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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023/10/09 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study Session Official minutes City council study session St. Louis Park, Minnesota Oct. 9, 2023 The meeting convened at 6:32 p.m. Council members present: Mayor Jake Spano, Tim Brausen, Sue Budd, Yolanda Farris, Lynette Dumalag, Nadia Mohamed (arrived 6:40 p.m.), and Margaret Rog Council members absent: none Staff present: City manager (Ms. Keller), community development director (Ms. Barton), race, equity and inclusion director (Ms. Guess), engineering director (Ms. Heiser), building and energy director (Mr. Hoffman), race, equity and inclusion specialist (Ms. Hernandez) Guests: Michael Birchard, REI consultant; Matt Mullins, Maxfield Research Consultant Discussion items. 1. Race, equity and inclusion policy framework. Ms. Guess, Ms. Hernandez and Mr. Birchard presented the report. Mayor Spano called attention to Indigenous Peoples Day today. Mayor Spano asked for clarification of the phrase of “mode of practice” as used in the chapter descriptions, and noted the council has historically used the phrase “operationalizing” their work. He asked if mode of practice is completely analogous or different, and how so. Ms. Guess replied that this section will outline objectives of the REI analysis that will be used as the main approach of imbedding race, equity and inclusion in the decision-making process. She stated the chapter outlines how race, equity and inclusion is being centered in decision making for practices, policies, procedures and protocol. This normalization of the ongoing work in race, equity and inclusion is how the city will build and develop a sense of community. Ms. Keller added that this section of the report focuses on how city staff will operationalize the REI policy and to whom it applies. Council Member Budd asked about the employee resources groups and teams, specifically how big and how active they are. Ms. Guess explained that there are four or five teams, which are very active, as well as the racial equity employee leaders’ group. The intent is to have one person from each department serve on the REEL team, and staff are working on this structure. Ms. Hernandez added the groups include the Veterans Resource Employee Group, the LGBTQ+ Group, the Women’s and Bipoc groups as well and noted all are active and all meet monthly. She gave additional details of specific events coming up, and how they have experienced positive participation – these focus groups are reflected in the framework. DocuSign Envelope ID: CA4D344B-FA6C-40CB-9837-08DBB4E4AFFC Study session minutes -2- Oct. 9, 2023 Council Member Budd asked if the groups meet during worktime or as an extra-curricular activity. Ms. Hernandez clarified that many are lunch and learns, which are lunch breaks plus training. Ms. Keller noted these opportunities advance the priorities of the city; they are employee-sponsored and employee-led training sessions. Council Member Budd asked for clarification on how the policy design team works. Ms. Guess responded they are internal stakeholders that expressed an interest in supporting race, equity and inclusion work and they represent various departments across the system. Policy design team members react to the documents and speak into the policy drafts, definitions, outreach and engagement and have input. They serve as a source of opinion and advice in the work that Ms. Guess leads. Ms. Hernandez also noted that many of the staff serving on the race, equity and inclusion policy design team have been involved in diversity and inclusion efforts in the city in the past as well as currently. Diversity is present in not only the teams they represent, but also in their unique perspectives – including longevity. Council Member Budd asked for a definition on the phrase “crisis-driven environment” that was noted in the staff report. Ms. Hernandez replied that this language refers to police and fire union input, as these employees work in crisis-related fields and are actively responding to people in need of emergency assistance. Ms. Keller added that employees who work in emergency response services can be called away from training mid-participation. Having dedicated training time that is uninterrupted can be particularly challenging for these employees. Council Member Rog stated she looks forward to addressing the policy and asked what approach staff are taking to determine the city’s definitions. Ms. Guess stated currently they are looking at definitions that established institutions are working from. These institutions include the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE), Race Forward, League of Minnesota Cities, and Minnesota State (formerly MnSCU, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. In phase two of the REI framework process, staff will base the policy’s glossary on what is being used by these institutions. Council Member Brausen stated he is supportive of the process and looking forward to the policy and he appreciated the community feedback and hearing