain resources are available, while also understanding to what degree there are resources available. Mr. Tim Thompson noted that when owners put a property up for sale, giving residents advance notice of the sale is important as this gives residents time to prepare and buyers a chance to acquire properties. Mr. Mattick stated that the city's rights to implement the proposed strategies and tools follow from what the legislature says they can do; however, currently there is not any case law locally. The city must look to what other states case law presents for guidance. He stated the aforementioned notice period makes sense, as well as right of first refusal but, he added these are broad stroke ideas, and the "devil will be in the details." Councilmember Sanger thanked everyone for their thorough presentations. She noted this issue is more important to St. Louis Park due to the city's number of Class B/C apartments. She added that one item that stands out is the suggestion of offering financial assistance to owners in exchange for them maintaining affordability. This could be a fund to help maintain existing buildings or units of affordable housing. She stated she would like to discuss this further and in detail. She pointed out also that there is a glut of new high rent apartments around the metro area. She asked the group to think about 5-10 years down the road and what will happen when millennials start to move into homes and cities are left with multiple high rent apartments. Councilmember Miller stated he would like to discuss the idea of rehabilitation dollars in exchange for affordable housing and how this could be implemented in St. Louis Park. He also asked whether there are programs that support affordable homeownership. Ms. Schnitker noted that through the MN Land Trust, 14 affordable homes have been sold in St. Louis Park. Help with down payments and assistance grants have made this possible for 1-2 families per year. Study Session Minutes 4- November 14, 2016 Additionally, MN Housing provides assistance for first time home buyers. Councilmember Miller stated he would like to push the envelope and see what more we can do to preserve NOAH in St. Louis Park. Councilmember Brausen thanked the group for their presentation, noting he has worked on affordable housing for over 15 years. He stated the city needs to be more aggressive on this and accelerate this process along the light rail lines. He added there is a need for Section 8 housing, and he would like to see the city participate in exploring these strategies, especially because the market is not dealing with it. Mr. Mattick stated the city can increase leverage on this through re- zoning, noting this is worth exploring. Councilmember Lindberg agreed and added there are many more questions and more to learn. He added the city needs to expand its inclusionary housing policy and look at options for single family home ownership. He stated it is important to be aggressive on this and to provide access for affordable rental, and senior affordable housing, also, in order to ensure residents who have lived in St. Louis Park for many years are able to stay. He added he wants to see these conversations move forward and wants to provide staff with resources to further explore this. Metropolitan Council Councilmember Dorfmann pointed out there is a housing crisis in the Twin Cities, and while many people have Section 8 housing vouchers, they cannot find housing. She added this must be a regional response in order to avoid a further crisis. Mayor Pro Tem Hallfin stated that inclusionary housing in very important for St. Louis Park and developers cannot be allowed to buy out of it. He asked also if the city is maxed out on Section 8 vouchers and what the rules are. Ms. Schnitker explained the city administers the program, and 268 units are allocated as Section 8 vouchers to St. Louis Park Housing Authority. If someone has a program voucher, they can use it in St. Louis Park to find housing, but the voucher has portability, so it can be used anywhere in the metro area or the United States. Vouchers are also available from the Metropolitan Council. Ms. Schnitker added that the city has 200 names on its voucher waiting list, and approximately 10 vouchers are issued per year. Councilmember Mavity noted there are many ideas and a couple of things that can be done sooner. The idea of advanced notice and using zoning and the PUD process to better leverage to access affordable housing is one tool. Another tool is to review the Inclusionary Housing Policy and test it out. She also noted the partnership of private and public and the city model are important to review. Councilmember Sanger stated the creation of a fund that private owners of B/C class apartments can use to fix up buildings would be another tool to utilize. Councilmember Brausen would also like staff to look more at prohibiting discrimination against Section 8 voucher holders and unfair exclusionary admission standards as displacement remedies. 