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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025.01.27 CCM STUDY1/27/25 -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 STUDY SESSION JANUARY 27, 2025 CITY HALL – COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDER The Brooklyn Center City Council met in Study Session called to order by Mayor April Graves at 6:03 p.m. ROLL CALL Mayor April Graves and Councilmembers Dan Jerzak, Teneshia Kragness, and Laurie Ann Moore. Councilmember Kris Lawrence-Anderson was absent and excused. Also present were City Manager Reggie Edwards, Deputy City Manager Daren Nyquist, City Clerk Barb Suciu, Deputy City Clerk Shannon Pettit, and City Attorney Siobhan Tolar. CITY COUNCIL MISCELLANEOUS DISCUSSION ITEMS Councilmember Jerzak stated he would like to pull Consent Agenda Item 6d. Resolution Supporting the Pursuit of Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development Redevelopment Grant Program Funding for the Acquisition of the Brown College Site at 5951 Earle Brown Drive and make it a Council Consideration Item. RESOLUTION 2021-73 Councilmember Jerzak added he would like to table Study Session agenda discussion on Resolution 2021-73 because Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson was absent. Mayor Graves agreed she would like Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson present for the conversation. However, there is a 45-day timeline to address the item. Councilmember Jerzak noted there is another Council meeting before the timeline is up, but he would still appreciate some flexibility with the timeline. Mayor Graves pointed out that the Director of Community Prevention, Health and Safety LaToya Turk previously stated the recruitment and recommendation timeline would require 90 days. Even after the freeze of the Resolution, it would be three months until any potential committee member is presented to the Council. She suggested some of the discussion occur during Ms. Turk’s 90-day timeline. 1/27/25 -2- DRAFT Councilmember Jerzak noted his preference to conclude discussion before any recruitment. The Daunte Wright and Kobe Dimock-Heisler Community Safety and Violence Prevention Act was passed two years ago. Mayor Graves confirmed it has been two years, and the Council has discussed the Daunte Wright and Kobe Dimock-Heisler Community Safety and Violence Prevention Act 21 times. Councilmember Jerzak stated he has major concerns he would like to address. Councilmember Kragness suggested they maintain the 45-day freeze and allow discussion to continue into the 90-day recruitment if needed. Councilmember Moore noted the previous minutes indicated ample discussion on the fifth section of the Daunte Wright and Kobe Dimock-Heisler Community Safety and Violence Prevention Act. The initial act calls for a Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention while the proposal calls for a governmental unit. It was helpful to compare the original document and the proposed changes. She agreed the discussion should be held off until Councilmember Lawrence- Anderson can participate. It was the consensus of the Council to wait for discussion on Resolution 2021-73 until Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson is present. Mayor Graves expressed her frustration with the discussion process as it seems to be cyclical. Past minutes showing the fifth section was already reviewed by the Council. The minutes for the discussion she held with Staff, Directors, the Implementation Committee, and Council were not included in the compilation of past conversations on the Daunte Wright and Kobe Dimock-Heisler Community Safety and Violence Prevention Act. She requested the October 10, 2023, and January 22, 2024, minutes be provided to the Council. Councilmember Moore asked if the meeting referenced by Mayor Graves was held at the Community Center. Mayor Graves confirmed that it was correct. Councilmember Jerzak pointed out that his two primary concerns were relayed to Dr. Edwards a few days ago. He didn’t want to bring them to the conversation planned for the present evening because the focus was intended to be on the fifth section. Mayor Graves noted there was discussion related to other sections within the Daunte Wright and Kobe Dimock-Heisler Community Safety and Violence Prevention Act. Councilmember Jerzak added of the 13 responsibilities of the proposed Committee from the latest proposals, only three of them were in the original Daunte Wright and Kobe Dimock-Heisler Community Safety and Violence Prevention Act. He doesn’t want to stray from the Resolution too much, and the differences require additional discussion. Mayor Graves stated the refinement is likely a reflection of additional research and input received by Staff. For example, Councilmember Jerzak did not support the new committee being responsible for reviewing bargaining agreements. 