what colleagues with the city are saying. Council Member Mohamed stated she is also supportive of the process, and she is looking forward also to seeing the city’s definitions and policy. Council Member Rog asked about staff support and asked for a sense of staff’s responses in light of potentially significant changes. Ms. Guess replied that based upon the focus groups sessions she attended, everyone is so looking forward to this work and the workshops held for staff are well attended. She noted there is a strong following for the race, equity and inclusion work being done across the city and so far, the feedback received from staff is to keep it coming. DocuSign Envelope ID: CA4D344B-FA6C-40CB-9837-08DBB4E4AFFC Study session minutes -3- Oct. 9, 2023 Ms. Keller agreed and clarified that staff have asked for guidance and clarity also on how to operationalize REI work. The policy is critical in providing this clarity because it codifies what staff already do. Ms. Guess noted that the work is intended to meet staff where they are and then pushing along the way, adding the push is a welcome push, and staff is very supportive of the work. Mr. Birchard shared his pleasant surprise that in his experience with focus groups, city staff is very consistently supportive of REI work. Council Member Dumalag stated she is also supportive of the REI work and asked about human rights commission and their work. Ms. Guess replied that she will be working closely with administrative services and on the design and engagement of boards and commissions going forward. There is interest in community engagement and administrative services will advise as to what that will look like. Council Member Dumalag asked about a comment on page 12, and the fifth question related to frontline worker engagement. Ms. Keller replied that the report speaks to a natural disconnect that can happen between a policy maker’s decision and how it is implemented by frontline workers. A line of sight is a necessary component to implementation. Council Member Dumalag asked if REI may be a space for young people who organize, such as Project SOAR. Ms. Guess responded yes, and they will reach out for student voices and feedback. Council Member Farris shared her support and excitement about the community education pieces of the policy plan, emphasizing its importance. She said that engaging the community on REI work is something that should have been done long ago. Ms. Guess gave examples of the National Day of Racial Healing and Juneteenth for opportunities to engage community members and added that the community is very curious and eager to learn and participate. Council Member Budd asked how valuable the Human Rights Commission input was to the policy framework process. Ms. Hernandez stated it was very valuable and staff had discussions with them prior to phase one work. She noted that the feedback received was community- based and was not limited to commission interaction; feedback was largely experiences within the community and at city events, not just as commissioners. Feedback echoed much of what was stated in the Boards and Commissions report, such as feeling out of place or unwelcome, especially when boards and commissions or community event participation are not representative of their diverse identities. Ms. Hernandez summarized that she is looking forward to phase two and the feedback that will come from “leaning in” to these conversations. Council Member Rog noted recent conversations with active and engaged parents in the Latine and Somali communities that would benefit from engagement around this topic. With an emphasis on early childhood education, she noted Erica Scott works for the school district and can assist connections with engaged parents. DocuSign Envelope ID: CA4D344B-FA6C-40CB-9837-08DBB4E4AFFC Study session minutes -4- Oct. 9, 2023 Mayor Spano asked if leadership commitment refers to staff, council or the community for REI initiatives. Mr. Birchard responded that focus group work indicated some staff departments that had engaged leadership and other departments that were interested in REI work but not as passionate. Staff’s goal is to craft a policy that will engage all levels of leadership with clear expectations and accountability. Mayor Spano asked about the statement “culture shift” noted in the report. Ms. Hernandez explained that they spoke with very diverse groups of staff members and the work that they do is very different. The strategic priority of race, equity and inclusion will translate uniquely to different people’s work culture experience. She emphasized this complexity is why there is a need for an REI policy to create benchmarks. The policy addresses some of the growing pains where staff are coming from very different sectors, backgrounds and different types of workplaces. She reiterated that staff are in the process of creating a new culture in the city that prioritizes race, equity and inclusion and this will be different for each department and for the city itself. Ms. Guess reminded the group that this culture shift is also a shift in becoming a learning community and