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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024.03.11 CCM WORKSESSION3/11/24 -1- 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 MARCH 11, 2024 CITY HALL – COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDER The Brooklyn Center City Council met in a Work Session called to order by Mayor Pro Tem Lawrence-Anderson at 6:03 p.m. ROLL CALL Mayor Pro Tem Kris Lawrence-Anderson and Councilmembers Marquita Butler (arrived at 6:09 p.m.), Dan Jerzak, and Teneshia Kragness. Mayor April Graves was absent and excused. Also present were City Manager Reggie Edwards, Interim Police Chief Tony Gruenig, Assistant City Manager/City Clerk Barb Suciu, and City Attorney Jason Hill. MISCELLANEOUS DISCUSSION ITEMS Councilmember Jerzak asked if there was a consensus for the City Clerk to oversee a timer during the Open Forum. Mayor Pro Tem Lawrence-Anderson confirmed a consensus for a timer during the Open Forum. Assistant City Manager/City Clerk Barb Suciu noted the Council didn’t determine the length of time for the Open Forum timer. Councilmember Jerzak and Mayor Pro Tem Lawrence-Anderson stated the agreement was for two minutes. City Manager Reggie Edwards stated the first item to discuss is strategic planning. The employee survey revealed a desire for more clarity. Dr. Edwards explained they also need to discuss a new structure for Councilmembers notifying him regarding meeting discussion items. It allows time for Staff and Council to prepare. Councilmember Marquita Butler arrived at 6:09 p.m. Dr. Edwards added he wanted to have a conversation to reflect on the temporary Work Session schedule requested by the Council. Councilmember Kragness stated the April retreat would be an appropriate opportunity to speak freely about the trial period of the Work Session and Regular Session scheduling. Mayor Pro Tem Lawrence-Anderson noted she wants to dive into the long list of pending 3/11/24 -2 discussion items. There isn’t a structure with the current Work Session format, which would be helpful. Dr. Edwards stated the Work Session following the Regular Session is intended to cover items from the pending list. However, the Work Session before the Regular Session is supposed to be an open discussion for the council. City Attorney Jason Hill stated there should only be one Work Session, starting at 6:00 p.m. and covering specific agenda items. There could be an opportunity for miscellaneous discussion afterward. Also, there should be a separate packet for each meeting. Dr. Edwards stated the Council can do as they desire. The suggestion by Mr. Hill is already in place. The Council can discuss items on the second Work Session during the first Work Session. The Council wants an allotted time for open discussion. Councilmember Jerzak noted he is confused. A previous draft was submitted to the Council, and he wanted to discuss it with them. He had asked Dr. Edwards how to get the discussion on the agenda, and he looks forward to a specific process. Councilmember Jerzak said he wants an update on the new grocery store. Councilmember Kragness agreed the explanation of the Work Sessions made it worse. She understood the change to be for two separate Work Sessions, but Mr. Hill’s explanation differs from what Dr. Edwards explained to the Council. The Council needs to understand the purpose of the meeting, appropriately use the time, and determine if the new process is working. Mr. Hill stated the purpose is to cover specific items as Staff and Council requested and allow for miscellaneous discussion. However, there don’t need to be two separate agendas. The Council’s goal is to discuss without an open forum. If the work session goes on long, the council can continue the discussion after the regular session. There needs to be clarity on how the Council can request topics for the agenda. Councilmember Kragness requested that Dr. Edwards determine a different name for the first Work Session. Mr. Hill asked why there needed to be a different name. Councilmember Kragness stated she wants an open dialogue, and it needs to be differentiated from the other Work Sessions. Dr. Edwards clarified if there were one Work Session, it would include the listed discussion items and have an item for miscellaneous discussion. He pointed out that the second work session is currently being recorded, while the first is not for public viewing. Councilmember Butler stated the community does not appreciate the new format. She suggested reinstating the public viewing of the entire meeting. Mayor Pro Tem Lawrence-Anderson pointed out that the time had been unproductive due to the confusion. She suggested the issue be addressed again at the next meeting. Dr. Edwards explained he would like an opportunity for Staff to discuss strategic planning with 3/11/24 -3 the Council. Then, the Directors can get into action planning. He requested the Council determine a 90-minute time when they could discuss strategic planning. Councilmember Butler asked if there could be a virtual meeting during the day. Mr. Hill stated that is not an option. Councilmember Kragness stated she doesn’t want to meet on a Saturday and would prefer to meet before a previously scheduled meeting. Mayor Pro Tem Lawrence-Anderson noted her preference to meet before a meeting rather than adding another Monday. Dr. Edwards explained there is an issue with scheduling due to the already busy schedules. He asked if the Council could meet on March 18, 2024. Otherwise, it would need to be on the April schedule. Mayor Pro Tem Lawrence-Anderson stated she would be open to meeting on March 18, 2024. It needs to be done sooner than later. Councilmembers Butler, Kragness, and Jerzak confirmed they are available on March 18, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. Dr. Edwards asked if the Council is willing to commit to two hours. There was no objection from the Council. Mayor Pro Tem Lawrence-Anderson