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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025.10.27 CCM REGULAR10/27/25 -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 REGULAR SESSION OCTOBER 27, 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 7:00p.m. 2. ROLL CALL Mayor April Graves, Councilmembers Dan Jerzak, Kris Lawrence-Anderson, Teneshia Kragness, and Laurie Ann Moore. Also present were City Manager Reggie Edwards, Public Works Director Liz Heyman, Public Works Planner Corey Anderson, Community Development Director Jesse Anderson, Housing and Community Standards Manager Xiong Thao, City Clerk Shannon Pettit, 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. Lori B. stated she serves on the board for the Daunte and Kobe “No More Names” Initiative, and today would have been Daunte Wright’s 25th birthday. She stated that she was present to discuss traffic stop reforms and why they are important. On October 15, the Hennepin County Attorney's Office adopted a new policy limiting prosecutions from non-public safety traffic stops. Traffic stops like these could include a traffic stop for a broken taillight and actively harm the community, especially for people of color. These stops fail to uncover contraband about 99 percent of the time. In Minneapolis, guns are found in less than half of one percent of these traffic stops, and do not make citizens safer, but deepen racial disparities. Lori B. noted that when Ramsey County reduced these stops in 2021, total traffic stops decreased by 86 percent, and stops of Black drivers dropped by 66 percent, with no decline in public safety. Fewer traffic stops mean police can focus on more serious crimes like gun violence and domestic abuse. She asked why this policy could not be implemented in Brooklyn Center. Lori B. stated that under the new Tiger Task Force, traffic stops are up by 180 percent. She continued that the City needs to invest in detectives who solve crimes, and smart policing. 10/27/25 -2- DRAFT Mayor Graves asked Lori B. to conclude her statement, as her time was up. Lori B. continued that Daunte Wright should be here today, at 25 years old, full of life and possibility. She said the citizens owe it to him and the entire community to make sure no more names are added to the list. She thanked the Council for listening to her. Mayor Graves thanked Lori for speaking. Katie W. introduced herself to the Council. She stated she is the mother of Daunte Wright, who was killed during a traffic stop four years ago. She stated she is a co-founder of the Daunte and Kobe “No More Names” initiative, and serves as a Committee member on CopWatch. She stated she was present at the meeting to address the unnecessary traffic stops happening in Brooklyn Center. She said the Brooklyn Center Police Chief put together a Tiger Task Force, which focuses on traffic stops and theft in the City's business district. She noted that the name "Tiger" means stealth and abolish, and that is what it feels like. She said the Tiger Task Force is designed to stalk and target, not to protect and serve. She noted that traffic stops are up 180 percent, and people of color are being stopped at more than 80 percent in the City. She noted that the individuals who are stopped are stopped for minor traffic violations, the same as her son's, such as air freshen ers hanging from their mirrors. She noted that these types of stops should no longer be conducted in Brooklyn Center, as they are done due to profiling. Katie W. said the City promised her after Daunte’s death that the City would be able to move forward, but with this task force in place, it is not able to move forward and is not keeping the community safe. Mayor Graves thanked Katie W. for speaking. Amity said she was there to say Daunte’s name again and is the mother of Kobe Dimock-Heisler. She noted that she, too, is part of the Daunte and Kobe "No More Names" initiative and said there was supposed to be mental health reform in her son’s honor, but they are having a difficult time finding funding for it, and nothing has happened yet. She noted that in Dante Wright's honor, nothing has been done by the City. She stated that cities around Brooklyn Center are passing laws that are doing exactly what they have been trying to do to prevent these tragedies. She said she also came to remind the Council about the permanent committee and its timeline. Mayor Graves responded that applications should be opening for that committee in December. Amity thanked Mayor Graves for the information. Emma P. introduced herself and stated that she was part of the Reinvestigation Work Group, a volunteer team that examines statistics on police violence in the state of Minnesota. She noted she is also a law student and a fellow with the American Bar Association's Legal Education and Police Practices Consortium. She continued that she understands why the Council may want to defend Brooklyn Center’s Police Department and what they are doing with the Tiger