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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025.06.23 CCM STUDY6/23/25 -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 STUDY SESSION JUNE 23, 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 6:01 p.m. ROLL CALL Mayor April Graves, Councilmembers Teneshia Kragness, Dan Jerzak, Kris Lawrence-Anderson, and Laurie Ann Moore. Also present were City Manager Reggie Edwards, Finance Director Angela Holm, Interim City Clerk Shannon Pettit, and City Attorney Siobhan Tolar. CITY COUNCIL MISCELLANEOUS DISCUSSION ITEMS Mayor Graves asked if there were any questions about the regular agenda. Councilmember Moore stated there were some changes to the minutes; on page 12 of 184, in the second-to-last paragraph on the page, the word "site" should be added to the phrase "Opportunity site.” Councilmember Jerzak asked if the Council was aware that the agenda on the table was the agenda from the previous meeting on June 9. City Clerk Shannon Pettit responded that they were left on the table from the last meeting and have been replaced with the correct agenda. Councilmember Moore noted another minute's correction on page 26 of 184, referencing properties with 19 violations, and the word "tenants" should be replaced with "violations." Councilmember Kragness noted a correction on the minutes on page six of 184 in the fifth paragraph, discussing lease options. The word "they" referenced the property owner, not the Finance Director or the Liquor Store Staff. City Manager Reggie Edwards stated he would like to remove item 10a, the cannabis presentation, from the agenda, as the presenters would be pressed for time. This item will be moved to the meeting in July. Councilmember Moore stated that the Council's budget meeting is coming up and asked about the status of financial reports or the budget for each Department. The weekly summary the Council receives only has receipts, but does not show the Council where the budget is at. Council received 6/23/25 -2- some information on year-to-date spending through February a few months ago, but has not received anything else. Dr. Edwards responded that the Council has received financial reports through May minus one month; this month, the Council will receive the May and February financial reports. February reports had been missed and will be sent out with the May report. These reports will show year- to-date data and will always be one month behind the current calendar month. Councilmember Moore stated she would like to discuss the content of the weekly summary email that the Council receives and what the Council wants to include in the weekly newsletter. Councilmember Moore addressed the cost of subscriptions for publications like Minnesota Cities and whether the Council should continue getting them. Councilmember Moore discussed having her picture taken a few months ago, and that photo was turned into a canvas painting. She stated she did not know the cost of turning that picture into a canvas painting, but she was unhappy with the outcome. She said hanging a normal photo on the wall would have been much easier, but the canvas took her aback. She would like to know the cost of the canvas painting and would like a photo of her hanging outside of Council chambers, not a painting. Councilmember Moore stated she would like a motion to add a work session after the City Council meeting if they cannot get through all of the miscellaneous and discussion items. Mayor Graves asked what the content of the additional conversation was. Councilmember Moore stated that the Council would have to wait to see, but she was under the impression that if a work session needed to be added, it had to be added at the beginning of the meeting or during the study session. Dr. Edwards stated that the process for adding a work session is typically done before Council meetings when Councilmembers ask that a specific item be placed or added to a work session. If a particular item needs to be discussed, it can be added to a work session, but the purpose of the work session is for deliberation. Councilmember Moore stated she sent a request to Dr. Edwards about a humane pet store ordinance being adopted, which could be discussed during a work session. Dr. Edwards asked when Councilmember Moore envisioned discussing the pet store ordinance and if she wanted to discuss it during tonight's meeting. Councilmember Moore stated that all Councilmembers received emails regarding the pet store ordinance from an association and comments during an open forum. She would like to see it discussed sooner rather than later. Councilmember Jerzak stated he is in favor of a humane pet store ordinance, but he would like to see an organized model ordinance presented to the Council so they can vote on it. Tonight's meeting would be premature in discussing the ordinance without giving Dr. Edwards the time to prepare an ordinance that the Council could discuss and vote on. Mayor Graves asked if the City has any ordinances regarding pet stores in general, because there are no pet stores in Brooklyn Center. If a pet store ordinance is put in place in Brooklyn Center, where there are no pet stores due to a previous ordinance, it does not make sense to discuss. 