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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025/04/21 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - RegularOfficial minutes City council meeting St. Louis Park, Minnesota April 21, 2025 1. Call to order. Mayor Pro Tem Brausen called the meeting to order at 6:15 p.m. a. Pledge of allegiance b. Roll call Council members present: Paul Baudhuin, Tim Brausen, Sue Budd, Lynette Dumalag, Yolanda Farris, Margaret Rog Council members absent: Mayor Mohamed Staff present: City manager (Ms. Keller), city attorney (Mr. Mattick), engineering director (Ms. Heiser), deputy city clerk (Ms. Scott-Lerdal), public works director (Mr. Hall) 2. Approve agenda. It was moved by Council Member Dumalag, seconded by Council Member Budd, to approve the agenda with an amendment to move Consent item 5d to Regular Business as item 7a. The motion passed 6-0 (Mayor Mohamed absent). 3. Presentations. a. Proclamation observing National Bike Month Council Member Rog noted she is an avid cyclist and read the proclamation. Mayor Pro Tem Brausen stated several council members are cyclists and St. Louis Park prioritizes accessibility for bikers. b. Recognition of donations Mayor Pro Tem Brausen noted that the St. Louis Park Crime Prevention Fund is being dismantled, and funds will return to the city. The group donated $87,773.58 for community outreach and crime prevention and an additional $27,857.78 donation will go to the city’s police canine program. He thanked those who made this gift possible. 4. Minutes a. Minutes of Feb. 18, 2025, special study session Council Member Dumalag requested a revision to the minutes to state: “Council Member Dumalag shared that within her own neighborhood association, Minikahda Oaks, neighbors can Docusign Envelope ID: BB0205E1-5F91-4903-8657-9141F56BF89C City council meeting -2- April 21, 2025 donate and contribute to neighborhood accounts. They do not solely depend on city funds for their events.” b. Minutes of March 17, 2025, special study session Council Member Dumalag requested a revision to the minutes to state: “Council Member Dumalag asked staff if the city used an owners representative to manage the Westwood Hills Nature Center and if we would use one in the future.” It was moved by Council Member Dumalag, seconded by Council Member Baudhuin, to approve the Feb. 18, 2025, and the March 17, 2025, special study session meeting minutes as amended. The motion passed 6-0 (Mayor Mohamed absent). c. Minutes of March 3, 2025, special study session d. Minutes of March 17, 2025, city council meeting e. Minutes of ceremonial oath of office of March 24, 2025 It was moved by Council Member Dumalag, seconded by Council Member Baudhuin, to approve the minutes of March 3, 2025, special study session, March 17, 2025, city council meeting, and March 24, 2025, ceremonial oath of office minutes as presented. The motion passed 6-0 (Mayor Mohamed absent). 5. Consent items a. Resolution No. 25-047 approving donations to police department b. Resolution No. 25-048 authorizing funding for community education programs c. Approve bid for 2025 Alley Reconstruction project (4025-1500) – Ward 2 d. Approve professional services contract amendment for Cedar Lake Road and Louisiana Avenue Improvement project (4024-1100) – Ward 4 (This item was moved to Regular Business item 7a upon approval of the agenda.) e. Resolution No. 25-049 accepting funding from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and entering into grant agreement for installation of park shade structures at Aquila and Ainsworth Parks - Ward 3 f. Resolution No. 25-050 approving technical amendments to the budget g. Resolution No. 25-051 approving amendment of fee agreement in connection with refunding of Park Nicollet Private Activity Revenue Bonds Mayor Pro Tem Brausen noted that Consent item 5d had been moved to Regular Business as item 7a. Council Member Rog commented on consent item 5b, noting the city’s ongoing partnership with the school district. She stated she believes in this partnership and is pleased to see the shared resources and continued relationship building between the city and the school district. Docusign Envelope ID: BB0205E1-5F91-4903-8657-9141F56BF89C City council meeting -3- April 21, 2025 It was moved by Council Member Baudhuin, seconded by Council Member Farris, to approve consent items and to waive reading of all resolutions. The motion passed 6-0 (Mayor Mohamed absent). 6. Public hearing a. Public hearing for intoxicating liquor license for Lago Lynlake LLC dba Lago Tacos Ms. Scott-Lerdal presented the staff report. The city received an application for a liquor license at 3801 Grand Way. This is the former location of McCoy’s Public House, which closed in March 2024. The sole owner of Lago Tacos, Thomas Ferris, will serve as the onsite manager for this full-service bar and restaurant. She noted there are two other locations in Excelsior and Plymouth, with another new location planned in Eagan. Ms. Scott-Lerdal stated the police department completed a background investigation and found nothing to warrant denial of a license. She added that the application also meets the zoning and building division requirements. Mayor Pro Tem Brausen opened the public hearing. No speakers were present. Mayor Pro Tem Brausen closed the public hearing. Mayor Pro Tem Brausen stated he is happy to see Lago Tacos coming to this location and asked if they are open for business yet. Mr. Ferris, owner of Lago Tacos, stated they are not open yet, but they are