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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024.02.12 CCM WORKSESSION2/12/24 -1- DRAFT MINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER IN THE COUNTY OF HENNEPIN AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA WORK SESSION FEBRUARY 12, 2024 CITY HALL – COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDER The Brooklyn Center City Council met in Work Session called to order by Mayor Pro Tem Kris Lawrence-Anderson at 6:00 p.m. ROLL CALL Mayor Pro Tem Kris Lawrence-Anderson and Councilmembers Marquita Butler, Dan Jerzak, and Teneshia Kragness. Mayor April Graves was absent and excused. Also present were City Manager Reggie Edwards, Director of Fiscal & Support Services Angela Holm, Director of Public Works Elizabeth Heyman, Assistant City Manager/City Clerk Barb Suciu, and City Attorney Jason Hill. CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSION OF AGENDA ITEMS AND QUESTIONS Councilmember Jerzak asked if there will be on-site support for the clientele, referring to Consent Agenda Item 6e., Resolution Accepting Livable Communities Demonstration Account (LCDA) Funding Grant for New Generations LLC - Veterans Housing. City Manager Reggie Edwards stated he believes there will be support, but a full-scale presentation will be made to the City Council in the future. Councilmember Jerzak stated he is willing to wait for the presentation, but it is one of his concerns. Councilmember Jerzak asked if Brooklyn Center had participated in a similar contract to Consent Agenda Item 6l., Resolution Authorizing the City of Brooklyn Center to Enter into a Contract with Hennepin County for Local Food Purchase Assistance (HS00001632). Dr. Edwards stated he would find the information and report back to Council. Councilmember Jerzak also asked if the agreement was directly with the farmers. Councilmember Kragness asked if the disparaging comments referred to in the previous minutes should be detailed. She requested the minutes be pulled from the Consent Agenda. There was consensus from the Council for Consent Agenda Item 6a. Approval of Minutes to be removed. Mayor Pro Tem Kris Lawrence-Anderson stated they would also be removing Consent Agenda Item 6g., An Ordinance Vacating a Portion of the Dedicated Right-of-Way in the Plat of Joslyn Addition (1st Reading). 2/12/24 -2- DRAFT MISCELLANEOUS CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSION ITEMS Councilmember Jerzak asked if the Miscellaneous items are intended to be in a particular order and if the item needed to be submitted prior to the meeting. Dr. Edwards explained it is the will of the Council. The City Attorney recommended topics be submitted to Staff so they could be prepared with information. However, the Council has expressed interest in an organic time to discuss topics as they may arise. Mayor Pro Tem Lawrence-Anderson stated most City buildings have a sign instructing no weaponry is allowed. She suggested similar signage be added to the City Hall. Councilmember Kragness noted her support of the suggestion. City Attorney Jason Hill stated he could prepare a memorandum on the issue. There are very specific requirements for such signage. Councilmember Jerzak stated the first round of utility bills with the new rates were sent out. Staff received an increased number of calls with concerns about the increased rates. He pointed out he voted against the increase. It was a large increase, and there is about $500,000 in arrears. He asked if the meter situation has been corrected. It is unfair if residents aren’t being billed accurately due to their meters. Dr. Edwards pointed out Staff is working on a plan to replace the problematic meters. There are some new meters that the City obtained at a lower rate. Public Works Director Elizabeth Heyman explained an order of new meters has been received. They are working on a plan of how to access the homes that need replacements. She added there is a full replacement in the Capital Improvement Plan slated for 2028 or 2029. Director of Fiscal & Support Services Angela Holm stated there was a meeting today regarding the malfunctioning meters. Councilmember Jerzak asked how many meters are failing and the amount of the revenue loss. Ms. Heyman stated she doesn’t have the numbers in front of her. There are two or three issues with the meters, so the number has to be recalculated. Councilmember Jerzak asked if there is a relationship between the faulty meters and accounts that are in default. Ms. Holm explained the failed meters have a number of issues. The high number of receivables is due to people not paying their bill. Councilmember Jerzak asked why people are struggling to pay their bills. Ms. Holm stated she hasn’t heard anything specifically for reasoning. There are a number of methods to pay the bills. 