6/23/25 -3- Councilmember Jerzak stated that it would be valuable to know if there is a PUD for Shingle Creek that is different from other areas and if there are any regulations in the City on where pet stores can operate; they would need to have that information to discuss the ordinance on humane pet stores. CITY MANAGER MISCELLANEOUS DISCUSSION ITEMS MID-YEAR REVIEW FOR CITY MANAGER AND 360 ASSESSMENT SCHEDULING Dr. Edwards stated that the 360 Assessment is scheduled for the Council's June 30 meeting. He stated he was looking at doing the Mid-Year City Manager check-in on either July 14 or July 28 before the Council’s regularly scheduled Council meeting. Mayor Graves asked if any Councilmember needed to be excused from either of those dates. Councilmember Jerzak asked Dr. Edwards if he wanted to have the review at five p.m. before their meeting. Dr. Edwards nodded. Councilmember Jerzak stated he would make himself available at that time. Councilmember Kragness stated she will be out of the country from July 12 through the 19th. Mayor Graves stated that July 28 at five o’clock p.m. would work better for the Mid-Year review so all Councilmembers could be in attendance. Councilmember Jerzak requested a calendar invite so he does not forget the Mid-Year review meeting. Mayor Graves confirmed he would get a calendar invite. Councilmember Moore asked to confirm that June 30 is Dr. Edwards’ 360 review at 5 p.m. Dr. Edwards stated that the June 30th meeting will be used to discuss the 360 review and some budget items. Councilmember Moore stated that 5 o'clock is pushing it when it comes to her work schedule, so she may be late to the June 30th meeting. If so, the budget items can be discussed with the Council first because she does not want to miss the 360 review with Dr. Edwards. Councilmember Moore asked if the June 30th meeting was the joint meeting with the Financial Commission or if that meeting had to be changed to July 21. Dr. Edwards stated that two meetings were added because the Council wanted additional meetings for deliberation. July 21 and August 14 are the two dates that were added per the Council's request. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson asked Dr. Edwards to repeat the dates. Dr. Edwards confirmed the newly added dates are July 21 and August 14. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson asked what the topics were for those two meetings. 6/23/25 -4- Dr. Edwards stated they were open to discussion, but the general fund and department budget presentations are happening on the two dates of August 4 and August 18. Dr. Edwards spaced out the department presentations, so there were not too many in one meeting. Councilmember Kragness asked for clarification on the date of the audit presentation and whether it was scheduled for July 21 or June 30. Dr. Edwards confirmed it is scheduled for July 21. Councilmember Kragness stated there should be a request from the Finance Commission to have a joint meeting on July 21 so the Finance Commission could discuss a policy regarding the P card while the auditor is present at the meeting. She asked Dr. Edwards if that request had been made to him yet. Dr. Edwards responded that he had not received that request yet, but on the date of July 21, the scheduled agenda already included the audit presentation and some department presentations. To add a policy presentation to that agenda might be too much for one meeting. Dr. Edwards said he would check with the Finance Director and get back to the Council on that. Councilmember Kragness stated that if that policy cannot fit into the agenda for the July 21st meeting, she could speak on it and have the Finance Commission report on it later with a progress update versus a full presentation. Councilmember Moore asked to confirm that the mid-year review with Dr. Edwards is July 28 at five p.m. before the Council. Mayor Graves confirmed that it is correct. Councilmember Moore asked Dr. Edwards if the middle of July is when he has had previous mid- year reviews since he has been City Manager. Dr. Edwards stated he has never had a mid-year review, so this will be his first. Councilmember Jerzak stated a document had been left out of his packet and wanted to know if he could get a new updated one or a PDF file with additional meetings on a calendar and updated schedules. Dr. Edwards stated that Finance Director Angela Holm could step in to discuss some dates added to the schedule to discuss the budget. Mayor Graves stated she would like to move on to the Northport Park discussion first and then come back to the Finance Director. NORTHPORT PARK DISCUSSION – ACTIVITIES IN THE PARK Dr. Edwards stated there were previous conversations at the last Council meeting about complaints from residents about activities occurring at Northport Park. Dr. Edwards stated that he would have the Staff come and discuss any of those issues with the Council. Dr. Edwards introduced Parks and Recreation Director Cordell Wiseman and Deputy Director to provide insight for the Council. Parks and Recreation Director Cordell Wiseman stated he was there to discuss the Parks and Recreation Department’s permit process. Mr. Wiseman displayed a slide with the number of permits for Northport Park and the total permits. In 2025, 65 Park permits were applied for; three 6/23/25 -5- were for