1/27/25 -3- DRAFT Mayor Graves stated she would ultimately like to move forward with action steps. Councilmember Jerzak asked if Consent Agenda Item 6d. Resolution Supporting the Pursuit of Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development Redevelopment Grant Program Funding for the Acquisition of the Brown College Site at 5951 Earle Brown Drive, was assigned a new spot in the regular agenda. Mayor Graves confirmed Consent Agenda Item 6d. Resolution Supporting the Pursuit of Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development Redevelopment Grant Program Funding for the Acquisition of the Brown College Site at 5951 Earle Brown Drive would become Council Consideration Item 10a. Resolution Supporting the Pursuit of Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development Redevelopment Grant Program Funding for the Acquisition of the Brown College Site at 5951 Earle Brown Drive. Councilmember Kragness pointed out she was invited to participate in the Strong Cities Network regarding social cohesion during global crises. She read the description of the effort. It is a conference with breakout sessions regarding violence prevention, crisis communication, and the like. She has been attending weekly learning modules organized by the Strong Cities Network. The upcoming workshop is in February in Manchester, UK. Strong Cities Network will cover 80 percent of travel fees while lodging and food costs are covered. Airfare would come from the Council’s budget. Councilmember Kragness added the Council has a budget of $15,400 for conference and travel expenses. She requested the Council’s support of her attendance at the conference. The airfare will be around $700 to $1,000. Mayor Graves noted she will be attending the conference, though her travel costs have been covered by the Strong Cities Network. Brooklyn Center would benefit even more by having an additional Councilmember in attendance. Councilmember Moore stated there are other priorities for the Council to focus their time and effort on, especially because another representative of the City will already be attending for free. She cannot justify the City paying 20 percent of an unknown amount. Councilmember Kragness explained she is only asking for 20 percent of the airfare to be covered by the Council’s budget. Councilmember Moore stated she could not justify spending taxpayer money on sending another individual to Manchester. Councilmember Jerzak noted Councilmember Kragness, has been able to travel to two other out- of-State conferences. The Council needs to focus on the local issues facing Brooklyn Center. Furthermore, the Council needs to prioritize spending taxpayer money more carefully. Mayor Graves expressed her disappointment. She stated it would only be about $700 for the priceless connection to international groups dealing with violence and other crises. 1/27/25 -4- DRAFT Councilmember Moore stated she agreed the topic is important, but Mayor Graves will already be attending for free. Councilmember Kragness added Strong Cities doesn’t typically extend financial support to more than one representative from a jurisdiction. However, because she has been so involved with Strong Cities, the organization graciously offered to cover a large majority of the expenses. Councilmember Jerzak asked when Councilmember Kragness would need to accept the invitation. It would be fair for Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson to weigh in on the item in hopes of altering the consensus. Councilmember Kragness stated she needs to confirm with Strong Cities Network immediately. She pointed out that Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson has previously noted her disinterest in travel and offered her portion of the travel budget to other Councilmembers. Councilmember Jerzak added he would not be interested in traveling outside of the State either. Councilmember Kragness explained the purpose of the travel budget is intended for Councilmembers to go out, gain knowledge, make connections, and bring back insights to share with Council and Staff. If others are uninterested in travel, then it would be all the more reason to support using the large budget to support her travel. Mayor Graves noted she has attended several conferences and learning opportunities during her time serving on the Council through scholarships and budget allocations. However, the first time another Councilmember attended a conference with her was at the end of 2024. Brooklyn Center has access to multiple resources and not taking advantage of the learning opportunities in the past has contributed to the lack of progress in the city. She would like more Brooklyn Center staff and leaders to attend conferences. It is a valuable learning and networking opportunity. Mayor Graves added the $15,000 professional development budget isn’t used, then it goes back to the General Fund. $15,000 won’t make a dent in the huge financial issues