Task Force, as it is supposed to reduce crime in the City. She said that the Tiger Task Force was formed to police retail theft, moving violations, and curfew violations, but when looking at the Hennepin County Attorney's office, and what has been received in terms of cases from the Police Department, only four percent of cases relate to shoplifting. Most cases received are related to death, domestic violence, gun possession, drug, and assault cases. She noted that a third of cases submitted by the Police Department are not charged, which means that the Attorney’s office is not getting enough information from officers to follow through on prosecuting the crimes that are submitted. Emma 10/27/25 -3- DRAFT P. stated that the Council was told the Tiger Task Force was necessary to curtail shoplifting, violations, and curfews, but the ends do not justify the means. She said the outcome of the Tiger Task Force violates constitutional rights and erodes trust, when 89 percent of what the Tiger Task Force does is traffic stops. She stated that the majority of these stops are for equipment violations, not moving violations. Mayor Graves notified Emma P. that her allotted time was up and asked her to wrap up her statements. Emma P. continued that when teens in Brooklyn Center, ages 14 to 15, have been stopped by the Police Department while riding their bikes, they were searched, questioned, and told they fit a description; this behavior continues to erode trust with the Police Department, which makes citizens not want to report crimes. She reiterated that the Council needs to establish a permanent committee to prevent such incidents from happening and to refocus the Tiger Task Force. Keith M. said he was there to address the Tiger Task Force and understand their purpose. He said he looked up what their purpose was, and it stated that the Tiger Task Force's focus was on complex issues regarding specialized knowledge and operating autonomously. He continued that he read an article by the Chief of Police in CCX media that mentioned a huge drop in violent crime, and attributed this drop to the deployment of the Tiger Task Force. He said that at the end of the article, the Chief revealed the true reason behind the formation of specialized teams with no constraints was to address retail theft, curfew, and traffic violations. He said his concern is that the black population makes up 34 percent of the City's population but accounts for 52 percent of the traffic stops. He noted that 22 percent of the stops involved white people, who make up 31 percent of the City's population. Keith M. said he had questions about having a specialized team for traffic stops and why poor people are being arrested for shoplifting, but bosses are not being arrested for wage theft. He asked if armed officers are the most cost-effective way to deal with traffic law enforcement, and what percentage of the police budget is devoted to traffic enforcement, including overtime for court appearances. Mayor Graves notified Keith M. that he was over his allotted speaking time. Keith M. thanked the Council for hearing his remarks. Mayor Graves thanked everyone for coming in and addressing the Council, and wished Daunte Wright a happy heavenly birthday. Mayor Graves moved, and Councilmember Moore seconded to close the Informal Open Forum. Motion passed unanimously. 5. INVOCATION Councilmember Kragness read a quote about leadership: "Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.” 10/27/25 -4- DRAFT 6. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Councilmember Jerzak moved and Councilmember Moore seconded to approve the Agenda and Consent Agenda, as amended, with amendments to the minutes as stated during the Study Session to move the Work Session item Hotel Zoning Discussion to the Study Session, and the following consent items were approved: 6a. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. October 13, 2025 – Study Session 2. October 13, 2025 – Regular Session 6b. LICENSES MECHANICAL Advanced Heating and Air Conditioning 10550 County Road 81, Maple Grove 55369 JNS Co Inc. 3731 Thurston Avenue, Anoka 55303 SIGNHANGER’S Spectrum Sign Systems, Inc. 8786 W 35W Service Drive Northeast, Blaine 55449 GASOLINE SERVICE STATION Holiday #3808 5710 Xerxes Avenue North RENTAL INITIAL (TYPE IV -- six-month license) 7131 Halifax Avenue North Ayub Sharif INITIAL (TYPE III – one-year license) 6019 Camden Avenue North MASON GROUP ONE LLC INITIAL (TYPE II – two-year license) 5918 Beard Avenue North SARAH GEBREEGZIABHER 7018 France Avenue North Mason Group One LLC INITIAL (TYPE I – three-year license) 2807 65th Avenue North JESSICA V LANDI BAUTISTA RENEWAL (TYPE IV – six-month license) 4811 Lakeview Avenue North Eileen Booker 10/27/25 -5- DRAFT 5801 Xerxes Avenue North Brooklyn Center Ah I Lllp 3012 51st Avenue North Sri Lakshmi Valiveti 6765 Humboldt Avenue North Loan Nguyen RENEWAL (TYPE III – one-year license) 3701 Woodbine Lane SFR BORROWER 2021-2 LLC 5415 Emerson Avenue