Northport. As of June 2025, there have been nine 911 calls about Northport Park, versus 24 calls in June 2024. Mr. Wiseman stated that the permit process has evolved with new items to avoid issues in Northport Park. These items include an Outreach team created in 2023 to make rounds in the parks; in the past, the Parks and Recreation Department did not have the infrastructure and staffing to address the issues occurring in the parks. In 2024, a checklist with permit holder initials to acknowledge park policies was added as part of the permit process. The 2024 Outreach team began calling rentals the week before and day of the permit holder's event to remind them of park policies and fill out forms to note any visits or policy violations if needed. The Outreach team would also meet on-site with the permit holder at the park if there were any concerns. Mr. Wiseman explained that prior to 2023, if a park user or resident had an issue, the only course of action for enforcement was a Police response. After the Outreach team was created to connect with park users and permit holders, the team handled violations and only reached out to the Police if support was needed. Outreach Staff respond to the park and speak with those involved to rectify the violation. Examples given of violations that Staff would respond to are turning down music and moving cars. The 911 calls involving the parks depend on the severity of the situation, and 911 dispatch will reach out to the Outreach team to address any issues. Outreach Staff will assess the situation once they arrive at the park and handle it accordingly. Outreach Staff has established a relationship with the neighborhood to help address issues with the residents as well. If there is a problem with parking or a safety threat, the Police are called. If there is a park policy violation, and the Police are notified, the Police coordinate with the Outreach team via call or group chat communication. Mr. Wiseman stated he understands the community’s frustration, but there are fewer problems in the parks now, and the number of 911 calls has decreased over the last two years with the Outreach team in place. Another measure Parks and Recreation has taken is to increase the deposit from $250 to $500 to rent a park. The permit holder loses their $500 if they violate the park policies, and that has had a big impact. Outreach Staff is very clear with permit holders during the permit process that if violations occur, such as trash, sound complaints, or breaking any other park policy, the permit holder will lose their deposit. Another change implemented in the permit process was the maximum capacity of 75 occupants due to Northport being a busy public park. If there are parking violations, Outreach Staff tries to address those violations as quickly as possible. Parking violations consist of a lot of heavy traffic, but do not include safety issues such as speeding. Mr. Wiseman explained that from a legal standpoint, there is not a lot the Parks and Recreation Department can do aside from the changes already implemented with their Outreach program. The permit process has deterred a lot of violations, with the potential for a permit holder to lose the deposit, and Outreach Staff thoroughly explaining the rules and regulations for the parks. If violations do occur, aside from losing the deposit, the permit holder may also lose the ability to rent a park for a year, depending on the severity of the violations and Mr. Wiseman's discretion. The primary complaints that come from Northport Park consist of parking and noise complaints. Mayor Graves thanked Mr. Wiseman for his presentation and asked the Council if they had any questions. 6/23/25 -6- Councilmember Jerzak stated he was contacted by several individuals specifically about an event that occurred on Father's Day at Northport Park. Councilmember Jerzak read aloud an email sent to him from a resident that stated, “Hi Dan, it's Father's Day, I'm aware, but if by chance you're around, it would behoove you to drive to Northport Park and see the level of absurdity of the PA system and the DJ screaming like a madman in the neighborhood park. It would be unfortunate to have to make this into a full-blown issue with videos, pictures, and testimony to make public what is allowed to happen at Northport Park. No matter how many times we call the Police, City Council people, and the Parks and Recreation, all the while, Centennial Park, with an amphitheater built with donated money, sits empty and unused. Not a good look and unnecessary attention on a City already in distress and managerial economic chaos.” Councilmember Jerzak stated he wanted to read that letter into the record because several of the same complaints came up from different residents, not just one. Councilmember Jerzak asked if the maximum capacity for permit holders could be lower than 75 to cut down on the noise issue. The other issue is the PA system or soundbar, which must be addressed. He asked if permit holders wanted to use a soundbar for their party and if the City required them to go to Centennial Park, where permit holders could utilize the amphitheater. Using Centennial Park would also resolve parking congestion issues at Northport. Councilmember Jerzak stated that these are things that residents have