3. Advancing Racial Equity — Moving Forward Together as a City Ms. Deno introduced members of the Human Rights Commission (HRC) and the Multicultural Advisory Commission (MAC). She noted the purpose of this presentation is to continue the discussion and provide information on work and communication related to the city's year-long participation in the Advancing Racial Equity and Transforming Government program with the Center for Social Inclusion and League of Minnesota Cities. Ms. Deno noted also there have Study Session Minutes -5- November 14, 2016 been meetings this past year with cohorts from Minneapolis, Woodbury, and Hopkins to raise awareness of this journey to advance racial equity. Ms. Deno added that a meeting was held with the HRC and MAC to provide an overview and demographics related to race in St. Louis Park. Mayor Spano and Councilmember Lindberg attended this meeting and had asked the commissions to provide feedback to the council on recommendations, steps and outreach they can consider on Race Equity. The discussion continued with the steps from the past year and planned work through first quarter 2017. One important step that will be accomplished is that all staff will participate in Race Equity training provided by CSI by the end of December, 2016. Also, there is a thirty member support team of Race Equity liaison leader volunteers from each department to help support staff in the training and work we continue to do in Race Equity. In February, we have an opportunity have 25 from St. Louis Park participate in a two-day training through Pacific Education Group. This training will be done with two other cities - Maplewood and Bloomington. Ms. Deno stated that this is the program that is used by the school district, and in the future we can talk to them about their work and equity coaches. Mr. Harmening noted that each city department will be asked to look at all their work through the lens of race and equity and how to make changes in order to be more aware, both internally and externally. He added that staff will be putting systems in place to be sure they are doing everything to identify gaps. Also, in first quarter of 2017 departments will be trained to develop action plans. Councilmember Lindberg said the city is looking into how to use the HRC and MAC to apply race and equity practices internally and also to set up an equity tool Idt to be used in all policy- making. He added it is important to celebrate success that has happened and noted he has been very impressed with accomplishments so far, although there are still improvements to be made. He stated having 30 staff members working on this and actively engaging is important to the community. At this time, the HRC and MAC members and community members introduced themselves to the council. Mayor Pro Tem Hallfrn thanked the group for attending the study session. He stated the conversation would be open to anyone who wanted to participate and that it would help all to learn. Commissioner Sanger stated she looks forward to hearing comments on what can be beneficial. She added the conversation should not be limited to racial issues as it is also important to look at equity from areas including age and gender. She noted this can be useful for many demographic analyses, and she hopes the group will consider this. A Study Session attendee, who is also a teacher in the school district, stated that if we talk about race equity, then that needs to be at the forefront. She pointed out it may be really uncomfortable to talk about, but the training she has gone through in the schools has made an impact by talking about race first. Councilmember Sanger agreed but noted that race is not the only equity issue to be looked at. Study Session Minutes -6- November 14, 2016 Councilmember Miller stated the city needs to have a crisis plan in place for officials and in schools. He asked staff what the city's communication plan is, and pointed to what had recently happened in Edina with the police. He added that the visioning process will be very important, and a consultant has been hired to help put the Vision Steering Committee in place. Councilmember Miller added it would helpful to hire a racial equity advisor as a full-time position on staff, as this is such an important topic. Councilmember Brausen thanked staff for embracing this work. He added it is very inspirational and has very often been done through faith -based organizations, but noted is harder to do in the government setting. He stated this first year will be a baseline, and the council will devote time to Race Equity discussion at their retreat. Councilmember Brausen added that the city government in St. Louis Park does not yet reflect the diversity of the city, adding they will need to be active in recruiting and building this into the plan. Justin Grays stated he lives in ward #4 and was recently at Richfield and Bloomington meetings, where they teamed up to do Voices Heard. He stated it might be helpful to do this in St. Louis Park, also. He added that more diversity in city government and on city staff is also a goal and asked about the city's demographics. Ms. Deno pointed out the city's Race and Equity brochure and noted that it has the demographics of the city, school district and city staff. Mayor Pro Tem Hallfm agreed with the comments and noted that while diversity on the council is a concern, people do need to step up and run for council. Councilmember Mavity stated there should be work done to develop a "farm team" and to nurture people toward leadership roles, especially from boards and commission members. Councilmember Sanger said there are statewide organizations that recruit women to run for public service, and they train them. She asked if there are any similar organizations that work with people of color on this same thing. One HRC member asked why the council members won't open the door to others by not running next time and by stepping down to allow for persons of color to run for the council. Councilmember Brausen stated that if there is opportunity, councilmembers would be supportive of persons of color running for the council. Councilmember Mavity added there are many ways for the city to do leadership development. She added she is hearing people say the words "race and equity," but this is racial equity