North Mnsf li W1 Llc 6725 Bryant Avenue North Vong Duong & Ngoc-keiu Huynh 7143 France Avenue North Caml Llc RENEWAL (TYPE II – two-year license) 5803 Xerxes Avenue North Brooklyn Center AH II LLLP 1619 73rd Avenue North SFR ACQUISITIONS 2 LLC RENEWAL (TYPE I – three-year license) 5301 Dupont Avenue North Venus Tomlinson & DeRoi Tomlinson 6742 France Avenue North Walter M. Robinson 6825 Noble Avenue North Robert Gardner Jr 2407 Ericon Drive Plia Thao 2701 65th Avenue North Trinh Quang Vu 3224 62nd Avenue North Laura A Mills 5913 June Avenue North M K Mehdi & B K Mehdi 5926 Colfax Avenue North Jack Froelke / Jessica Froelke 6242 Scott Avenue North Cosco Property I Llc 6912 Logan Avenue North Hpa Borrower 2017 1 Llc 7037 Fremont Avenue North Edwina P Mcgill 10/27/25 -6- DRAFT 7141 Newton Avenue North Ih2 Property Illinois Lp 7243 Riverdale Road Ih2 Property Illinois Lp 6c. AMENDMENT TO JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT REGARDING POLICE EMBEDDED SOCIAL WORKER 6d. RESOLUTION PROCLAIMING NOVEMBER 29, 2025 SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY IN BROOKLYN CENTER 6e. RESOLUTION ACCEPTING FEASIBILITY REPORT AND CALLING FOR AN IMPROVEMENT PUBLIC HEARING FOR IMPROVEMENT PROJECT NOS. 2026-06, -07, -08, & -09, JOHN MARTIN DRIVE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT 6f. RESOLUTION ACCEPTING FEASIBILITY REPORT AND CALLING FOR AN IMPROVEMENT PUBLIC HEARING FOR IMPROVEMENT PROJECT NO. 2026-01, HUMBOLDT AVENUE (CR 57) RECONSTRUCTION 7. PRESENTATIONS/PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS/DONATIONS 8. PUBLIC HEARINGS 9. PLANNING COMMISSION ITEMS 10. COUNCIL CONSIDERATION ITEMS 10a. 2027 HUMBOLDT AREA IMPROVEMENT PROJECT UPDATE Dr. Edwards explained that as the City continues to address issues with roads and transportation related to Highway 252, a new issue has arisen that City Staff would like to address. He introduced Public Works Director Liz Heyman and Public Works Planner Corey Anderson to present this item. Mr. Anderson stated that the purpose of this project was for the City to improve pedestrian and vehicle safety and mobility by constructing roundabouts, reconstructing pedestrian crossings, adding new sidewalks, and adjusting the configuration and width of vehicle lanes on Humboldt Avenue, 65th Avenue, 66th Avenue, 67th Avenue, and Camden Avenue near the Brooklyn Center High School. He noted that his Department is well into the planning and design phase, and is looking at beginning construction in 2027. Mr. Anderson said his Department has worked in collaboration with Brooklyn Center Community Schools to identify challenges for kids walking, biking, and getting to school. In 2024, the City received a $2 million grant from the Metropolitan Council to support pedestrian improvements for 10/27/25 -7- DRAFT this project area. He noted that this year, his Department has had two open houses regarding this project to get feedback from the community. Mr. Anderson highlighted specific issues for this area. He noted that this area collectively averages 13 crashes annually, with 41 percent of those crashes caused by red light running and speeding, which is the most dangerous type of crash. He noted that the crossing distance at these intersections is also long, from curb to curb for someone walking to cross the street; some are as long as 90 feet, which also causes issues. There is also a projected increase in traffic in this area due to the Highway 252 project. Mr. Anderson said some key features regarding this project include roundabouts, which would eliminate red light running. He noted that planning for this feature has already begun, in conjunction with the Police and Fire Department, to ensure that EMS can get places quickly and efficiently. Planning has also been done with Metro Transit to ensure that snowplowing operations could continue through these roundabout intersections. Mr. Anderson noted that a new sidewalk would be added on 67th Avenue for the benefit of residents and students. This area is where students and staff from Brooklyn Center High School go for emergency evacuations and pickup drills. Currently, there is no sidewalk there, making it difficult to navigate during heavy snowfall in winter. He noted that on Humboldt Avenue, he is pushing to narrow the street from four lanes to three with a turning lane, to slow traffic. He noted that this project would also include the addition of rapid rectangular flashing beacons, which are signs with a pedestrian symbol on them, and a button that pedestrians push, and when flashing lights illuminate, the pedestrian has the right of way. Mr. Anderson said that he is also looking at shortening crossing distances for pedestrians, specifically on 65th and Humboldt, where there is a 90-foot crossing. A roundabout would be installed to shorten the crossing distance to two 18-foot crossings. Mr. Anderson said one thing he wanted to mention that has been brought up during public engagements is concerns about reducing the