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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025.08.25 CCM REGULAR8/25/25 -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 REGULAR SESSION AUGUST 25, 2025 CITY HALL – COUNCIL CHAMBERS 1. INFORMAL OPEN FORUM WITH CITY COUNCIL The Brooklyn Center City Council met in Informal Open Forum called to order by Mayor April Graves at 6:58 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL Mayor April Graves and Councilmembers Dan Jerzak, Teneshia Kragness, and Laurie Ann Moore. Also present were City Manager Reggie Edwards, City Clerk Shannon Pettit, Parks and Recreation Director Cordell Wiseman, Parks and Recreation Deputy Director Carissa Goebel, General Manager of the Heritage Center Tami Buetow-Staples, City Engineer Lydia Ener, Assistant City Engineer Touyia Lee, City Planning Manager Ginny McIntosh, and City Attorney Siobhan Tolar. 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. 4. INFORMAL OPEN FORUM Mayor April Graves opened the meeting for the purpose of Informal Open Forum and reviewed the Rules of Decorum. Lyle L. stated he lives on Humboldt Avenue and asked about a citation he received for parking his trailer to the side of his driveway. He noted that he has lived in that residence for 10 years and has always had a trailer or car parked there, and now this year it is an issue. Mayor Graves said she could not answer that question, but City Staff could follow up with him. Dr. Edwards asked Lyle to spell his last name, and the Community Development Director, who was at the meeting, could speak to him on the matter. Lyle L. spelled his last name, Latzig, for Dr. Edwards. Mayor Graves thanked Lyle L. for his comment. Julie B. called in via Zoom and stated she has concerns over parking at Saunders. She noted that guest parking is limited to 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m., which makes it impossible for any service providers to park in that parking lot during that given time, as the access is so limited. She said there is also a new towing company that is towing cars from that lot, and residents had to go down to Ham Lake to get their cars back that were towed, which is a significant burden. 8/25/25 -2- Julie B. said she wanted to note again that she keeps hearing about duplicity in City services, and if there is duplicity, Dr. Edwards understands the different scopes of things. She said it can be hard not to see an extra Staff member as a burden, especially on the financial side. She said that when looking at the amount of overtime for police officers, if it takes fewer officers and less overtime to manage situations, a crisis team can handle it instead of a police officer. She noted that on Thursday, she spent five hours at a home that the Police Department had initially responded to, and she was able to take over. She said this occurred in a neighboring town that does not have a crisis response. Mayor Graves told Julie B. her two minutes were up and thanked her for calling in. Sam G. called in via Zoom to say that she is a housing specialist serving the Twin Cities with a focus on tenant placement and property management, and wanted to introduce herself to the Council and explore the possibility of using her services in the Brooklyn Center community, particularly through an initiative that she is working on to aid the voices of tenants and property owners. Mayor Graves said it sounds like Sam is in the right place and thanked her for introducing herself. Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Jerzak second to close the Informal Open Forum at 7:05 pm. Motion passed unanimously. 5. INVOCATION Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson said she could not remember how long she had had this quote until she realized it was from a 1978 Ford car ad. She carries it around with her because it inspired her. She noted that with children heading back to school, she encouraged parents and caregivers to inspire children to greatness and quoted William Shakespeare, "We know what we are, but not what we may be.” She noted how profound that statement is. Mayor Graves thanked her for that quote. 6. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Councilmember Jerzak moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded to approve the Agenda and Consent Agenda, as amended, with amendments to the minutes as stated during the Study Session, to postpone and add the Council Rules of Decorum for items 6h. RESOLUTION 2025-76 Adopting the City Commission Code of Respect and Ethics and 6i. RESOLUTION 2025-77 Adopting the City Council Code of Respect and Ethics from the Consent Agenda in order to give more time for feedback from the City Commissioners, and move it to the September 22 agenda and the following consent items were approved: 6a. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. August 11, 2025 – Study Session 2. August 11, 2025 – Regular Session 3. August 11, 2025 – Work Session 8/25/25 -3- 6b. LICENSES MECHANICAL BRH Products & Services LLC 17409 Duck Lake Trail, Eden Prairie 55346 Breeze Heating and Cooling 2009 W Broadway Avenue, Suite #400, PMB 152, Forest Lake 55025 Carlson Plumbing, Inc. 16440 7th Street Lane South Lakeland 55043 Hedlund Plumbing Heating & Air LLC 7700 Edmonson Avenue NE, Monticello 55362 McQuillan Home Services LLC 1727 Highway 36 East, St. Paul 55109 Sensible Heating and Air Conditioning 3533 Roosevelt Street NE, St. Anthony 55418 Wencl Services 148 Pillsbury Avenue South, Bloomington 55420 RENTAL INITIAL (TYPE IV – six-month license) 6900 Toledo Avenue N M BOSIRE & BB NYANGENA INITIAL (TYPE III – one-year license) 1506 71st Avenue N Omo Llc INITIAL (TYPE I – three-year license) 3506 Woodbine Lane B G FERNANDEZ/L S CARDENAS RENEWAL (TYPE IV – six-month license) 3125 65th Avenue N SFR BORROWER 2021-2 LLC 5532 Logan Avenue N Irina & Igor Kovalsky 6912 Logan Avenue N Hpa Borrower 2017 1 Llc RENEWAL (TYPE II – two-year license) 8/25/25 -4- 818 Woodbine Lane QZ Funding LLC 6325 Kyle Avenue N Cuong Pham 7212 Emerson Avenue N SFR ACQUISITIONS 3 LLC RENEWAL (TYPE I – three-year license) 4201 Lakeside Avenue N, #205 Corbet Cheung 904 53rd Avenue N Moshe Vorotinov 3912 61st Avenue N Nazneen H Khatoon 5323 Brooklyn Boulevard Moshe Vorotinov 5906 Dupont Avenue N Bruce & Rebecca Goldberg 6706 Drew Avenue N 6706 Drew Ave LLC 6c. RESOLUTION 2025-72 ACCEPTING GRANT FUNDING FROM MN BCA AUTO THEFT PREVENTION PROGRAM 6d. COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS 6e. RESOLUTION 2025-73 ACKNOWLEDGING AWARDED FUNDS FOR THE HENNEPIN COUNTY HEALTHY TREE CANOPY GRANT AND AUTHORIZING ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS 6f. RESOLUTION 2025-74 ACKNOWLEDGING AWARDED FUNDS FOR THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL COMMUNITY TREE PLANTING GRANT PROGRAM AND AUTHORIZING ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS 6g. RESOLUTION 2025-75 ACCEPTING WORK PERFORMED AND AUTHORIZING FINAL PAYMENT, IMPROVEMENT PROJECT NO. 2024-05, 65TH AVENUE STORM SEWER REHABILITATION 6h. RESOLUTION 2025-76 ADOPTING THE CITY COMMISSION CODE OF RESPECT AND ETHICS This item was removed from the Consent Agenda. 6i. RESOLUTION 2025-77 ADOPTING THE CITY COUNCIL CODE OF RESPECT AND ETHICS This item was removed from the Consent Agenda. 7. PRESENTATIONS/PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS/DONATIONS 8/25/25 -5- 7a. PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT UPDATE Dr. Edwards said this is the second-to-last Department presentation that the Council will hear, and introduced Parks and Recreation Director Cordell Wiseman to present, as well as Deputy Director Carissa Goebel and the General Manager of the Heritage Center Tami Buetow-Staples. Mr. Wiseman said he was excited to share some updates with the Council on the Parks and Recreation Department. He noted he wanted to begin by reading the mission statement of the Parks and Recreation Department: "The mission of the Parks and Recreation Department is to enhance the quality of life for our community by providing diverse, accessible, and inclusive opportunities. Our goal is to create a thriving, vibrant community, where people of all ages and backgrounds can connect, grow, and enjoy enriching experiences." He said there are three business units within the Parks and Recreation Department: the General Fund, which comprises the Community Center; the Special Revenue, which is the Centerbrook Golf Course; and the Enterprise, which is the Heritage Center. Mr. Wiseman noted that Centerbrook Golf Course has a seven-day operation and only closes down when the weather does not cooperate. He said that Staffing for the Centerbrook Gold Course from 2024 until now consists of a Superintendent and a Coordinator who was added to the budget last year, but that position has not been filled yet. He said that Centerbrook Golf Course is operating with 3.7 full-time Staff positions and 10 part-time Staff, which is equivalent to 1.75 Staff. He noted that prior to the addition of a second Coordinator, there was one full-time Staff member and one part-time Staff member at the Golf Course. Mr. Wiseman said some of the additional programs that will be offered at Centerbrook Golf Course include JV Golf Programs through local high schools that has brought in some revenue, a Juneteeth Golf event for the third year in a row, Guest Days which is growing in participants, Lady’s Days to focus on females being introduced to golf, and Youth on Course to focus on young people and give them access to golf. He noted that he would talk more about youth in golf and a possible partnership later on in this presentation. Mr. Wiseman noted he discussed some of the Centerbrook Golf Course's potential partnerships and future opportunities with the Council two weeks ago. He noted that Parks and Recreation is doing some operational tweaking at the Golf Course to streamline operations, look at expenses, and try to make the Golf Course more profitable. Mr. Wiseman added that simulators are being explored, and meetings have happened with various companies that own simulators. He noted that the Golf Course is not looking to purchase simulators this year, but having them operated at Centerbrook and maintained by a third party might be a possibility, and Mr. Wiseman plans to get numbers and come back to the Council with those and a plan and contract at a later time. He said that the simulators would pay for themselves and would be no additional cost to the City, and would only be operational in the winter months. Mr. Wiseman noted that he left a First Tee Partnership pamphlet for each of the Councilmembers to better explain who First Tee is and the programs they offer. The First Tee Partnership is in the early stages of discussion right now, but it sounds favorable. If that partnership goes through, it would establish a National First Tee 8/25/25 -6- training Center and state headquarters