asked him to bring up during Council meetings to try and address those complaints. Mr. Wiseman answered that Centennial Park is also a popular park, and the Parks and Recreation Department cannot mandate where people go. He stated that when residents pull a permit, Staff will let the resident know there are other parks, such as Centennial Park, that can accommodate more guests and music or a sound system better for the event, but Staff cannot dictate which park residents pull a permit for and want to use. Mr. Wiseman said the Parks and Recreation Department can lower the occupancy capacity for Northport Park, but the permit holders will ultimately have to decide how many guests they want at the party. He stated that the loss of the deposit is a better deterrent for keeping capacity below the maximum than setting a lower limit on capacity. Mr. Wiseman noted that permit holders are not allowed to use amplified sound in the parks, and if the Outreach Staff spots the use of sound systems, it gets shut down. Parks and Recreation has addressed the issue with sound systems and explained those rules to permit holders beforehand, but not all people want to cooperate and follow the rules. Outreach Staff holds those permit holders accountable and reacts harshly when the amplified sound rules are broken. Councilmember Jerzak stated that in another email he received, residents like that the Parks and Recreation Department is very responsive to complaints about sound systems and noise, but stated that as soon as Staff leaves the park, the permit holder turns the music back up. Mr. Wiseman explained that Staff will tell permit holders not to set up sound equipment if seen and will respond and come back to the park if a complaint comes in about sound after Staff leave the park. The use of sound systems is dealt with harshly, and the permit holder loses the deposit. Staff ensures the permit holder is aware that sound systems are not allowed before events happen. The changes to the permits involving sound violations are fairly new, and it will take time to see the effect. Despite that, he noted that there are fewer calls coming in about noise complaints. 6/23/25 -7- Councilmember Moore read an email from a resident who has lived in Brooklyn Center for over 30 years, "Again, I want to stress that when people are using the park properly, meaning staying at capacity, cleaning up the garbage, no drugs, no alcohol, no blocking traffic, and no outrageously loud music then it's wonderful. That’s what the park is for, but that’s not how these folks use it; they simply ignore the rules.” The resident also makes a reference to beautiful Centennial Park sitting empty. Councilmember Moore continued that the email is signed: "A very annoyed resident, who can't leave and can't enjoy our own property, which they pay taxes for, when chaos is happening on three sides of their home.” Councilmember Moore asked Mr. Wiseman about his previous statement regarding Fire Chief Berg being able to get a fire engine through traffic due to parking, and how many minutes slower it would take the Fire Department to get there. She asked if Chief Berg had relayed that time difference to Mr. Wiseman because that would be concerning in an emergency. Mr. Wiseman stated he had not spoken with Fire Chief Berg but with the Deputy Fire Chief. Mr. Wiseman did not have a specific time frame for how much longer it would take, other than it would be a little bit slower, and traffic from the park would not prevent the Fire Department from getting to the site of an emergency. Mr. Wiseman said he could get that information on specific response times to the Council. Councilmember Moore stated that two residents said there have been occasions where part of the entrance to Northport Park has been blocked, and there is no way Brooklyn Center's oldest fire engine could get through. This would pose a major issue if there were an emergency situation. She asked Mr. Wiseman if he could find that information from Chief Berg. Councilmember Moore asked Mr. Wiseman about the one deposit withheld this year, according to his slideshow at the beginning of his presentation. Mr. Wiseman confirmed that so far this year, only one deposit has been withheld from the permit holder. Councilmember Moore asked how many times the Outreach Staff has had to go out to parks, and if Northport Park is the only problem park that the Outreach Staff has had to visit. Mr. Wiseman responded that there are issues in all the parks. One full-time Staff member and four part-time Staff members go out in the summer as a team. This Staff must cover the whole City and can not sit in one park to monitor all the time. Northport Park has a few more issues, and Staff knows that some of the problems there may be more serious than in other parks, so Staff monitors Northport Park more frequently due to those issues. Councilmember Moore noted that due to limited Staff and funds, it is important for residents to understand that the Parks and Recreation Department cannot continuously police adults at the park. She also asked Mr. Wiseman about permit revenue and if it was on pace with 2024. Mr. Wiseman did not have that data in front of him, but he would say permit revenue is on pace with 2024, if not surpassing it. Councilmember Moore stated