roadway from four lanes to three lanes. He noted that the roadway is currently designed with four lanes to handle 20,000 cars a day, but that section of the roadway only handles 7,000 cars a day, which contributes to the speeding issue, nois e, crash risks, and additional maintenance needs for the road. When considering the potential projections of increased traffic from the Highway 252 project, the highest potential projection of traffic for this roadway is 14,000 cars a day, which is still under the 20,000 threshold. He noted that the advantage of adding a dedicated turn lane on this roadway is that it eliminates cars from impeding the flow of traffic when turning. Mr. Anderson noted that these would be the first roundabouts in Brooklyn Center. At the beginning of 2025, there were 500 roundabouts in the state of Minnesota, which provides a lot of data for the City to know what works and what does not regarding roundabouts. Roundabouts reduce fatal and serious injury crashes by upwards of 82 percent compared to traditional intersections, and reduce traffic delays by 20 to 50 percent. Mr. Anderson stated that the benefits for Brooklyn Center with this project include slower speeds and shorter crossing distances for residents who are walking and biking. Signals are due to be replaced within the next 10 years, and signal removal will save Brooklyn Center taxpayers 10/27/25 -8- DRAFT $1,500,000. This roadway project would also be prepared to handle the projected traffic from the Highway 252 project. Mr. Anderson said he would hand over the rest of the presentation to Ms. Heyman to discuss the larger implications of this project. Ms. Heyman explained that roundabouts were recommended for this project by the MnDOT project team to address safety issues the City is currently experiencing, and they would also safely handle the traffic increases that would be caused by the proposed Highway 252/I-94 project. She noted that the Humboldt project would deliver benefits faster and cheaper than waiting for MnDOT’s project, and would avoid issues of finishing this project, only to have MnDOT tear it up in the future and redo it. She said that MnDOT would pick up the full cost of the changes if the City waited, but asked how long the City is willing to wait and at what cost. This corridor, under some proposals, would be considered mitigation for the Highway 252/I-94 project because the new freeway configuration would impact this area, necessitating changes to the corridor to handle the increased traffic. She stated that she would not be here if there were not a project going on because it costs a lot to mobilize a construction crew and pay for materials. She recommended upsizing the scope of the project presented earlier this summer when she presented the Capital Improvement Program and spending the City's Municipal State Aid (MSA) cushion on these safety improvements. This would constrict the City's ability to cost-share on projects like Highway 252 and I-94, as well as a planned county project on 69th Avenue. She highlighted that the Highway 252 work is not slated to begin until 2029 at the earliest, and the Humboldt project could begin sooner, which the City can afford. She noted that this project would not drive utility rates up or change them in any way, due to this project being paid for with MSA funds. Ms. Heyman continued that she is seeking the Council's approval to expand the scope and budget of the Humboldt area project from $9.6 million to $12.2 million, which would include the critical safety improvements outlined earlier. She noted that in 2023, the City Council supported Staff in successfully securing $2 million in regional solicitation funding for the project. City Staff are now requesting the Council support them in pursuing another $1.5 million from the Local Road Improvement Program (LRIP) grant from MnDOT to add to their funding resources. Ms. Heyman asked if the Council had any questions. Mayor Graves asked if there was a way that MnDOT could pay for this project if it were done ahead of time, since most of the traffic in this area will be coming from Highway 252 anyway. Ms. Heyman said she has been having ongoing discussions with MnDOT about this, and has not received any concrete feedback, but MnDOT has shown interest in working with the City to make these improvements going forward. Councilmember Jerzak asked if there was any way to recover the costs of these improvements from MnDOT if the Highway 252 project goes forward. Ms. Heyman said she has been trying to work with the MnDOT project team on that, but MnDOT could not come to the table with a creative solution for funding in the time frame that the City would need to do the Humboldt project. She noted that for this project to become a reality in 2027, it must start, and they have waited as long as they can to hear back from MnDOT regarding funding, but they still have not heard anything. She said she is hopeful that in the future, MnDOT comes to them with a proposal, but would like to move forward in order for the project to happen. 