facing Brooklyn Center. Ultimately, $700 is a worthwhile expense for leadership development. Councilmember Moore stated optics are also important on top of finances, especially after the last meeting. More learning opportunities are more affordable. Mayor Graves will already be attending anyway. Councilmember Jerzak noted the Council needs to return to the basics and attend local conferences. CITY MANAGER MISCELLANEOUS DISCUSSION ITEMS PROPOSED WORK SESSION ITEMS 1/27/25 -5- DRAFT City Manager Reggie Edwards explained he is seeking input from Council regarding their priorities for Work Session discussion items. Once receiving input, he will consider Staff capacity before scheduling future Work Sessions. Dr. Edwards pointed out current discussion items include Memorial Policy, Grants Update, Purchasing Policy, Planning Application Process, Commission Members and Application Process, Property Tax Review, and Traffic Calming Policy. Additional proposed discussion items include completing review of the Daunte Wright and Kobe Dimick- Heisler Public Safety Act over the next 45 days, Review City Council Meetings Process and Procedures and Parliamentary Procedures, completing Council Picture and Hall of Fame Discussion, Water Meter Project Update, Year -End Financial Report and Audit, Update of Financial Plans and Progress for Enterprise Funds, Update of Economic Development Projects, Review Rental Inspections Point System, Update on Expanded Response Pilot, Update on Recycling, Update on Impact of Tenant Protection Policy, and Council Chamber Security. Dr. Edwards stated the Memorial Policy has been considered for two years. Additional memorials have been frozen in the interim. The Grants Update would review the grants the city has received and how it is being utilized. The Council previously expressed interest in readdressing the dollar threshold for Council review for large purchases. They would like to review the Planning Application Process for Council and Commissioners. As for the Commission Members and Application Process, Staff is looking to diversify, recruit, better onboard, and ultimately retain more Commissioners. Dr. Edwards noted there have been challenges regarding extended stay facilities related to human trafficking. Reviewing the related policies and ordinances would benefit the City, residents, and businesses while promoting success for hotels. The Property Tax Review item would be an educational item regarding property taxes. Dr. Edwards added there was a traffic calming pilot effort that he would like for Council to be made aware of. From there, Staff hopes to expand the pilot. There are plans for additional conversations regarding the Daunte Wright and Kobe Dimick- Heisler Public Safety Act, similar to the Study Session item on the present agenda. Reviewing City Council Meetings Process and Procedures and Parliamentary Procedure would be an opportunity to consider how the procedures and processes benefit the Council and promoting efficacy. Dr. Edwards stated there have been discussions on Council photos on the Hall of Fame that may require additional time. Council has received email updates on the water meter project, but the Council may be interested in additional information. Year-End Financial Report and Audit, Update of Financial Plans and Progress for Enterprise Funds, Update of Economic Development Projects, Review Rental Inspections Point System, Update on Expanded Response Pilot are self- explanatory. An update on the recycling project is coming up. Update on Impact of Tenant Protection Policy relates to pending legislation. Finally, conversations regarding Council Chamber Security started one year ago and need to be completed. 1/27/25 -6- DRAFT Councilmember Moore noted her interest in reviewing Council meeting processes and procedures. As it stands, Councilmembers can only present one item to be added per meeting. She is unsure if the rule is new or longstanding. Prioritizing the review of Council meetings processes and procedures would be beneficial. Councilmember Moore added that a lot of the listed topics have been pending for a couple of years. Dr. Edwards explained he prefers to talk about action. During his eight years, it has been uncommon for a Councilmember to request discussion of a topic during the meeting. Instead, agenda items are generated through requests of the Council. During Study Session, Councilmembers may speak about a topic as needed then Staff would prepare a presentation for a coming meeting. Two years ago, there was directions from Council to cut down meeting times. Only three or four items can be thoroughly discussed before 9:00 p.m. Councilmember Moore asked if Council meetings are supposed to end at 9:00 p.m. but require Council action to extend the meeting. Dr. Edwards stated the Council requested the meetings be shorter, so he limited the number of discussion items. If an item wasn’t addressed, it would