Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021 10-11 CCM Study SessionMINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER IN THE COUNTY OF HENNEPIN AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA STUDY SESSION OCTOBER 11, 2021 VIA ZOOM The Brooklyn Center City Council met in Study Session called to order by Mayor Mike Elliott at 5*03 p.m. ROLL CALL Mayor Mike Elliott and Councilmembers Marquita Butler, April Graves, Kris Lawrence - Anderson, and Dan Ryan. Also present were City Manager Reggie Edwards, Community Development Director Meg Beekman, and City Clerk Barb Suciu. CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSION OF AGENDA ITEMS AND QUESTIONS City Manager Reggie Edwards stated he would like to remove item 6c, Resolution Approving Change Order Nos. 1-7, Improvement Project No. 2021-05, Brooklyn Boulevards Corridor Project Phase 2 Improvements, from the agenda. Dr. Edwards explained they have been in contact with the property owner and created a contract for tree removal and, therefore, do not need to discuss it. Dr. Edwards stated he would like to add discussion of the Certified Special Assessment for Private Utility Service Repair to the Hennepin County Tax to 8a, Resolutions for Proposed Special Assessments for Tall Grass and Weed Abatement Costs, Dead and Diseased Tree Abatement Costs, Administrative Fines/Citations and Emergency Private Utility Service Repairs, as there was a notification given to the community that would be addressed at the Council meeting. MISCELLANEOUS WORK SESSION FOR PUBLIC SAFETY RESOLUTION DISCUSSION Councilmember Butler stated she had asked Dr. Edwards to put this discussion on the agenda because Councilmembers keep saying they do not know what is going on. She noted she hopes this can provide clarity for staff and Council and cover what has already happened since May, what is being worked on now, and what is coming up. Mayor Elliott stated he thinks this discussion could be integrated into a future Council meeting. Dr. Edwards stated they have a Special Council Work Session date set aside for November 1, 2021, that is available. 10/11/21 -1- Councilmember Ryan stated he is glad to hear about this upcoming Work Session and he would like to know more about the FUSE funds. He noted the Council could use a deep dive on all of what the Police Department had already been doing related to citations and sununons in place of custodial arrests, what has been added, and which offenses still require custodial arrests. Councilmember Ryan added he would hope they could see some sort of strategic map about where staff expects to go with this and next steps and then the Council could weigh in on their expectations. Mayor Elliott stated they are already getting technical support from FUSE as well as from the law enforcement assistance program. He explained the FUSE fellows are starting on November 1, so they may need to present the strategic road map at a later date. Councilmember Butler stated she has spoken with Dr. Edwards about how they are presenting the resolution to the public. She noted she gets a lot of questions about the resolution, and she thinks the website needs to better communicate what has been done and what is in the works. Councilmember Butler stated they should add a graphic that was used in a recent presentation along with a Frequently Asked Questions section. She added they could also have similar infoarmation for the Opportunity Site to help combat misconceptions. Councilmember Butler explained if they keep that section informative and up-to-date, they could save a lot of headaches in the future. Dr. Edwards stated there have been questions about the expectations of staff and the implementation committee, and he would like that to be addressed in a future discussion. Mayor Elliott noted that the position of Community Engagement is to communicate with the community, but the discussion is still important. Councilmember Lawrence -Anderson asked if the discussion for the evening had a presentation to guide them through the discussion. Mayor Elliott stated this is a discussion around what they want to cover at an upcoming Work Session. Councilmember Lawrence -Anderson stated she would like to know how they are going to better engage the broader community on this topic. She noted one of their strategic priorities is having a safe, secure, and stable community, and she would like to know what that means to community members. Councilmember Lawrence -Anderson asked how they are going to incorporate more voices. Councilmember Butler stated she thinks they should have a series of community discussions, similar to what they have done in the past, hosted at different times and days to accommodate various schedules. She added they could have it structured around going through the resolution, answering common questions, then have trained facilitators guide small group discussions on topics related to the resolution. 10/11/21 -2- Mayor Elliott agreed that engaging the broader community is key to a successful project. He stated one of the two FUSE fellows will be focused on doing that work, and the FUSE fellows will be starting their fellowship on November 1. Mayor Elliott noted that since the discussion about the resolution will also be on November 1, the FUSE fellows will not be prepared for that meeting, but they could push out the Work Session to have that fellow be more involved in the discussion. CouncilmemberZawrence-Anderson stated getting the buy -in from as many residents of Brooklyn Center as possible is going to be critical for the success of the project. She noted she is looking forward to further discussion at an upcoming Work Session. STAFF SUPPORT OF COUNCIL IN CONDUCTING MEETINGS AND DECORUM Dr. Edwards stated the packet includes norms the Council established during their retreat addressing how they want to work as a team and as a Council. He stated there were past questions about decorum and protocol for engaging residents, so he wanted the Council's input on how staff could better support the Council and provide information about the norms and