10/27/25 -9- DRAFT Councilmember Kragness asked if there was a way to put it in writing that MnDOT would reimburse the City for this project, but she understands that MnDOT is hesitant to put anything in writing that benefits the communities in that sense. Councilmember Moore said most of the feedback she has heard from residents is not supportive of roundabouts, especially at 69th Avenue by Humboldt Square. She asked what stops residents from running through a roundabout versus a stoplight, and because there is no limit for gross vehicle weight, a semi would have to drive over the center of the roundabout to get through it. Mr. Anderson said that in Minnesota, roundabouts are designed with a rolled curb so that semis can get up on the curb to make the turn in a roundabout. He continued that a vehicle could fly through a roundabout, but it would come at a cost to the vehicle, and the likelihood of that happening is very low. Councilmember Moore asked what the speed limits are in this project area. Mr. Anderson said the speed limit on these roadways is 30 mph. Councilmember Moore asked if both Police and Fire Chiefs have weighed in and are in support of roundabouts for this project. Mr. Anderson answered that throughout this process, he has consulted with both the Fire Chief and the Police Chief to ensure the design of the roundabouts would accommodate their vehicles, particularly at the East Fire Station, where the Fire Department has its largest truck. He continued that the roundabout on that roadway would allow the fire truck to easily exit the Fire Station and enter the intersection. He noted that for the Police Department, he has ensured that there is ample roadway so that police vehicles are not impeded when exiting the Police Station. Councilmember Moore said she does not want to wait until MnDOT decides to undertake this project and wants to make the point that a decision should be made for the benefit of the Brooklyn Center community, which includes its schools and public safety for its residents. Mayor Graves said she received a letter from Brooklyn Center Community Schools stating they are very supportive of this project. Councilmember Kragness asked if there had been any research done regarding the benefits of a roundabout versus a stoplight in emergency situations. Mr. Anderson said there is data on that type of situation, and on average, it gives emergency vehicles an advantage of two to three seconds over a signal. When an emergency vehicle enters a regular intersection, it has to slow down and look for everyone to slow down or stop. When an emergency vehicle enters a roundabout, it still has to slow down, but it simplifies the traffic flow by indicating where all the traffic is coming from. Councilmember Kragness asked if there were any emergency lights around a roundabout. Mr. Anderson answered that there is no traditional roundabout around. Councilmember Kragness responded that at intersections, there are lights that flash to alert drivers that emergency vehicles are approaching. There would not be any lights to alert drivers at a roundabout. Mr. Anderson said the sound of a fire truck approaching would alert drivers. He said he did not fully understand what Councilmember Kragness’s question was. Councilmember Kragness said she is comparing 10/27/25 -10- DRAFT a traditional intersection with a stoplight to a roundabout in the event of emergencies, a stoplight would flash to let drivers know that an emergency vehicle is approaching. She continued that in a roundabout, there is nothing that would alert drivers, and depending on how close the emergency vehicle is, a driver may not hear a siren. Ms. Heyman said she understands what Councilmember Kragness is saying, and the noise of the emergency vehicle would be the only indicator that they are approaching. She stated that even in stoplight intersections with a flashing light, drivers do not always slow down, pull over, or even stop for emergency vehicles despite the warning. She noted that at least with a roundabout, it simplifies the intersection for emergency vehicles, so there is only traffic coming from one direction for the emergency vehicle to watch for. Emergencies are why the Department has worked closely with EMS to ensure that these intersections are functional. She noted that it is essential to remember that the majority of EMS situations they would respond to are accidents or issues occurring at intersections. Councilmember Moore asked if Public Works could not obtain the additional LRIP grant, and where the money would come from for the enhanced safety features of the project. Ms. Heyman responded that this was why she recommended increasing the project scope to $12.2 million, and the City can afford it with the MSA funds. Ms. Heyman stated that over the years, they have been setting aside funds to ensure that the City could cost-share with MnDOT for the Highway 252 project. Still, the