environment. Demographic realities suggest creating brave spaces for staff to engage in conversations, which is a shift in culture. Mayor Spano stated he wanted to ask about this because the council has understood that staff has a fairly healthy culture, so when culture shift is discussed, it should be very clear, especially for those who have been with the city for a while. Mayor Spano asked about support of staff and noted in question three of the staff report, there is a comment related to resistance and unsupportive staff which is a recurrent theme. He asked for clarification on this. Mr. Birchard stated he spoke to staff at the focus group, and noted some comments from those who had been with the city for a while said they will just do their job, that they have an interest in working with REI policy, but some staff some comments indicated that they did not have expectations for lasting change. Mr. Birchard emphasized that the REI policy is intended to have a lasting impact on how we do business as a city. Ms. Guess expressed that REI work is messy – it is a start-and-stop kind of work. What the REI team is working to keep staff engaged; letting staff know they are going to experience some discomfort and that is a good thing to lean into. She continued that REI work expects and accepts non-closure, answers are not always immediately accessible, and that is the nature of undergoing a culture shift. Mayor Spano reminded the group that when the city embarked on the REI system, council knew that the process could be messy and uncomfortable, but that the discomfort is needed to move forward. He noted many stakeholders are now more comfortable and do understand there will be steps forward and backward in the process. Mayor Spano acknowledged a staff comment in the REI framework, pointing out that city staff expressed appreciation for the current trajectory of their engagement and training. DocuSign Envelope ID: CA4D344B-FA6C-40CB-9837-08DBB4E4AFFC Study session minutes -5- Oct. 9, 2023 2. Maxfield housing report and dashboard primer. Ms. Olson, Mr. Mullins and Ms. Barton presented the report. Council Member Mohamed related hearing there is a demand for senior living and limited options for them to downsize or right-size. She asked if a small number of homes on the market correlates to seniors remaining in their homes longer. Mr. Mullins agreed this is a factor. Council Member Mohamed noted there is an increased need for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and multi-generational living. Mr. Mullins stated multigenerational housing is a great option, but very expensive. He added there are structural concepts opening up in new home construction to facilitate multigenerational living. Council Member Mohamed noted the report shows a large number of one- and two-person households, and asked if that is related to an abundance of one-bedroom and studio apartments. Mr. Mullins confirmed this and continued to say that three- and four-bedroom apartments can be expensive to rent, so it can be less expensive to purchase a house instead. He noted the shift is still to a smaller household size. If they rent, families with children or pets tend towards renting townhomes. Council Member Rog asked for clarification on strategic thinking about the lack of housing options for families with lower incomes, such as how the city has enacted some affordability requirements for three- and four-bedroom apartments. Ms. Barton affirmed this strategy and noted the affordable units are in demand and the market rate units tend to be residents in roommate relationships. Council Member Rog thanked Mr. Mullins for the report. She stated we need to problem-solve and change course around ownership opportunities and senior housing options, pointing out this is the greatest need. She pointed out that the city is meeting the demand on rental housing and that it will not be met around ownership. Council Member Rog asked if the council is able and open to support utilizing the city’s down payment assistance program for construction of ADUs. Construction of ADUs could provide a solution to senior housing and function as a useful subsidy. Ms. Barton reported that staff have not seen many ADUs constructed because of the high cost. However, a number of households have converted spaces in their homes into less formal ADU living spaces. She added this option is much less costly as it is considered remodeling. Permits are required but there is less regulation around this type of informal living space and allows for two separate kitchens. Ms. Olson clarified that the living space feels separate while maintaining access to the full home. Council Member Rog noted she was sad to see the 4% ratio of people living and working in St. Louis Park and asked if this ratio was consistent to the rate prior to the pandemic. Mr. Mullins responded that the ratio is consistent to pre-pandemic reporting. Ms. Olson highlighted the live where you work program for home ownership, which is part of the down payment assistance program. DocuSign Envelope ID: CA4D344B-FA6C-40CB-9837-08DBB4E4AFFC Study session minutes -6- Oct. 9, 2023 Council Member Rog mentioned that Park Nicollet Hospital and the school district both employ a large number of people. She asked is there an opportunity for closer alignment between salaries provided by these large employers and affordable housing rates. Mr. Mullins gave the example of the City of Lakeville, where most residents work in downtown Minneapolis or outside of Lakeville and earn comparatively high salaries. The Lakeville EDA is exploring an initiative to match jobs and wages to the cost of living within the city. Council Member Rog asked if there is consideration of climate refugees over the next decade. Mr. Mullins replied that there is not current data available for St. Louis Park, but he is currently working on a project for east coast residents to move to Duluth, MN, so this talking point is being discussed in regard to housing trends. Council Member Rog noted the population growth of children under 18 is small related to other growth areas - just 2%. She asked the council to be mindful of the connection between the school district and the availability of housing. She asked council to pay close attention to housing options for families with children currently enrolled in St. Louis Park schools. Council Member Brausen pointed out that the market is not providing the city with the types of units most needed in the next 5-10 years, so the city needs proactive housing policies as construction costs and land prices increase. He asked if modular housing is allowed in St. Louis Park. Ms. Barton responded that modular housing is allowed, depending on the type. Mr. Mullins added that modular housing is a gaining market with limiting factors like transportation costs. Council Member Brausen pointed out that only 7% of the city’s single-family homes are rentals. He stated less than 1% are owned by institutional or nationally investors, and this data shows that corporate investors are not buying up St. Louis Park homes on a wide-scale basis. He asked if the Maxfield housing report will be posted to the city website. Ms. Barton confirmed that it will be posted. Council Member Dumalag noted the difference in available housing for one- and two-person households and families with three and four people, noting that council should watch this data in relationship to the school district. She asked if there is data around how the head of household is determined in multi-generational families. Mr. Mullins responded that the data is not available, but he suspects it is a smaller number. He speculated that there will probably be more multi-generational housing in the future and more demand going forward. Council Member Dumalag asked about strategies for financing the purchase of multi- generational housing, and noted the down payment assistance fund might be a way to assist affordability. Ms. Barton recalled a small number of cases of multi-generational homes that have multiple names on mortgages, and Mr. Mullins pointed out how this could lead to challenges when selling a house. Council Member Dumalag asked for clarification around the age of a house, and how first construction relates to modification and remodeling. Ms. Olson pointed out that the definitions of “remodel” and “tear down” differ between construction management plan and permitting. Data is based on tax records. DocuSign Envelope ID: CA4D344B-FA6C-40CB-9837-08DBB4E4AFFC Study session minutes -7- Oct. 9, 2023 Council Member Budd asked if half of the city’s rental properties are at affordable market rates. Mr. Mullins responded that half of that the city’s rental property is at 60% affordable market rate or below. Ms. Barton added that these are not subsidized; they are considered naturally occurring affordable housing. Council Member Budd asked if the report data includes all units related to the light rail or in development. Mr. Mullins explained that those units are backed out of their calculations if they are pending developments. The timing on where projects are in their approval process determines whether those units are included. Council Member Budd noted the 4% ratio of people who work and live in St. Louis Park and asked about looking at the labor force separately. Mr. Mullins agreed that the labor force is much higher than the population within the city. Council Member Budd shared that her calculations show that 11% live and work in St. Louis Park. Council Member Mohamed stated the report shows housing needs, demands, and disparities and noted she would like to have seen more information on income based on race. She pointed out that the average St. Louis Park resident makes $94,000 and the average sale price of a home is $360,000, which requires income to be over $101,000. Typically, there would be two people purchasing a home, but the income gap is noteworthy. She reminded the council that when they make policies based off of the report data, it will be important to keep this in mind. Council Member Mohamed asked the council to consider the success of the down payment program in effectively creating ADUs. Mayor Spano pointed out that there were a lot of questions in response to