working hard to open this week. He said they are excited to be in St. Louis Park and have listened to input from the community. The business offers an indoor game room within their establishment, as well as outdoor seating and activities. Restaurant hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. in winter and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. in the summer. Council Member Dumalag thanked Mr. Ferris for bringing Lago Tacos to St. Louis Park and added that the restaurant is in her ward. She stated that when McCoy’s closed, many were sad, noting there had been many events and celebrations there over the years. She is heartened to see another business owner ready to open so quickly, and residents have commented that they would like to bring something back to the location. Council Member Dumalag said she is excited to hear they aim to be open this week. Council Member Rog asked about Lago Taco’s LynLake location and if this new establishment will be a replacement for that location. Mr. Ferris stated yes, noting the LynLake location had closed the week prior. Council Member Rog asked for an estimate on the number of employees who will work at the St. Louis Park Lago Tacos. Mr. Ferris stated 40 employees will be located at the St. Louis Park location and most of his staff is coming over from the LynLake location. Docusign Envelope ID: BB0205E1-5F91-4903-8657-9141F56BF89C City council meeting -4- April 21, 2025 Council Member Rog asked if most of the employees live in the area, noting possible housing opportunities for employees who work in St Louis Park. Mr. Ferris stated that most of the employees lived close to the LynLake location, which is 2.7 miles away from St. Louis Park, and they are set with their housing. Council Member Rog asked staff about the total cost of a liquor license including on-sale intoxicating and Sunday sales. Ms. Scott-Lerdal stated the total annual cost is $8,950, with $8,750 for an intoxicating liquor license and $200 for the Sunday sales license. Council Member Rog welcomed Mr. Ferris to the community and added she is excited that Lago Tacos will be going into this space. Council Member Baudhuin welcomed Mr. Ferris to St. Louis Park, stating he is thrilled to have Lago Tacos come to the city. He stated McCoy’s was a hard loss, and a locally owned restaurant coming to the city is appreciated and valued by the council and the city. He believes the business will do very well with many residents coming in, and he is excited to go there himself. Council Member Budd stated she is intrigued by the game room idea. Mr. Ferris noted the various games that will be featured at the location are geared towards children. He stated they received input on a new model for their business, so they will try it out. It was moved by Council Member Dumalag, seconded by Council Member Baudhuin, to approve the intoxicating liquor license with Sunday sales for Lago Lynlake LLC dba Lago Tacos as presented. The motion passed 6-0 (Mayor Mohamed absent). 7. Regular business. a. Approve professional services contract amendment for Cedar Lake Road and Louisiana Avenue Improvements project (4024-1100) – Ward 4 Ms. Heiser presented the staff report. Ms. Heiser gave a history of the project, noting the city council approved the project in February of 2023, which included the design layouts for all phases. Ms. Heiser stated community engagement began in 2022, and the council approved rebuilding the road, installing sidewalks and a water main. She noted that the bikeway approved by council on Louisiana Avenue was to use an alternate route, because 70 mature trees would have needed to be cut down. Ms. Heiser stated that Phase 1 was completed last year, and Phase 2 would be started this year with completion in 2026. She shared that the last community engagement session was held in December 2024. The council approved the final Phase 2 plans for bids in early February 2025. She stated $2.5 million has been spent on temporary and permanent easements, and the city now has federal authorization to advertise for bids on the project. Ms. Heiser stated the consultant for the project is Kimley Horn, and the updated cost estimate for their services is before the council today for approval. Docusign Envelope ID: BB0205E1-5F91-4903-8657-9141F56BF89C City council meeting -5- April 21, 2025 Mayor Pro Tem Brausen stated this is in Ward 4, and he has been involved in this project since 2014, noting this lengthy project is scheduled for completion in 2026. He stated the cost amendment is before the council and he thanked staff for their work on this. Ms. Keller stated the council has received public comments in writing from two residents, which are included in the meeting materials. Mayor Pro Tem Brausen invited anyone in attendance to speak about the item. Jason Felds stated he moved to this area on March 9, 2025, and noted he is behind on the project information. He stated he cycled along Louisiana Avenue yesterday and felt the experience was scary. He appreciates that some sidewalks will be constructed to help pedestrians, and added he has concerns about some of the other plans. He added that he also drives a car but does not drive it much and has concerns that the two-lane road will be widened. He stated that now it is 12 feet per individual lane, and he understands it is to be increased to 14 feet. He stated 14 feet is the same width as any interstate highway and he is concerned that Louisiana Avenue will become a highway. Many families live on Louisiana Avenue, and if the roads