at Centerbrook, and the City would still own and operate the facility. He noted that the partnership would be very profitable for Brooklyn Center. Mr. Wiseman said the JDL Group's catering and vendor partnership would be dependent on the partnership with First Tee happening. JDL would manage the concessions, build a full kitchen and storage area, and serve more types of food. JDL would bring in its own equipment, be managed by the City, and involve revenue sharing. Mr. Wiseman noted that installing a driving range had been discussed before with the Council, but no action was ever taken on it. He said City Staff is revisiting the study that was done previously on installing a driving range, and examining what that would cost today. He noted that a conversation would happen with First Tee if that partnership goes through, to see if they would be willing to raise the money for the driving range. That information, along with Community feedback about a driving range, would be brought to the Council at a later time. The driving range would still be City-operated but made possible through the First Tee Partnership. Mr. Wiseman said that year-round operations are being discussed and would include winter events and weddings. Staff is looking at the costs of operating the facility during the winter months, and those costs would be implemented into the fee structure for events or weddings. He noted that it is important that those costs are not added back onto the City. Mr. Wiseman said that over the years, Brooklyn Center has been passed over for weddings, and smaller events have been left because citizens could not afford the venue fees. He noted that using the Golf Course as a venue would have to be at an affordable rate. He said that one of the reasons Brooklyn Center lost out on some of those events was that there was a contract that customers could not bring in outside vendors, but at the Golf Course, they could. Mr. Wiseman said that while talking to Clarissa about the Community Center, he learned that the Community Center is losing clients as well because clients want to serve alcohol there for an event, and are not allowed to. Mr. Wiseman said the City is losing events and is not taking advantage of or offering other opportunities that residents want to have in the City. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson asked if cross-country skiing or ice skating had been thought about at the Golf Course. Mr. Wiseman said that at this point, he and the Golf Superintendent Steve Makowske have been talking about winter opportunities, and cross-country skiing has come up in those discussions. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson said that property is a great opportunity to expose youth to cross-country skiing, and she does not know what the upfront costs would be, but starting with a simple set of skis and some shoes would be worth thinking about. Mr. Wiseman said when he was younger in Minneapolis, there was a big cross-country skiing course on the golf course there, and it was very popular, so it has been brought up and discussed for Centerbrook, and will continue to be explored as a winter opportunity. Mr. Wiseman turned it over to General Manager of the Heritage Center Tami Buetow-Staples for some financial updates, highlights, and accomplishments. Ms. Buetow-Staples noted that it has been four months since the Heritage Center signed the catering contract with their catering partner 8/25/25 -7- Mintahoe, and she has some updates about that as well. She said, despite it being a short period of time, the Heritage Center is seeing positive results. Ms. Buetow-Staples noted that there has been a decrease in Staffing, going from 22 employees to 20. She noted that there is a Sales Director Position that would not be filled in order to keep expenses down. Ms. Buetow-Staples highlighted the rental data for the Heritage Center and noted that she is seeing positive adjustments with the new marketing efforts being made on social media and online. She said that Staff are tracking sales Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), so any lead that comes from the sites is tracked, and within a year, Staff should be able to see the progress that those marketing strategies have made on sales. Ms. Buetow-Staples noted that the Heritage Center's website is currently being revamped, and it will be a three-month process to create a more exciting website for clients, which will lead to more client tours and interest. Ms. Buetow-Staples stated that the Heritage Center is also increasing its numbers for a Joint Power Agreements with the state of Minnesota. These are contracts that are between government entities and do not have to go through a bidding process to ensure contracts are won. She stated that departments have reached out after hearing how easy the process is from other departments. Ms. Buetow-Staples said that from year-to-date, the Heritage Center has 30 new corporate clients, and she anticipates that number will continue to rise through December, as other companies book for holiday events. She noted that in 2024, the Heritage Center only had 31 total corporate clients. Ms. Buetow-Staples said that in 2024, the Heritage Center hosted 13 weddings, and this year to date, it has already hosted 14, with three more weddings that have not had their details and pricing entered into the books yet. The revenue from weddings alone in 2024 was $175,354.51, while