2/12/24 -3- DRAFT Councilmember Kragness asked if there was an update on the water pipeline. Ms. Heyman stated the City has until August to report the numbers. About 3,000 of the 8,000 data points have been collected. There have been several survey responses, and there has been success with door knocking. Mayor Pro Tem Lawrence-Anderson asked if all homeowners need to report to Staff. Ms. Heyman confirmed all residents should report the status of their pipes to the City. Anyone that doesn’t report will receive a letter requesting the information. However, it is not mandatory. Councilmember Kragness asked if there is a protocol on how to handle disparaging comments received via Zoom during the Council meetings. Dr. Edwards noted the topic is slated for discussion later on in the meeting. Mayor Pro Tem Lawrence-Anderson requested the Council take a photo with Dan Halverson during Presentations/Proclamations/Recognitions/Donations 7a., Proclamation Declaring February 12, 2024 as Don Halverson Day in Honor of his 101st birthday and Commemorate his Military Service in WWII. LEGISLATIVE PROCESS Dr. Edwards explained the items are intended for discussion and potential Staff direction. He noted there was a recent Legislative Breakfast, and some Councilmembers were able to attend. Also, the Council has been given a legislative timeline. In previous sessions, there wasn’t enough time to discuss legislative priorities and the process. There is a desire to set a specific legislative process and for the legislative priorities to be set earlier on. Councilmember Jerzak suggested there be a memorandum regarding what was discussed at the Legislative Breakfast. He agreed Councilmembers should meet with their local representatives earlier to relay their legislative priorities. Mayor Pro Tem Lawrence-Anderson suggested inviting their local representatives to a Work Session to ensure they are all on the same page. Councilmember Kragness agreed the discussion regarding legislative priorities and alignment with local representatives should take place sooner than later. Councilmember Jerzak noted his appreciation of the networking opportunity following the Legislative Breakfast. He suggested planning more time for networking. Mayor Pro Tem Lawrence-Anderson pointed out she attended Day on the Hill previously. She suggested the Councilmembers reach out to their representatives in advance to schedule a meeting during the event. Dr. Edwards noted Staff could help with the process. 2/12/24 -4- DRAFT Dr. Edwards added there may be a Legislative lunch or Legislative dinner in future years. Also, Staff will prepare a professional document that will highlight key points of the legislative priorities. Councilmember Jerzak suggested Staff and Councilmembers avoid congregating with like people at future events. CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS SAFETY AND DECORUM Dr. Edwards pointed out there are efforts to disrupt Council meetings throughout the country due to the political climate. Staff is working to develop a more robust safety plan. A decorum document was provided to the Council. Mayor Pro Tem Lawrence-Anderson asked if it is necessary to read the entire document regarding decorum at every meeting. Dr. Edwards stated it is up to the Council. The same information is available on a poster outside of Chambers and can be made available online. Councilmember Kragness stated it should be read at every meeting. However, there is an issue of following the decorum. Mr. Hill noted it is fine to have expectations, but the public open forum is designated for folks to express their First Amendment rights. There isn’t much the Council can do in the way of enforcement, and there are strict processes to follow if someone needs to be removed from a public space. As for Zoom interruptions, the City can limit the scope of comments to City issues. Nonetheless, commenters have protected rights to say what they want, no matter how horrible. Mayor Pro Tem Lawrence-Anderson asked if the Council has to allow public comment through Zoom. Mr. Hill stated some cities have begun to prohibit comments from digital means while still allowing remote viewing. If that is the desire of the Council, he recommended an all-or-nothing approach with receiving comments to avoid issues of discretion. Mayor Pro Tem Lawrence-Anderson asked if the Council was interested in prohibiting comments from Zoom for the current meeting. She suggested a more complete discussion be held once Mayor Graves was present. Councilmember Butler stated she understands the concern, but Brooklyn Center hasn’t received issues with comments related to political happenings. Also, Zoom viewing and commentary has increased engagement and there wasn’t proper notice given to community members to limit Zoom comments. Councilmember Jerzak agreed there wasn’t proper notice provided. Other cities have stopped remote commentary, but that should be decided once the full Council is present. Councilmember Jerzak asked if the presiding officer is the only person who can establish time limits for commentary. Dr. Edwards stated it is the purview of the Council. 2/12/24 -5- DRAFT Mr. Hill pointed out there is a policy regarding time limits. He suggested any changes be reflected in policy. Councilmember Kragness explained her concern is about consistency and contradicting themselves when it comes to decorum. Councilmember Butler suggested a visual timer be used for commenters to be aware of their time limits. She asked if there is a legal difference between attacking people and free speech. Mr. Hill stated the City has to be careful about restricting comments based on the content of the speech. The establishment of open forum triggers First Amendment rights. Mayor Pro Tem Lawrence-Anderson stated the Council would share in reading the decorum document for the present meeting. Councilmember Jerzak noted Minneapolis has a process for limiting comments based on time. He added while people may be passionate about a topic, the Councilmembers can only remain engaged with a speaker for a limited time. Mayor Pro Tem Lawrence-Anderson requested the item be on the agenda for the following meeting. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Pro Tem Lawrence-Anderson moved and Councilmember Jerzak seconded to close the Study Session at 6:52 p.m. Motion passed unanimously.