decorum in the future. DISCUSSION OF WORK SESSION AGENDA ITEMS AS TIME PERMITS SPECIAL EVENTS PERMIT Dr. Edwards introduced the topic and invited Community Development Director Meg Beekman to present on the item. Community Development Director Meg Beekrrran stated this is something that the City Clerk's Office and the Community Development Department have been working on for a while. She stated the impetus came when they started working on a new zoning code. Ms. Beekman explained they have an internal process for addressing private events that happen on private property, and it is an outdated ordinance that does not fit how they are using it. She noted it does not tie to events that occur in parks or on other types of public property or public events. Ms. Beekman anticipates that the new zoning code will be replaced by a new temporary use section of the code, so they have been thinking about a more streamlined special events process might be. Ms. Beekman stated they get multiple requests for many types of special events throughout the year such as a park pavilion for a birthday party, a public awareness event hosted at a park, an opening party for a business, a wedding hosted at someone's home, a nonprofit hosting an event for the community on private property or events that use public rights of way such as a 5K race. She noted there is not currently a single process in place for special events and, depending on the type of event, its location, and the activities that will occur at it, an event organizer may need to go through several departments and receive more than one permit. For example, someone has to go through the City Clerk's office to handle liquor, through Hennepin County for serving certain food, tents may require a building permit, signage or parking impacts requires review from the Community Development Department, and road closures are handled by the Public Works Department. Ms. Beekman stated the process is confusing for both staff and the event organizers. 10/11/21 -3- Ms. Beekman stated the zoning code has a process for administrative permits, but it only addresses certain types of one-time special events on private property. She noted there is no code for food trucks or farmer's markets. Ms. Beekman stated the goal is to streamline and centralize the process by replacing existing processes. She explained they hope to have just one point of contact, which would be in the City Cleric's Office, and that the contact person would receive the application and disseminate it to relevant departments. Ms. Beekman noted all affected departments have met twice to discuss the process and provide input on a draft special event ordinance. Ms. Beekman stated the ordinance does not prohibit any kind of events; it focuses on processes and sharing information and provides exemptions for certain events that do not have to go through the process. The definition of a special event is a temporary, organized activity sponsored by an event organizer involving the gathering of people to attend, participate in, or observe an activity occurring entirely or partly outside on City property or private property that involves support services from the City, obstructs or interferes with roadways, includes 50 or more people, has ancillary activities such as a food truck or bounce houses, or sound amplification. Ms. Beekman stated much of the language was borrowed fiom other cities which hold multiple special events throughout the year such as Hopkins. She noted that Hopkins has a very robust ordinance that they pulled from. She explained the ordinance reinforces required permits for special events, streamlines review and notification processes, and provides a consistent method to recoup City costs associated with special events. Ms. Beekman noted there are some exemptions from the ordinance including expressive activities on public sidewalks such as demonstrations or protests, expressive activities on public property that do not interfere with the use of public rights -of --ways or require the use of City support services, funeral and wedding processions, regularly scheduled athletic events, and other governmental activities. Ms. Beekman stated the ordinance limits the duration of events to three consecutive days and longer events or reoccurring events would be covered by the new "temporary use" section in the oning code. She noted there will be an application process that requires applicants to share details z about the event such as anticipated size and duration. The application also assists with navigating event organizers through County public health processes if necessary, identifies requests for City services, and provides for centralized review and notification to affected City departments. Ms. Beelcrrran added the ordinance identifies fee schedules for city support services, allows for support service fees to be waived for city -sponsored or co -sponsored events with the approval of the City Council or non -profit -hosted events, identifies criteria for permit approval if necessary, and identifies regulations and procedures for the event itself such as clean-up, adequate facilities, requirements for providing alcoholic beverages, the process for road closures, and notices to surrounding property owners. Discussion of this item continued and concluded the October 11, 2021, Worlc Session, ADJOURNMENT 10/11/21 -4- The Study Session was adjourned at 6:47 p.m. STATE OF MINNESOTA) COUNTY OF HENNEPIN) ss CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER) Certification of Minutes The undersigned, being the duly qualified and appointed City Clerk of the City of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, certifies: 1. That attached hereto is a full, true, and complete transcript of the minutes of a Study Session of the City Council of the City of Brooklyn Center held on October 11, 2021. 2. That said meeting was held pursuant to due call and notice thereof and was duly held at Brooklyn Center City Hall, 3. That the City Council adopted said minutes at its October 25, 2021, Regular Session. tv)av)�v City Clerk Mayor 10/11/21 -5-