be moved to the next meeting. Councilmember Jerzak stated there have been times in the past when Study Session or Work Session meetings have been adjourned early due to completion of agenda items. Some topics should be referred to other groups. For example, the Purchasing Policy should be reviewed by the Financial Commission. Once Council is informed of the delegated item, then they can move forward with other items on the list. Councilmember Jerzak suggested Staff prepare a presentation for the Planning Application Process item. Staff already has people working on the Commission Members and Application Process item and the hotel concerns. The update on the Traffic Calming Policy should be brief. The item Review City Council Meetings Process and Procedures and Parliamentary Procedures is the responsibility of the Council. The Complete Council Picture and Hall of Fame Discussion item is basically decided and would require only a few minutes. The Water Meter Project Update could be included in the weekly email. Ultimately, if everything is important, then nothing is important. Councilmember Jerzak explained he fully expects the Financial Plans and the progress updates regarding the Enterprise Funds be provided to the Council per Charter. Councilmembers receive updates on economic development projects through one-to-one meetings. The item to Review Rental Inspections Point System was just done in the last couple of years. Council Chamber Security also needs to be handled internally. There isn’t too much on the list. Mayor Graves stated she would provide a list of her priorities to Dr. Edwards. Councilmember Jerzak confirmed he would as well. Councilmember Kragness stated the quick items should be addressed and removed from the list. Some items are more of a placeholder to remain top of mind. There should be a list of topics where Staff needs input from Council and a list of items that need a quick discussion. 1/27/25 -7- DRAFT Dr. Edwards noted the new Deputy City Manager needs to be officially introduced to the Council. Dr. Edwards stated the Council should have received an email on goal setting. Then time would be set up to review the goals. Dr. Edwards asked where the Council stands on development and its relationship with Common Sense. The item will be on a future agenda. Councilmember Moore explained she had previously told Dr. Edwards that she wasn’t interested in spending money on Common Sense. She asked what the firm was previously hired for. Dr. Edwards stated Common Sense is a consulting firm that offers development opportunities for Councilmembers. The contract includes Council retreats, development coaching sessions, conversation facilitation, and more. Councilmember Moore asked where the money came from. Dr. Edwards stated just under $50,000 is allocated from the Council’s professional development budget and some from the City Manager’s professional development budget. The councilmember stated the line item is separate from what Councilmember Kragness previously referred to. Mayor Graves pointed out Common Sense was hired in 2021. Dr. Edwards confirmed Common Sense was hired at the height of COVID-19 and civil unrest. Councilmember Kragness noted her appreciation of Common Sense and their support. When she joined the Council, it was in a rough season. Common Sense created space for team development and reaching consensus. The mediation between Councilmembers were also valuable. Participants benefit based on the amount they commit to the services. Mayor Graves noted her agreement with Common Sense. Some Councilmembers don’t believe the sessions are worth their time, which decreases their effectiveness. Councilmember Moore stated if there is an additional $50,000 for professional development available to the Council, then Councilmember Kragness should attend the conference in Manchester for less than $1,000. Nonetheless, she isn’t interested in sitting in a circle with the Council. She would need to confer privately with other Councilmembers to better understand their experiences with Common Sense. Mayor Graves pointed out it was time to transition to the regular session. Dr. Edwards clarified the potential Work Session item about the traffic calming efforts would include the findings of the pilot program and recommendations. Dr. Edwards introduced the newly hired Deputy City Manager Daren Nyquist. There were over 90 applicants from 13 different states. The process was extremely competitive. Hiring focused on the implementation of the City’s Strategic Plan, promoting excellence amongst Staff, creating a 1/27/25 -8- DRAFT measure for services offered, and directing the Administration Department. Mr. Nyquist has ample public and private experience. Mr. Nyquist expressed his excitement to be working in Brooklyn Center. Mayor Graves noted her support for metrics. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Graves adjourned the meeting at 7:05 p.m.