year-to-date in 2025, the revenue from weddings is already at $173,245, so the Heritage Center will exceed previous revenue for weddings this year. Ms. Buetow-Staples said the Staff is focusing on continuing to increase those numbers for 2026. Ms. Buetow-Staples noted that the audio-visual revenue has increased as well, in 2025 year-to- date, audio-visual is at $325,561, and there are still four months left in the year, with some of the busiest months for the Heritage Center coming up, so that number will continue to increase. The revenue in 2024 for audio-visual was $478,244 for the full year. Ms. Buetow-Staples noted that to date, the number of booked events is at 177, and a few months ago, the Heritage Center was at 148, so that number is steadily increasing. She noted that a new menu for the Heritage Center is coming out on October 1, which will include increased package pricing to help out with revenue. Ms. Buetow-Staples noted that the Mintahoe impact, which has happened over the last four months, including an in-kind donation of $300,000, was part of the new contract. She noted that $40,000 of that money will be used to create a new website. Ms. Buetow-Staples said that the 8/25/25 -8- Heritage Center Staff received three different proposals and went with the company that had the best fit for the vision for their new website and had future profitability in mind for the Heritage Center. Over the next three months, Staff at the Heritage Center will be working with the company to create this new website that will draw in more sales. Ms. Buetow-Staples said that the Heritage Center Staff and Mintahoe staff are working together to develop plans to upgrade some of the common spaces to give the venue a new aesthetic. She noted that they were also developing plans to upgrade some of the smaller spaces for dressing rooms for weddings. Menu options and new pricing on the menus are in the process of being finalized, but should be done by October 1. This will include new offerings, pairings, and packages. Since the contract with Mintahoe was assigned, full-time Staff have been hired who specialize in Heritage Center operations, which has been really beneficial to have consistent Staff at the Heritage Center learning about the venue and making the process that much smoother for the clients. She noted that the clients have been very happy with the services that they received from Mintahoe. Ms. Buetow-Staples stated that the Heritage Center is on the Mintahoe website as well, which has also helped market the Heritage Center. Mintahoe has allowed creativity within the Heritage Center, which is more appealing to clients, and has helped sell the space for rentals. She noted that Mintahoe has allowed the Heritage Center to bring in outside ethnic foods, which has helped solidify events that would like to offer cultural dishes. The food and service provided have received very good reviews from clients. Ms. Buetow-Staples noted that the catering net income as of June 30, 2025, was $335,608, while the catering net income for 2024 was $198,382 for the entire year. She anticipated that this revenue would continue to increase in the future. Ms. Buetow-Staples added that the Heritage Center was featured in an article in the Lake and Company magazine as part of the naturalization ceremony. Mayor Graves said she remembered hearing about this article and said it was beautiful. Ms. Buetow-Staples said it was lovely to see a well-written article with an additional ad behind it to help draw in more clients. Mayor Graves thanked Ms. Buetow-Staples for the copy of that article. Ms. Buetow-Staples noted some highlights and accomplishments for the Heritage Center so far this year: Mintahoe is an honoree with Twin Cities Business, a Minnesota family business award ceremony in September. Twin Cities Business recognizes outstanding family-owned businesses and celebrates the value these businesses add to the Minnesota economy and overall quality of life. Mintahoe was also nominated for the Minnesota Bride award for best catering for large weddings. The Heritage Center also hosted Minnesota's first State of Hunger Summit with Governor Walz in attendance and has rebooked with the Heritage Center for the next event. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson asked what the current trend is for money spent on weddings. She noted that she got married in 1986, and in the late 80s and 90s, people were putting on very lavish weddings. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson stated she has two millennial children who have voiced that they would not spend that kind of money on a wedding. She stated she was curious about the trend for the 30-year-old crowd. Ms. Buetow-Staples said the trend has lows and highs; some couples do still spend $20,000 to $30,000 on their wedding, while others only 8/25/25 -9- want to spend $8,000. Ms. Buetow-Staples noted that the Heritage Center has spaces for both of those price points, which is really beneficial for them. The Heritage Center took a break a few years ago from promoting weddings in their space and chose to focus on corporate events, but is now heading back into booking more weddings. She noted that it is about finding the right niche that couples want, and she is seeing that couples want to book everything in one place, and they want simple, cost-effective packages. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson said someone in her network had indicated that the Heritage Center was not at a wedding fair a couple of months ago, and now she knows why. Ms. Buetow-Staples noted that the wedding fairs cost a lot of money to attend, and the people who attend those wedding fairs have already booked their venue and are looking for vendors and decor. She used to attend four to six wedding fairs a year, and would rarely ever receive a wedding contract because of attending the wedding fair, and other ways to market would be more cost-effective. Mayor Graves said it does not hurt that Mintahoe was nominated for best caterer for large weddings. Ms. Buetow-Staples agreed and said that the nomination is in the Minnesota Bride magazine, which goes out all over Minnesota, which is very exciting. Deputy Director Carissa Goebel said she was there to talk about the Recreation Division of the Parks and Recreation Department. Staffing for the Recreation division, which includes all the department-level Staff, such as herself and Mr. Wiseman, has had no changes from 2025 to 2026. Ms. Goebel noted that for the Community Center, there were 1,052 participants in swim lessons for 2024, resulting in 43 percent of those participants going to more than one session per year. A new program that started in January 2025 was the Community Center, partnered with Brooklyn Center Community Schools, to offer enrichment on Wednesdays during the second semester, where 17 students came over to the community center to learn how to swim, as well as teach each other how to swim at the same time. This program allowed kids to learn a life safety skill as well as training for a potential job in the future. Kids who participated in this program were asked to rate their comfort level in the water from one to 10, and on average, the score went up by six points. Since the program, the Community Center has hired three of those students, two of whom are Water Safety Aids, and the third just passed their Lifeguarding Certification as well as Water Safety Instructor Certification. She noted that the Community Center plans to continue this program in the upcoming school year. Ms. Goebel noted that in January 2024, the Community Center membership structure was changed to reduce fees for Brooklyn Center residents. Resident memberships have increased significantly, and non-resident memberships have remained about the same. She noted that in comparison to 2024, the Community Center is $10,000 ahead in membership fees. Ms. Goebel said that the Outreach program typically relates to park rental permits, but she wanted to highlight the work the Outreach Team does for the vast majority of the year, which is building connections with youth and teens in parks and schools. While the weather is nice, the Outreach Team, while doing their park rounds, will stop and play basketball or cook food on the grill with the youth who are already in the parks. She noted that last school year, the Outreach Team hosted open gyms for over 2,000 youth in the community. The connections and trust built there are very proactive for Public Safety. Due to the trust built with the youth, the Outreach Team learned about 8/25/25 -10- teen park takeovers ahead of time as well as pre-planned fights, and has been able to deter them before they happened, while communicating with the Police Department to have a proactive plan in place. Ms. Goebel noted she wanted to highlight a few of the summer programs at the Community Center, and said camps went from seven weeks of programming to eight weeks of programming, which resulted in an increase of 56 kids in participant numbers. She said these camps continue to be at a maximum every single year, which is 50 kids per week, and have three to seven kids on the waitlist any given week. Ms. Goebel said the return rate for campers from summer 2024 to summer 2025 was 58 percent. One of the reasons the camps are so successful is the Staff. Of the nine Staff members last year, seven returned the following year. She noted that the Department has been working on keeping kids in the camp pipeline, from camper to junior counselor to camp Staff, and this year, the Department was able to hire the first former camper. Camp Staff have also worked their way up from BrookLynk interns to summer Coordinators. Ms. Goebel said that Rec on the Go had another successful summer, serving 1,476 meals to youth in Brooklyn Center, and had a total of 872 participants in the activities that Staff brought. All meals, both at camp and Rec on the Go, are provided at no cost by the Osseo School District. This district works with the Community Center to ensure that kids have access to free meals in the summer, when meal insecurity is at its highest. At camp, the Osseo School District provides breakfast and lunch, while the Community Center provides a snack. Rec on the Go provides a meal that is either breakfast, lunch, or dinner, depending on the site and time of day. Ms. Goebel highlighted the hard work that the Staff have done over the past year to build up senior programming. Since 2020, there have primarily been co-op programs with neighboring cities, and a lot of times, because of the facilities, these programs were not in Brooklyn Center. Last year, the Community Center launched Seniors at the Center, which has twice-monthly opportunities for seniors to come to the Center and do a variety of activities. This fall, the Community Center is offering five weekly groups that meet four days a