City can deliver the Humboldt project faster and cheaper than MnDOT can, and thought it would be prudent to spend those MSA funds now on the Humboldt project. She noted that MSA funds are intended for local street improvements, so that is what she is recommending. Mayor Graves said MnDOT and Hennepin County have their own cost-share policies, and asked what is preventing Brooklyn Center from developing its own cost-share policies. Ms. Heyman said that it is a very interesting position and has been discussed by some other cities as well, especially as these projects continue to increase in price. Ms. Heyman continued that in 2023, MnDOT and Hennepin County received increases in their funding streams during the legislative session, while cities have not been allocated funds to keep pace with projects, making it more challenging. Ms. Heyman said this would be an interesting proposal that Staff could take back and draft some type of policy for these types of projects, because the City is responding to MnDOT regarding the Highway 252 project, as well as work on intersections at 66th Avenue and 100, which have major impacts coming in from MnDOT’s network. Councilmember Jerzak asked what type of expectations Ms. Heyman would have regarding external projects under that policy and how the City would fund its fair share of traffic infrastructure. Ms. Heyman said she would have to think about how to craft a policy like that, but after reviewing MnDOT and Hennepin County's cost-share policies, she would examine the impacts of traffic on Brooklyn Center's network and aim to design them to work together as smoothly as possible. The cost-share policy would need to consider how traffic from larger networks impacts the City's streets, as well as ongoing maintenance and cost concerns within MnDOT projects that affect the City’s projects. She said a good example of this is county and MnDOT intersections, which are divided up by sections to share the cost equitably. 10/27/25 -11- DRAFT Councilmember Jerzak asked what the harm is in asking MnDOT about developing a cost-share policy with the City. Mayor Graves agreed and said the larger issue is that the City is being held to specific standards that other cities are not being held to. She said she would rely on City Staff to come up with some ideas regarding a cost-share policy and bring it back to the Council to develop a framework to hold people accountable when regional projects are brought in with regional benefits to the City. Councilmember Kragness said she wanted to commend the Staff for setting aside funds and being in a position to be able to afford this project. Councilmember Moore moved and Councilmember Jerzak seconded to approve the expansion of the Humboldt Area Project scope and budget from $9.6 million to $12.2 million to include critical safety improvements. Motion passed unanimously. 10b. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING SUBMITTAL OF A LOCAL ROAD IMPROVEMENT PRORAM (LRIP) GRANT APPLICATION AND PLEDGING FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE HUMBOLDT AREA PROJECT Mayor Graves noted that Ms. Heyman had already spoken to this item and asked if there was any further discussion needed. Councilmember Jerzak moved and Mayor Graves seconded to approve the RESOLUTION authorizing the submittal of a Local Road Improvement Program (LRIP) Grant application pledging financial support for the Humboldt Area Project. Motion passed unanimously. 10c. ON-SALE INTOXICATING LIQUOR LICENSE APPLICATION FOR WK BROWN, LLC, WAYNE BROWN, PALM GROVE EVENT CENTER, 2590 FREEWAY BLVD Dr. Edwards noted this item came up to the Council at a previous meeting, and a vote failed to extend the deadline, a vote failed to deny the license altogether, and there has to be a clear, concise decision made by the Council regarding the liquor license. He said the business owner has addressed all the issues related to compliance, and the application has demonstrated that. He noted that the owner has provided documentation that there is a restaurant in the building in order to receive a liquor license. Dr. Edwards said City Clerk Shannon Pettit could provide more information if needed on what the owner has done to fulfill their obligations. Mayor Graves asked if there were any further questions from the Council. Councilmember Kragness said she was glad to hear that everything had been verified and that information was all the Council was asking for. Mayor Graves agreed and said she was glad that the business would remain open. 10/27/25 -12- DRAFT Councilmember Moore moved and Mayor Graves seconded to approve the On-Sale Intoxicating Liquor License Application for WK Brown, LLC, Wayne Brown, Palm Grove Event Center, 2590 Freeway Blvd, pursuant to Chapter 11, Section 11-115 and Sections 11-122 of the Brooklyn Center City Code. Motion passed unanimously. 