the report and perhaps in the future, the Maxfield housing report should be presented and discussed at multiple meetings. Mayor Spano added thinking about condos as an entry to homeownership. He asked the council to consider a mix of housing options when discussing with developers in the future. He asked Mr. Mullins to elaborate on public-private partnerships. Mr. Mullins shared that communities outside of the metro area do see more public-private partnerships to develop housing to retain large employers. Typically, more than tax increment financing is needed for these partnerships. Mayor Spano asked if there are developers who are interested in longer-term and more creative relationships with cities. Mr. Mullins responded that there are more mission-based developers now who are taking a different path. Mayor Spano pointed out that housing has been a priority for the city for many years, and focus is shifting towards ownership and availability of 30% AMI. It will continue to be important to listen to the needs of residents and what they are looking for in housing options. He summarized that the city has done a lot but there is always more to do. Ms. Olson presented the housing dashboard information and an overview of how to access it on the city website. DocuSign Envelope ID: CA4D344B-FA6C-40CB-9837-08DBB4E4AFFC Study session minutes -8- Oct. 9, 2023 Mayor Spano suggested Ms. Olson put the dashboard on the main landing page of the housing section of the city website, so it is more easily accessible. 3. Proposed agenda topic. Council Member Rog read a summary about the Dakota Park Pedestrian Bridge. Given cost increases on the bridge replacement, the council asked staff to gather community input. Those who were engaged in the discussion asked that the bridge be replaced. Council Member Rog related that the council discussed community feedback and prepared for a vote on whether to include the replacement bridge in the 2023 budget at the July 2023 study session, which she was unable to attend due to having Covid. Based on community feedback, she stated she did support replacing the bridge. Staff had also recommended the bridge be replaced, but this was not communicated as strongly at the July session as had been in other contexts prior to the July meeting. In August 2023, the council voted to approve an alternative route around the park rather than through it. Council Member Rog voted in support of the alternative route at that meeting. Since that vote, Council Member Rog stated that her stance has changed; the alternative route changes the experience of this popular park, which also houses a dog park and ballpark. Peter Hobart Elementary school is nearby, and the bridge is used by kids who cross over with their bikes. She stated the alternative route takes people all around the park, has fewer trees on the trail and is a big change to the experience. Council Member Rog stated she is not asking council to stop work already approved but is asking council to consider adding the bridge back in a future year and restore Dakota Park to its best and highest use. She suggested an alternative would be to add a small trail to allow pedestrians to walk under the trees. She stated the city spends millions every year on infrastructure as an investment in things that last. She shared that this investment is estimated to last at least 75 years, which calculates to a few thousand dollars each year over its life span. Council Member Rog stated she is not asking for anyone to commit to anything tonight, but indicated she would like to be a part of the discussion on this important project in her ward at a future study session. She asked the council if they support additional conversation around pedestrian mobility on the southern end of Dakota Park to include adding a bridge and/or creating additional trail connections for inclusion in the 2025 capital improvement plan or soon thereafter. Council Member Brausen expressed that he would prefer not to have an additional conversation and added it was hard to say no the first time, adding the cost was one-third of a million dollars and a 1% levy increase which is spread over time. He stated he is not in favor of revisiting this topic. Council Member Budd said that she is open to revisiting the conversation especially in light of the volatility in pricing. In the future, prices may stabilize. DocuSign Envelope ID: CA4D344B-FA6C-40CB-9837-08DBB4E4AFFC Study session minutes -9- Oct. 9, 2023 Council Member Dumalag stated she was in favor of the bridge at the time Council discussed it during a study session. She added that it has already been decided and is not in favor of discussing it again. The work has already started and will be completed at the end of October. Council Member Mohamed asked what has changed since the decision was made, adding she has not heard from constituents on this. She noted it is difficult to bring the topic back up as she has not heard any complaints from residents. She confirmed her understanding that Council Member Rog has heard feedback because the park is in her ward. Council Member Mohamed reiterated that