are widened, children cannot cross the street easily. He is concerned that drivers may feel they can drive faster with these wider lanes. He asked the council not to widen the roads and to keep families in St. Louis Park safer. Sylvie Hyman stated she knows a lot of work went into these plans, and she appreciates the community engagement that has happened up to this point. Her main concern is that the lanes must be narrowed on Louisiana Avenue. She noted 14-foot lanes are wider than highway lanes and are proven to encourage dangerous driver behavior and higher speeds. She understands and appreciates the work that went into putting a bike lane on Louisiana Avenue and she respects the decision to maintain the trees but added that no more trees need to be removed if four to six feet are taken from the right-of-way that is planned for construction. Ms. Hyman stated that narrower lanes also require less road salt, resulting in less pollution in the waterways and the environment. She noted narrow roads require less maintenance with less roadway to maintain. She urged the council to approve the bid with a condition that the lanes be narrowed from 14 feet to 10 feet individually. There are arguments for wider lanes for emergency vehicles, but they are perfectly fine with 20-foot right-of-way, and there would be fewer emergency vehicles responding to car crashes if the lanes are narrower to encourage safer driving. She referenced the proclamation recognizing “Bike Month”, noting it was stated that education was needed for safe driver behavior. Marc Berg, 2013 Webster Avenue, stated he is the administrator of the “Bike and Walk the Park” Facebook page. He is a 20-plus-year resident and regular bike commuter in St. Louis Park. He stated he shares the frustration that this opportunity to make Louisiana Avenue more bike- friendly passed by a few years ago. He does not like the idea of Louisiana Avenue being totally surrendered to cars, and if there is an opportunity to narrow lanes with traffic calming effects, he hopes the council will do so. Dana Nideck, 2020 Ridge Drive, stated that some of the community outreach was presented as a false dichotomy. She explained that the city either has a bike path or trees, and added it is Docusign Envelope ID: BB0205E1-5F91-4903-8657-9141F56BF89C City council meeting -6- April 21, 2025 important that roads are narrowed. She stated the city can have trees, safe roads and a bike path. Allie Rogers, 3019 Florida Avenue, stated she is a civics and geography teacher and always boasts about how bike-friendly and walkable St. Louis Park is, but these plans will make it less so. She stated she lived in Japan for 18 years, which has wonderful public infrastructure, but pointed out they do not have bike lanes on roads. Riding her bike on Louisiana Avenue feels like she is back in Tokyo with cars flying all over. She asked the council to narrow the lanes. Dayna Nerdich did not speak but submitted a written comment, which noted that bike, pedestrian, bus, and non-car transport should all be prioritized and asked the council to narrow car lanes to make streets safer. Council Member Rog asked staff to clarify if the city is narrowing the road. Ms. Heiser stated yes, the road will be narrowed, going on to explain that the current road is 36 feet wide, and it will be reduced by eight (8) feet to build the sidewalk. She stated the curb will be moved in on the east side and many of the trees will be protected. Council Member Rog asked what the lane widths are today. Ms. Heiser stated they are 12 feet with a shoulder on both sides. With the change to 28 feet wide, there is no parking allowed on either side of the street. She went on to explain that the fire station is on the road and they use it for every fire call. Ms. Heiser shared that she understands the concerns, but ultimately, vehicles use this road. There needs to be enough width for vehicles to pass when vehicles pull over for fire trucks or for when a delivery vehicle or solid waste truck stops. She added that a combination of issues such as the number of vehicles that use the road per day, public transit use, or a heavy snow year, can all bring challenges. These considerations prompted the staff recommendation of 12-foot-wide lanes. Council Member Rog stated she wished better for Louisiana Avenue, adding the council agrees on all of this, and it had been a topic of discussion earlier in the year. She agrees that if it cannot be done right, it does not make sense to invest in a solution that would not work on Louisiana Avenue, given the context. Council Member Rog stated the decision to reroute bike traffic entirely rather than trying to squeeze bikes into this corridor, along with budget and resource limitations, leads her to support this project as approved. She also appreciates the ongoing advocacy from the bike group, noting their input has made a difference in the past and will continue to do so in the future. Council Member Baudhuin also thanked the bike community for their comments, adding he considers himself part of the bike community as well and has testified in the past. He asked Ms. Heiser about alternative bike route for Louisiana Ave. Ms. Heiser stated that one challenge for a Louisiana bikeway is the MnDOT bridge across Highway 394, which was built in 1989 and MnDOT has no plans to widen it. There are about 20,000 vehicles per day crossing and getting on to the highway and walking and biking over the Docusign Envelope ID: BB0205E1-5F91-4903-8657-9141F56BF89C City council meeting -7- April 21, 