and not race and equity. She noted that at the retreat the council will need to discuss terminology and work on this. One audience member stated that this is a deflection, pointing out if we are talking about race equity, then talk about race and not about gender. Councilmember Mavity agreed with the comment, and also noted to staff that the council retreat is on the same day as the League of Minnesota Cities conference on race equity, so there is a conflict on that date. HRC member Margaret Rog stated there is a need for concrete action steps and asked about the Visioning Steering Committee. She further asked if HRC members would be invited to be part of the steering committee and participate in leadership groups. She pointed out there are people in the room that are qualified, and she feels like this is an opportunity to invite those people. She Study Session Minutes -7- November 14, 2016 encouraged the council to take their time in deciding who is on the steering committee and not to just appoint the usual subjects. Mayor Pro Tem Hallfn stated the council wants a broad base of representation and noted the consultant will be reaching into every area of the city. Additionally, if anyone is interested in serving on the steering committee, they can go to the city website and sign up. Ms. Rog also asked if there will be an opportunity for input from the HRC and MAC. Councilmember Mavity answered yes, the city wants input from all. The steering committee will have 9 people, and there will be an additional 40-60 leadership positions working on the visioning process. Councilmember Brausen asked for input from the HRC and MAC on Race Equity. Ms. Deno noted the IIRC and MAC commissions are working on ideas, and they will provide additional comments and feedback to the council at a later date. One MAC member stated there are many more people of color today in St. Louis Park, and many are not homeowners. He stated they are lower income people, trying to raise their kids without problems. He added they need houses to live in vs. apartments. They want to feel empowered by the city they live in and want an open door. He stated that some people living in St. Louis Park don't even know where city hall is located, and he wants everyone to feel welcome. He stated he loves the city; wants his kids to have success in the future; and asked the council to correct it so people can own houses. He added they want to be accommodated and treated equally. Councilmember Brausen added that anyone can share at any time and tell the council concerns and ideas. Don't hesitate to contact the council or staff. The HRC members asked if they can still give recommendations to the council for members to serve on the Visioning Steering Committee. Mayor Pro Tem Hallfin answered yes. Councilmember Mavity added the council is doing its best to make sure there is race equity represented in the visioning process, and would be happy to receive names for the Visioning Steering Committee. She added there will also be opportunities for additional leaders in the process and the need for more people to step up. 4. Body Worn Cameras for Police Officers Mr. Haimening stated the city has been talking about body cameras for police officers since 2015, and last summer a pilot was conducted. He added that a conversation was conducted with council in March, 2016, and after that the council wanted to wait and see what would happen with the legislative session. Council had asked Chief Luse and Deputy Chief DiLorenzo to come back in the fall to have another discussion prior to their retirement. Mr. Pires was also in attendance to discuss the technology issues related to body cameras. Mr. Harmening noted there are a number of policy issues involved in the consideration of body camera deployment that will be discussed, as well. Chief Luse stated the pilot program was positive, and lessons were learned. He added that the police force now has some experience with body cameras and feel comfortable with them. He suggested the city take more time to discuss this and encouraged deploying the cameras 12-18 months after a community meeting about cameras. He noted that developing the policy will also Study Session Minutes -8- November 14, 2016 take time, and there will need to be training for the police force. This should be a phased process over time. He also noted there are storage and retention issues related to the data gathered with body cameras. Councilmember Mavity asked if the city owns the data that is acquired on body cameras. Chief Luse stated yes. Councilmember Brausen asked what the city's success rate is on prosecutions. Chief Luse stated that depends, but that trust cannot be bought by having body cameras. Trust must be in place between citizens and the police force. Councilmember Brausen stated that the city wants to do everything to empower the Police Department; however, because of cost concerns, he cannot support body cameras at this time until he sees a need for it. Councilmember Sanger agreed with Councilmember Brausen, noting that body cameras do not seem to be needed for prosecutions. She added it sounds like the city would not need video as a defense on allegations either, and because of high costs of the camera system, she has concerns. She stated she is not convinced the city needs to implement body cameras, and possibly it should be revisited in a few years. Mr. Mattick stated the data retention is important. Police departments have been reluctant to purchase systems until clear legislative direction is given. He noted that classification of the data was the issue. Councilmember Miller asked Mr. House what the perception is of body