week, as well as four different monthly opportunities. She stated that the Community Center understands the importance of social connection throughout life and is working hard to provide quality opportunities to all residents of Brooklyn Center. She asked if the Council had any questions. Mayor Graves said it was an excellent presentation. She said it was great hearing about all the things the Community Center is doing out in the community, as well as working with youth and the seniors. She commended Ms. Goebel for the pathway to employment opportunities the Community Center is creating for young people who have been participants in the programs and later on become leaders within the Community Center and Parks and Recreation. She noted the important work the Outreach Team is doing in the community, building relationships and doing proactive and preventative work, as well as being a conduit of information and communication around Public Safety. Mayor Graves thanked Ms. Goebel for all the great work. Mr. Wiseman said he wanted to commend the Staff in his Department, not only the leaders but all the other Staff as well. They show up every day and do amazing work with a lot of challenges, such as limited spaces and resources. He said he was very proud of his Staff and planned to come 8/25/25 -11- back in October to talk more about the Outreach Team to present that as well, so the Council has the idea of the full scope of what they do. Mayor Graves said her children participated in the camps when they were younger and have very fond memories of their time spent there. Councilmember Moore said she has received a lot of positive feedback about the senior programming and sees the Community Center, the park system, and trails as an asset. She noted that very few inner-city suburbs have what Brooklyn Center does. She commended all the Staff on the work they are doing out in the community and in the City parks. She said she is so glad the Community Center is going to get the upgrades that it needs, and thanked Mr. Wiseman and his Staff for all the work that they are doing. Councilmember Kragness thanked Mr. Wiseman, Ms. Buetow-Staples, and Ms. Goebel for their positive presentations, and often, the Council just hears about the numbers and budgets. She noted it is nice to hear that kids are learning how to swim, and a life skill, as well as the open gym at the Blue Barn, and youth doing productive things. She stated she would love to hear from someone in the community who has used some of the Community Center resources to give a brief testimony, just to put the numbers aside and see the impact these programs are having on someone. Mayor Graves said that was a great idea. Councilmember Moore said there could be a clip on the City's website from a youth or adult giving a testimonial about some of the activities or programs that they have participated in. She commended Councilmember Kragness on her idea and said it would be really nice. Ms Goebel said the Brooklyn Center Recreation Facebook page does have video testimonials like that, and they are working on putting out more information like that to present the impact. Councilmember Moore said the Parks and Recreation and Community Center sites are both incredible, but she was referring to the City website. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson said both her children had great experiences at the Community Center swimming lessons, and they could not get past level five of the program, but could swim when they were done with the program. Councilmember Jerzak said the volume of work that the Community Center and Parks and Recreation Staff do amazed him. He congratulated the Staff on staying positive because it is not always easy, and there have been a lot of setbacks. He said this was the time to acknowledge the Staff's accomplishments and thanked them for all they do. Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded to accept the Parks and Recreation Department update presentation. Motion passed unanimously. 7b. ORDINANCE 2025-09 – AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 19-4000 PROHIBITING USE OF CANNABIS AND HEMP PRODUCTS IN PUBLIC PLACES (FIRST READING) 8/25/25 -12- Dr. Edwards said this is an issue that the Council has heard before and was on a previous agenda. He introduced City Clerk Shannon Pettit to present this item. Ms. Pettit said tonight is the first reading of the ordinance amending Chapter 19–4000, which prohibits the use of cannabis and hemp products in public places. She noted that in the Council's packet, there is a version of the ordinance which highlights the changes made; specifically, the purpose and findings, the definitions, and the prohibition, which is similar to what existed but was expanded, and the severability and effective date. She detailed section 19-4003 Prohibition, which states that no person shall use Cannabis flower, Cannabis products, lower-potency Hemp edibles, or Hemp-derived consumer products in a public place. A violation of this section shall be considered a petty misdemeanor notwithstanding any other penalty provision in the City code, and upon conviction, the violator shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $200. She noted that this is the largest part of the ordinance for which the City provided language. She added that this ordinance already existed and added language to align with Cannabis regulation, so not a lot has changed from what the Council previously saw. Mayor Graves asked if the changes were made to align with state-level requirements. Ms. Pettit confirmed Mayor Graves was correct. Ms. Pettit asked if the Council could set the Public Hearing about this ordinance to September 8 as well. Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded to approve ORDINANCE 2025-09 – An Ordinance Amending Chapter 19-4000 Prohibiting use of Cannabis and Hemp Products in Public Places (First Reading) and set the Public Hearing for September 8, 2025. Motion passed unanimously. 8. PUBLIC HEARINGS 8a. ORDINANCE 2025-07 ESTABLISH CHAPTER 23-2750 IN THE BROOKLYN CENTER CITY CODE OF ORDINANCES TO REGULATE TEMPORARY CANNABIS EVENTS (SECOND READING) Dr. Edwards introduced Ms. Pettit to present on this item. Ms. Pettit said this item was presented to the Council on June 23, and after it was presented, there was no Public Hearing date set. Mayor Graves asked if there were any questions before opening the Public Hearing. Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded to open the Public Hearing on Ordinance 2025-07 Establish Chapter 23-2750 in the Brooklyn Center City Code of Ordinances to Regulate Temporary Cannabis Events (Second Reading). Motion passed unanimously. No one wished to address the Council. 8/25/25 -13- Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded to close the Public Hearing on Ordinance 2025-07 Establish Chapter 23-2750 in the Brooklyn Center City Code of Ordinances to Regulate Temporary Cannabis Events (Second Reading). Motion passed unanimously. Councilmember Moore moved and Councilmember Jerzak seconded to approve Resolution for Summary Publication of an Ordinance Establishing Chapter 23-2750 to Regulate Temporary Cannabis Events. Motion passed unanimously. 8b. AN ORDINANCE VACATING EASEMENTS WITHIN LOT 1, BLOCK 1 OF THE PLAT OF 7100 CORPORATE PLAZA 2ND ADDITION IN THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER, HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA Dr. Edwards introduced City Engineer Lydia Ener to present on this item. Ms. Ener stated she was there on behalf of Director Elizabeth Heyman and wanted to introduce Assistant City Engineer Touyia Lee, who has been doing a fantastic job over the last year with development reviews and would be giving the presentation this evening. Mayor Graves welcomed Mr. Lee and congratulated him on his new title. Mr. Lee explained that 7100 Corporate Plaza Second Addition, lot one, block one, is vacating two easements. The new easements will be dedicated to the City to better align with the new proposed utilities on site. He stated that the Department had sent and published this to the Sun Post on July 24, 2025, and sent notices to nearby properties and received no objections. He noted that the Department also sent notices to small utilities nearby, and no objections were received. He said that it should be noted that this resolution will only take effect upon the release and filing of the final plat of 7100 Corporate Plaza Second Addition. Mr. Lee said that as part of the Public Hearing Process, all affected entities have been notified and are unaware of any objections to these vacations, and requested that the Council motion to open the Public Hearing. Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Moore seconded to open the Public Hearing. Motion passed unanimously. Mayor Graves asked if anyone would like to come forward to speak on this item. No one wished to address the Council. Councilmember Kragness moved and Councilmember Moore seconded to close the Public Hearing. Motion passed unanimously. 8/25/25 -14- Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson moved and Councilmember Moore seconded to approve an Ordinance Vacating Easements Within Lot 1, Block 1 of the Plat of 7100 Corporate Plaza 2nd Addition in the City of Brooklyn Center, Hennepin County, Minnesota. Motion passed unanimously. Dr. Edwards congratulated Mr. Lee on his work and first presentation, and thanked both Mr. Lee and Ms. Ener for the presentation. 9. PLANNING COMMISSION ITEMS 9a. PLANNING COMMISSION APPLICATION NO. 2025-006, SUBMITTED BY KIMLEY-HORN ON BEHALF OF SHINGLE CREEK LLC FOR PRELIMINARY AND FINAL PLAT APPROVAL OF THE SHINGLE CREEK CROSSING 7TH ADDITION (1000, 1020, 1050, 1100, AND 1150 SHINGLE CREEK CROSSING) Dr. Edwards introduced City Planning Manager Ginny McIntosh to present on this item. Ms. McIntosh stated that this project is kind of a jigsaw puzzle, which City Planning is trying to clean up to make it more marketable for a sale. She noted that Kimberly Horn, the applicant, is requesting approval of a preliminary and final plot for Shingle Creek Crossing 7th Addition, on behalf of Shingle Creek, LLC, and Gatlin Development Company. The re-platting that is requested this evening would allow for some adjustments and straightening of the property lines for what are known as building sites L, M, O, Q, S, and N within the Shingle Creek Crossing PUD. The original plat that was approved for Shingle Creek Crossing was in 2011. Since then, numerous PUD amendments and replatting have taken place in the former Brookdale Mall area. She noted that existing conditions are that it is vacant land, on the east side of Empire Foods, and to the west of HOM furniture. The original plat approvals for Shingle Creek Crossing contemplated the re- platting of what would have been 19 lots and one lot for facilitation of phased improvements and development of what