that at the last Council meeting, budget priorities were discussed, and when the Council looked at the cost of Outreach Staff and part-time Outreach Staff for the parks, the Council will have to consider those costs when looking at the revenue brought in. She 6/23/25 -8- stated that Councilmember Jerzak had brought up that there are things that the City cannot provide any longer if the tax levy remains stagnant. Mr. Wiseman clarified that the Outreach program came about at no additional cost to the City. Mr. Wiseman restructured the budget to add the Outreach program to address residents' concerns in the parks. As a result, the Outreach program has been a part of the standard budget for the Parks and Recreation Department for a minimum of four years without any additional dollars. Mayor Graves noted that the parks are not going to disappear in Brooklyn Center. Mr. Wiseman noted that the Outreach program is working, and Parks and Recreation actually needs more to do more, but the Department wants people to use the parks correctly. Councilmember Moore appreciated that the Outreach program is already a part of the Recreation budget that the Council will be reviewing and thanked Mr. Wiseman for his responses. Councilmember Kragness noted that she thought it was premature and contradictory to hint at cutting the costs of a program and state that the same program needed to respond to complaints. She stated that she was a huge supporter of the Outreach program and appreciated that calls are going down in volume. She was a guest at an event where the Outreach team was called, and the professionalism that she witnessed the team exhibited was excellent. She is not diminishing any resident’s complaints, but wants to acknowledge that progress is being made and takes time. She thanked Mr. Wiseman and told him she appreciated all his and his team's efforts. Mayor Graves thanked Councilmember Kragness for her comments. She noted that if there were no Outreach Staff, the complaints made by residents would fall back on the Police Department, which costs significantly more than the park Outreach program does. Councilmember Jerzak asked if it was possible to suggest parking on one side of the street, which could eliminate parking congestion and the Fire Department response time issue at Northport Park. He also asked if there was a legal issue as to why Parks and Recreation Staff could not suggest or direct permit holders to a certain park, and if so, he would pass that information on to the constituents who are complaining. Mayor Graves asked Mr. Wiseman for clarification on capacity over 75 already being sent to Centennial Park versus Northport. Mr. Wiseman responded that any event over 75 guests would not be able to hold a permit at Northport and would be advised to hold the event at Centennial Park, but it is the permit holder’s choice where to hold the event. Mayor Graves suggested Mr. Wiseman follow up with Fire Chief Berg on response time differences and how much of a delay could potentially be caused by parking on both sides of the street before changes are made. On-street parking is already very restrictive in the City. If the delay was significant, she thought it would have already been flagged as an issue and brought to the Council. For clarity, it would be beneficial to get an estimate on what the slowdown could potentially be from the Fire Department. 6/23/25 -9- Mayor Graves advised to communicating with residents who have made complaints that the number of calls has decreased, and some protocols have been implemented to deter violations. Still, Staff cannot sit at one park all day long. She advised that residents call 911 if they are witnesses to issues cropping up, and if it is a safety issue, then the Police will show up. Councilmember Jerzak asked if those park protocols could be put in the next newsletter so residents are made aware. Mr. Wiseman stated that Dr. Edwards will be pulling together a team to look at the permit process and make sure that the Parks and Recreation Department permit process is running efficiently and does not need updating. Councilmember Kragness stated that any delay caused by parking for the Fire Department or a medical emergency concerns her and needs to be addressed. Mr. Wiseman stated that parking will be something the Department looks at, but restricting parking at the park only pushes cars further into the residential neighborhoods near the park, which can cause more problems for the residents. Mayor Graves stated she wanted to start the regular Council meeting session and return to the CCX agenda item at the end of the meeting. Dr. Edwards said the CCX agenda item would take 30 seconds to discuss. Mayor Graves told Dr. Edwards to go for it. CCX Dr. Edwards explained that after some time, the Council decided that the Study Session should be broadcast along with the Regular Session. He asked to confirm that the Council still wants to continue broadcasting everything. Mayor Graves understood that the Council had previously agreed to broadcast the Study Session with the Regular Session. Councilmember Moore stated that the Council should be as transparent as possible and continue broadcasting the Study Session. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Graves adjourned the meeting at 7:01 p.m.