asked for an update on the search for a new Police Chief. Dr. Edwards explained they have posted the position, and they have received a number of applications. They hope to move on to the next step at the end of the month. Due to capacity, they have not begun the search for a new Deputy. Mayor Pro Tem Lawrence-Anderson asked why the Deputy position cannot be posted. Dr. Edwards stated that staff members go out to receive proposals (RFPs) from search agencies before listing a job posting. Human Resources is currently too busy to seek out another set of RFPs. Councilmember Butler asked if community members and other stakeholders would be included in the hiring process for the Police Chief. Dr. Edwards stated they will continue using the same format when hiring directors in recent years. They will seek out community representatives, professionals from the field, and other parties. There are also focus groups planned. Mayor Pro Tem Lawrence-Anderson pointed out that she was not previously allowed to listen to the final interviews with the last set of candidates. Community members thought she was “pulling rank” and was, therefore, not allowed in the meeting, although it was open to the public. Dr. Edwards confirmed that staff will be making such interviews more accessible. Councilmember Jerzak would like to discuss a Business Investment District (BID) and the option 3/11/24 -4 to use Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds for such an effort. It could help support security, cameras, and the like. It could be a tool to support development and safety in Brooklyn Center. Dr. Edwards noted there were previous mentions of BID during discussions about litter. It was not acted on at the time because of COVID-19 complications. Councilmember Jerzak asked if the Council could receive an update on alternative response strategies before the upcoming discussion on the item. It sounds like there are some potential changes in Brooklyn Park’s program. Also, he would like a refresher on the two ongoing pilot programs. Dr. Edwards stated there is no expanded or alternative response effort in place. There will be a discussion on the topic at the next Council meeting. There will be presentations from the providers of both pilot programs. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson pointed out that another county social worker had been hired and that the county was seeking another emergency medical technician. He asked if those were considered alternative responses. Dr. Edwards confirmed the County has hired another social worker. However, no one has responded to calls for service other than police officers. After the presentation, Staff can move forward with developing contracts and then seeking out options. Councilmember Jerzak asked how there is a Social Worker on Staff without a contract. Dr. Edwards stated the County employs the person. Interim Police Chief Tony Gruenig explained that the city had an embedded social worker for quite some time. They receive referrals from police officers for follow-up opportunities. The county has another social worker working in Brooklyn Park and has recently been reassigned to Brooklyn Center. Also, North Memorial was looking to hire an additional paramedic to allow for a team- based response from a paramedic and a social worker. The next step is for Mr. Hill to review the contract before bringing it to the Council. Councilmember Jerzak asked if the positions were included in the previous budget. Dr. Edwards stated the pilots are primarily grant-funded. A small amount of money was also set aside in the budget to support the pilots. Councilmember Jerzak asked if the program is an alternative response being dispatched from the Police Department. Interim Chief Gruenig stated there isn’t office space available at the Police Department currently. The Social Worker has been hired but is still waiting for the Paramedic. Once Mr. Hill has reviewed the contract and approved by the Council, the two positions will be housed within the Police Department. Mayor Pro Tem Lawrence-Anderson pointed out that the Sun Post has an article about a youth violence intervention group covering Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center. She asked if Interim Chief Gruenig had more information on the program. Interim Chief Gruenig stated he would have to read the article. 3/11/24 -5 Councilmember Kragness asked if there was a timing issue with hiring the new positions because the time Brooklyn Center needed them to work was not their normal working hours. Dr. Edwards explained there are two models. One model will be addressing time. There is an option for morning to late afternoon and another shift for late afternoon until 1:00 a.m. Interim Chief Gruenig stated North Memorial cannot provide anyone past 7:00 or 7:30 p.m. The model with the Paramedic and Social Worker would only be offered until the early evening. Dr. Edwards added that the other pilots included a community mental health worker and a paramedic who would work during the evening until about 1:00 a.m. Mayor Pro Tem Lawrence-Anderson requested adequate time to discuss the pilot programs at the coming Council meeting. Councilmember Jerzak asked if the Council would vote on the programs directly after the presentations. Dr. Edwards stated that the intention was to discuss and answer questions about the pilot programs at the meeting. The following meeting would then include a vote and finalized contracts. Councilmember Jerzak noted he was quoted in the Star Tribune. He stated he did not sit for an interview. The quote was from previous meeting minutes. Dr. Edwards suggested an item from the second Work Session be addressed within the available time. Mayor Pro Tem Lawrence-Anderson stated she would prefer a break before the regular session. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Pro Tem Lawrence-Anderson closed the Work Session at 6:53 p.m. Motion passed unanimously.