is today known as the Shingle Creek Crossing Shopping Center. At the time, some of these sites were predominantly contemplated for retail and restaurant use, and that played into why there was a partial daylighting of the creek on the eastern edge. Ms. McIntosh noted that this past year, Shingle Creek and the West Mississippi Watershed Commission prepared a feasibility report for a potential daylighting and full daylighting of Shingle Creek. An application was submitted for grant funding through the Minnesota DNR Environmental National Resources Trust; however, the request was ultimately not successful this time around. As part of the request this evening, no new lots would be created as part of the re- plat. There is an existing 57-foot-wide drainage utility easement, which is the actual alignment of the creek, and a 20-foot-wide drainage and utility easement on the western edge. Both of these easements are in existence today and would remain so. There were some requested revisions from City Staff, provided that applicant Kimberly Horn submitted a revised set of plats and a response letter dated August 21, 2025. On the 21st, Kimberly Horn did respond to the plat revision request, and there was some back-and-forth between the Staff and the applicant, trying to address the 8/25/25 -15- request for revisions. Most of the requests were minor items like spelling errors, clarifying the legend, calling out the zoning information, and making property lines easier to see. Ms. McIntosh showed the Council the latest preliminary plot that was sent back to the City on the 21st, so it has been updated since the original packets went out to the Council. The final plat requested one change to the title block language. Ms. McIntosh said that for notifications, a public hearing notice was published in the Brooklyn Center Sun Post on July 31, 2025. Mail notifications were sent to those property owners located in the vicinity of the subject property, but most of the properties are owned by Gatlin Development Company, Shingle Creek LLC, the City, HOM Furniture, or Pop Car Wash. A public hearing notice and link were uploaded to the City’s website. A public hearing was held on August 14 at the Planning Commission meeting. There were no public comments provided in advance of, or at the meeting, and the applicant and property owner were present to answer questions from the Commissioners. Commissioners inquired about the rationale for re-platting the lots and how the lots would be maintained once developed, specifically with regard to snow removal. Mr. Gatlin, the owner, indicated the request was to clean up each of the vacant lots to make them more attractive for sale. Ms. McIntosh noted that there was also a discussion about the breakdown of Shingle Creek Crossing and ownership versus what was owned by Shingle Creek, LLC, and Gatlin Development Company. Ms. McIntosh noted the requested Council action was to approve the resolution, and there was representation in the room and online if there were questions from the Council. Mayor Graves thanked Ms. McIntosh for her presentation and asked if there were any questions. Councilmember Moore said she would like to make the motion to approve. Councilmember Moore moved and Councilmember seconded to approve the RESOLUTION approving Planning Commission Application No. 2025-006, Submitted by Kimley-Horn on behalf of Shingle Creek LLC for Preliminary and Final Plat Approval of the Shingle Creek Crossing 7th Addition (1000, 1020, 1050, 1100, and 1150 Shingle Creek Crossing), based on the findings of fact and submitted plans, and as amended by the conditions of approval in the resolution. Motion passed unanimously. 10. COUNCIL CONSIDERATION ITEMS 11. COUNCIL REPORT Mayor Graves reported on her attendance at the following events and provided information on the following upcoming events: • Attended the Gus Macker recap meeting. • Attended two joint Finance Commission meetings. • Attended a Common Sense check-in. • Attended a Strong Cities presentation on the needs and vulnerabilities assessment, which 8/25/25 -16- City Staff is working on getting an opportunity to present to the Council. • Attended the Minneapolis Northwest Tourism Executive meeting. • Attended the Board Chair of the organization for Liberians in Minnesota. • Attended a Councilmember's Executive Session. Councilmember Moore reported on his attendance at the following events and provided information on the following upcoming events: • Bellevue Park has their neighborhood meeting on Wednesday, and she will not be in attendance due to a scheduling conflict. She hopes that at least one of her fellow Councilmembers could attend. Councilmember Kragness said she would be there. Councilmember Jerzak reported on his attendance at the following events and provided information on the following upcoming events: • Attended the Health Fair, was surprised at the number of people and vendors in attendance, and met with several constituents. Councilmember Kragness reported on his attendance at the following events and provided information on the following upcoming events: • Attended the joint Finance Commission and Council meeting. • Attended the Strong Cities meeting. • Attended the Backpack Giveaway at the Fire Station at Firehouse Park, which was a huge event. 12. ADJOURNMENT Councilmember Kragness moved and Councilmember Moore seconded adjournment of the City Council meeting at 8:12 pm. Motion passed unanimously.