cameras on the Police Advisory Commission. Mr. House stated he is new to the commission, and there has not been much discussion on this issue yet. However, the sense he has from the community is they are not positive about it. Councilmember Miller asked if the community would feel more trust in the police if they used body cameras. Chief Luse stated the police force works to build trust first by treating people with respect every day. Chief Luse added there is no harm in body cameras, but he would like to think the public already has trust in the Police department, and he hoped a decision to use body cameras would not be about trust. Councilmember Mavity stated it takes only a nanosecond for something bad to happen, but she would like to wait to see how this plays out in other communities. However, she also noted it is all about prevention. She added she does not trust the body camera process and technology at this point and added it feels very subjective. She encouraged the city to go slowly. Councilmember Mavity asked Chief Luse if he recommends body cameras at this time. Chief Luse stated he is not recommending them; however, he added the police force does not have any reservations on using them if the council decides to go forward. Councilmember Lindberg stated he appreciated the law enforcement model that the St. Louis Park police force practices in our community. He added that he was leaning towards waiting, but now feels the city might not want to miss an opportunity. He does not want to find the city in a situation where the lack of use of available technology compromises the city. He added he wants to be sure the city takes a measured approach; however, the public expectation is there — and he struggles with this. Study Session Minutes -9- November 14, 2016 Mayor Pro Tem Hallfin asked if dash cam video is the same as body cameras. Mr. Mattick stated that from a data standpoint, it is more restrictive. Mayor Pro Tem Hallfin stated that we all have our implicit biases and asked if the body cameras can help with this. Chief Luse responded that the officers are comfortable with the technology, adding he likes to think they always follow procedure. He noted there is typically a change in behavior when cameras are in use. Mr. Pires stated he has also heard that everyone involved gets more respectful when body cameras are in use. Mayor Pro Tem Hallfin asked if the police must announce if they have a body camera on. Mr. Mattick stated the law does not require it. Mayor Pro Tem Hallfin stated he is not worried about the community's perception about the police force because he knows how professional the St. Louis Park police force is. Mr. Harmening stated he thinks it is inevitable that all police forces will have body cameras eventually, adding he doesn't think the city will want to play catch-up, since it does take up to 18 months to implement the system and process. He appreciates the confidence the council has in the police force, and he shares that confidence. He noted that technology is always changing, and the city can wait for the next upgrade, but he thinks the city should move forward in order to protect the trust that has been built. Mr. Harmening noted that trust can be gone in a flash, given the environment we are in and social media. He added if the city has the technology to defend our police officers, then we want it in order to support them because we trust them. Mr. Harmening stated that it is inevitable that police departments are moving in this direction, and if the city is an outlier, it concerns him. He wants to protect the SLP brand and to ensure the Police Department does the right thing. He recommended the council move in the direction of acquiring body cameras. Councilmember Sanger stated she does not know what problem this is intended to solve, pointing out this involves hundreds of thousands of dollars in technology. She is not sure the cameras will make a difference regardless of what a video may show. She pointed out if people are angry, the city can't know if cameras will restore trust, adding this is a situation in search of a problem. She added that in her 21 years on the council, she has only received two complaints about the police force. Mr. Harmening stated the city needs to be proactive on this. Councilmember Sanger pointed out when the Police Chief cannot recommend that the city make this decision, she gets worried. Chief Luse stated he is not saying either way if body cameras are needed or not. He feels this is something the community needs to respond to, but he does not think it is a bad idea. He pointed out that cameras can help to bring good outcomes, but there are also cases where they don't solve anything. He added he is proud of the city's police force, and this is not about trust. He added he appreciates this conversation. Councilmember Miller stated he approves of moving forward with body cameras. Councilmember Lindberg added he approves moving forward also, with a measured approach and policy discussions, which include the community. Councilmember Brausen stated he does not support moving forward at this time and would like to hear more from community and HRC members first. He stated he has issues with the "big Study Session Minutes -10- November 14, 2016 brother" feel and the non -conclusiveness, also. He stated body cameras cannot protect against everything, and he feels it should be studied longer before moving forward. Councilmember Mavity stated when the city manager weighs in, she pays attention because Mr. Harmening rarely weighs in on council policy discussions. She approves of moving forward to have some plan in place but also thinks the