she has not heard this feedback from constituents herself. Council Member Rog shared that she was upset to hear some were in favor of the bridge and regrets having missed the July meeting. She shared that she has heard from people in her ward and 66% expressed via the city’s survey that they did not want to lose the bridge. Council Member Rog noted she has received many emails about the bridge as well. She stated she is confused about what happened even after the feedback from the community was presented to the council. Mayor Spano replied that if a future council body decides to discuss this project that is fine, but questioned the criteria by which council decides to revisit a vote. For him to revisit a vote, he would need to know there was something materially inaccurate in the information received. He suggested that revisiting votes is a dangerous precedent to set. Ms. Keller reminded the council that the conversation was not about modifying the current contract or changing what is in progress now. The conversation was to ask if the council would consider a conversation around adding the bridge to a future CIP – not 2024’s – which would constitute a future improvement to the park. Council Member Mohamed asked Ms. Keller if the project be discussed in 2025 should the council decide to reconsider the bridge. Ms. Keller replied that it would be discussed in the next 12 months for programing in the future; the bridge would still be removed now, and the alternative trail would be added as planned. Council Member Mohamed stated the group should not equate her supporting having the conversation with supporting replacing the bridge - she will not commit to this proposal tonight and is interested in taking note of construction pricing and residents’ interests in the next few years, adding again she has not heard from residents on this issue. Ms. Keller pointed out staff do not anticipate costs going down on a project like this, so from the staff’s standpoint, price is not the central factor. Value-added to the community is the factor to consider. Council Member Dumalag stated this project has already been discussed and decided. She would not want to revisit other capital projects and de-prioritize something that has already been discussed. There were multiple discussions and reports on Dakota Park, and she pointed out the amount of attention the council has already given this project. She reminded the group that PRAC and the community gave their input, and it feels disingenuous to revisit the plan all over again, when there have been other opportunities for residents to share their input. DocuSign Envelope ID: CA4D344B-FA6C-40CB-9837-08DBB4E4AFFC Study session minutes -10- Oct. 9, 2023 Mayor Spano reminded the group that they do not need to decide anything right now. He stated if he were pressed for an answer now, he would not choose to revisit the conversation as nothing had changed materially regarding the information available when the decision was made. Mayor Spano noted that his decision does not preclude anyone coming forward to ask for changes in the future. He stated he feels Council Member Rog is pushing the council to make a decision they do not need to make right now. Council Member Rog stated that staff recommended the discussion tonight as the mechanism to present to council and share the feedback from her constituents, so she does not feel she is pushing. Council Member Rog asked that in the future, she would like the council to consider a procedure to be sure to hear from unexpectedly absent council members on ward-specific information. Council Member Farris stated she is open to having a future conversation about the proposal. Council Member Mohamed emphasized that she does not want changes in commitments and priorities on other projects. Ms. Keller suggested that the next steps are for staff to look at other trail connections and look at options for the CIP plan, beginning in 2025. Ms. Heiser pointed out that staff would need to be assigned to explore this proposal and that timing would depend on staff availability in consideration of what is already in the CIP. Ms. Keller stated that after this exploration is complete, staff will come back to the council with information. It was the consensus of the city council to have staff look further into the proposal and come back to council with its findings and the understanding that staff availability needs to be determined. Written Reports. 4. Housing programs updates. Communications/meeting check-in (verbal) Ms. Keller noted: • The State of the Community will be held Wednesday, Oct. 11, at 10 West End, and all are invited to attend and RSVP on the city website. • A housing survey will be conducted to look at qualitative data around neighborhood housing options and what are community needs for different types of housing. The survey is open until Oct. 31 and can be found on the city website in the news section. The meeting was adjourned at 10:00 p.m. ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Melissa Kennedy, city clerk Jake Spano, mayor DocuSign Envelope ID: CA4D344B-FA6C-40CB-9837-08DBB4E4AFFC