2025 bridge is not comfortable for most users. She stated that the approved Louisiana Avenue project meets the need for a bicycle connection through an alternative route. Ms. Heiser stated there is a cycle track on Cedar Lake Road and when getting to Louisiana Avenue at Cedar Lake Road, there is a roundabout and a trail on both sides. She stated north of that, there will be a trail through Northside Park over to the trail at the Junior High School to Pennsylvania Avenue, and then over Highway 394. She added that the Hampshire Avenue trail will be available with a connection to another bridge, which coincides with the Three Rivers Park District Regional Trail Project. Council Member Baudhuin stated there are some safe infrastructures for biking going north- south near Louisiana Avenue on the east and west sides. He added that Louisiana Avenue is an arterial street, which is part of the problem for the bike community. He stated that he has concerns as well, and that is where some of the frustration comes from. He would like to see the city plan for more biking, walking and rolling of all kinds, especially as future projects on Louisiana Avenue are discussed more. He thanked the bike community and stated this seems to be the best plan for now but asked those providing comment to continue to bring their concerns to the council and city staff. Council Member Budd thanked the bike community for their comments. She appreciated the comments about St. Louis Park rating well on connectivity, as well as the staff’s commitment to the city’s Connect the Park plan. She stated she does bike with family and people who are not as comfortable on the streets. She has been involved with this project for the last three years and has seen modifications made. Council Member Budd stated she will continue to support the project. Council Member Dumalag agreed and referenced the staff’s recommendation of narrowing streets to slow traffic and use fewer materials to maintain them. She stated this was also a concern related to biking and walking in her neighborhood. Council Member Dumalag stated the council did not want to leave bikers out in this plan, and staff and council have been collaborating and discussing the Three Rivers Park District’s plan to create bike paths either on Louisiana Avenue or on Dakota Avenue. She noted these discussions have taken place to help bikers and pedestrians move as easily along corridors as vehicles do, and she will continue to support this project. Council Member Farris also thanked those who made comments, noting she is not a biker at all. However, she does walk and enjoys seeing people ride their bikes. When driving, she is very respectful of bikers and gives them space. The council has discussed this issue and added it is difficult but noted city funds limit opportunities in some cases. She added the council does hear the bike community’s concerns and will do everything they can to make bikeways as safe and convenient as possible. Council Member Rog reiterated that the plan would narrow Louisiana Avenue by eight feet, a change that has been shown to slow vehicle speeds. Docusign Envelope ID: BB0205E1-5F91-4903-8657-9141F56BF89C City council meeting -8- April 21, 2025 Mayor Pro Tem Brausen stated this project is in his ward, and he cares deeply about this issue as well. He stated another challenge is making upgrades to infrastructure in an already built-up city. He shared that the city is doing its best to balance existing – and sometimes competing - interests. Many people still travel by vehicle, so the city must provide a safe way for all to travel. He added that the city also needs to address the concerns of bikers and pedestrians. Mayor Pro Tem Brausen stated he has supported this project from the beginning and will continue to do so, while he appreciates the comments given and will consider them in the future. It was moved by Council Member Baudhuin, seconded by Council Member Farris, to approve the professional services contract amendment for Cedar Lake Road and Louisiana Avenue Improvement project (4024-1100) – Ward 4 as presented. The motion passed 6-0 (Mayor Mohamed absent). 8. Communications and announcements. Council Member Baudhuin gave his condolences to the Roman Catholic community on the passing of the Pope yesterday. He stated he is not a Catholic but is in the ministry and understands the Pope is highly revered by practicing Catholics. He added this Pope in particular supported marginalized persons in the Roman Catholic community and the St. Frances Cabrini Community is grieving deeply because of this Pope’s support of the LGBTQ community as well. To people in these communities, Council Member Baudhuin stated the city is thinking of you today and the city cares. Ms. Keller stated National Drug Take Back Day will take place this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the police department. She explained that unused and expired drugs are collected and safely disposed of as part of National Drug Take Back Day. Mayor Pro Tem Brausen added Vision 4.0 training is coming up on May 1 and May 8, 2025, for people to learn how to lead conversations within their neighborhoods. He invited all who want to engage with their neighbors and make St. Louis Park a better place to please join the training and sign up on the city website. 9. Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 7:09 p.m. ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Melissa Kennedy, city clerk Nadia Mohamed, mayor Docusign Envelope ID: BB0205E1-5F91-4903-8657-9141F56BF89C