city should move slowly and methodically. Councilmember Sanger stated she does not support moving forward with body cameras. Mayor Pro Tem Hallfrn stated he would like HRC to study this and to move slowly. He added if the city does move forward, he wants a weigh-in from the MAC and city staff, as well. Mr. Harmening stated if the city moves forward, staff will do outreach by talking to the school district and police liaison officers in schools, as well as domestic violence non-profit organizations. He added staff will talk to the commissions to get guidance and noted that policy is critical. He stated this will need to be a very robust public process, with a public hearing after a draft is written. Councilmember Sanger asked if this approach is adopted and a policy developed, when the body cameras would be implemented. Mr. Harmening stated money would be set aside for 2018. The new Police Chief will need to be engaged in this process, as well. It was the consensus of the city council to have staff move forward deliberately and methodically with body cameras for the Police Department, including policy development and public process in 2017. Councilmember Brausen added the city will be at a loss when the Chief and Deputy Chief retire, and they will be honored in December for their years of service. Communications/Mecting Check -In (Verbal) Mr. Harmening noted staff has been in the process of soliciting interest in the 9 -member Visioning Steering Committee, and an email was sent to the council with the slate of candidates. This will be discussed at one of the next two study sessions. Mr. Harmening asked if the council would like a conversation with the school district about the question to be on the ballot next November. Councilmember Lindberg stated this is a good idea, especially if it relates to pursuing a bond referendum. He added this needs to be discussed in order to find some alignment and partnership. Mr. Harmening stated one likely location for building softball fields would be the at the middle school, noting the issue will need further discussion as it is in the city's interest to partner with the softball group on this. Mr. Harmening stated he will set up a meeting with the school district and city council facilities subcommittee to discuss further. Councilmember Mavity added she would like a meeting with the school district about race equity, also. Mr. Harmening stated that Mayor Spano wanted him to pursue some type of action or conversation on the part of the city in light of the election results and unsettled feelings in the community. Councilmember Brausen stated we want to create safe spaces for conversations on this issue, noting they could have conversations on sanctuary cities, as well. Councilmember Lindberg stated while he agrees with the sentiment, he wants to be cautious about local government perspective on this. He wants to be respectful and cognizant of the council's role. He asked what the council's purpose is in doing this. Study Session Minutes -11- November 14, 2016 Councilmember Mavity stated she would not want to tie this only to sanctuary cities. She thinks the purpose is about relationships and noted the HRC is hosting courageous conversations, which might be a more appropriate approach. Councilmember Sanger stated she has concerns about the role of a non-partisan city council related to a partisan election. She stated the best thing to do is to teach children about civics and voting and help them understand the differences between assertions and actions. She would rather think about how the community can educate kids and teach them about participating in the polling process. Councilmember Mavity stated the city should set up meetings, and they need to be timely and a positive thing. Councilmember Miller asked what would be the content of discussion. He added that it is not the council's role to hold discussions about the election. Councilmember Brausen stated he agrees with Councilmember Sanger's idea to teach children about the peaceful transition of power and to support government leaders. He stated we need to model non-partisan politics and to support the new President, while also holding him and other elected officials accountable. Mayor Pro Tem Hallfin agreed something could be conducted with the HRC, but added the election just happened, and it is not the council's place to discuss the election. Councilmember Mavity stated, however, there is an anxiety in the community, and conversation would help folks let off steam. Councilmember Lindberg added there is a benefit in creating inclusivity, but it runs a risk if this is not well-planned or framed - a risk of creating more divisiveness. He added that if it builds on good relationships, then it is fine, but it cannot become an "us vs. them," discussion. The council will need to bridge the gap, or the city will end up with the fall out. Councilmember Mavity asked if staff could think about this effort and look at planning the event before the end of the year, as there is a timeliness involved. Councilmember Miller stated he would prefer the HRC do this instead of city staff Mayor Pro Tem Hallfin again stated he is not a fan of this. The meeting adjourned at 10:20 p.m. Written Reports provided and documented for recording purposes only: 5. West 3711 Street Bridge and Road Reconstruction Project Update — Project No 4017-1700 6. Water Treatment Plants #4 & #6 Improvements 7. Update on Proposed EDA Property Acquisition from Hennepin County 8. Residential Knox Box Key Vault Program 9. Upcoming Resolution Supporting Sela Group's ubmission of a Grant Application Melissa Kennedy, City Cle Steve Hallfin, Mayor ro Tem