10d. PROPOSED SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS FOR ADMINISTRATIVE FINES/CITATIONS AND APPEALS FOR SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DURING THE OCTOBER 13, 2025, MEETING Dr. Edwards explained that at the last meeting, the Council had directed Staff to provide more information related to assessments that came in at a particularly high dollar amount related to citations, penalties, and appeals. Dr. Edwards introduced Community Development Director Jesse Anderson and Housing and Community Standards Manager Xiong Thao to present this item. Mr. Anderson explained that a Public Hearing was conducted on October 13, 2025, for five special assessments to the Hennepin County Property Tax rolls that included administrative penalties and citations, abatements, tall grass and weed abatements, vacant properties, and tree abatements. At that meeting, four of the five assessments were approved. Tall Grass abatements were approved with two appeals removed from the list. Administrative penalties and citations were not approved, and six properties from that list were appealed. The Council requested that Staff bring back a report of all the cases that acquired penalties of $1,000 or more, with additional details. Mr. Anderson explained the process behind administrative citations and that they are the last option if voluntary compliance cannot be achieved. City Staff give a written notice to the resident at least twice, along with door postings, door knocking, phone calls, emails, and talking to neighbors. Staff frequently grant extensions if the property owner needs them. Staff t ry to make referrals to other agencies that do grass mowing or handyman services where possible, but there are long waiting lists. Mr. Anderson said the City also had their own agency program to help residents, which had a fund of $250,000 that was spent in seven days. He noted that he would be back to talk about that particular program at another meeting. Mr. Anderson explained that Staff review cases with the Supervisor prior to issuing $1,000 citations and discuss options and possible solutions. Administrative citations are not a revenue source for the City and are strictly used as a penalty to obtain compliance. The citations have three levels of penalties authorized by the 2025 fee schedule and are based on the violation code section. A level one citation is a $50 fine, level two is a $100 fine, level three is a $300 fine; level three, two to four-unit properties are a $500 fine; level three, five or more unit properties are a $1,000 fine. Citations may be issued daily for each violation; however, citations are issued based on the rotation of inspections, which is typically a week between citations. He noted that technically, the City can issue a $1,000 violation per day, but would never do that and normally waits a week between issuing citations. 10/27/25 -13- DRAFT Mr. Anderson continued that citations may be doubled for each occurrence and are cumulative; for example, the first citation is $100, plus a second violation is $200, equaling a $300 citation total. The maximum citation that can be issued is $1,000 per violation per day. These citations do have an appeal process, and a brochure to appeal is mailed with the citation. A written request to appeal from the resident must be sent to the City within 10 days of the citation, along with a $50 deposit. Mr. Anderson detailed the abatement process and said occupied abatements were authorized by the Council in 2024. Considerations for abatement include duration of the case, value of the item to be abated, cost of abatement, access to the abatement item, and the legal implications, especially if the abatement is of significant value. He noted that, for the most part, the City looks at trash for abatement. Vehicle abatement is also a process with considerations to be taken by the Staff before abating a vehicle, such as the type and duration of violation, and the vehicle condition. The City will only tow vehicles that are inoperable and charge the cost back to the property owner. Tow companies will not tow vehicles if the vehicle is not accessible, and there must be no obstructions, which can also complicate things. Mr. Anderson explained the trend in citations over the last four years. In 2025, the total was $219,640, but that total is closer to $209,000 because some residents have paid their citations. The four-year average total is $172,325, with a below-average citation per property at $1,066.21 versus the four-year average of $1,302 per property. The count of citations for 2025 totaled 206 versus the average of 136 over a four-year period. Mr. Anderson noted that during this time, there were 4,375 code enforcement cases and 732 rental licenses issued during the citation date range of September 2024 to September 2025, which equals four percent of cases having outstanding citations. He attributed the increases to full Staffing and a decrease in the number of rental properties due to the inability to acquire a rental license for assisted living facilities. He also noted that Staff have increased code enforcement sweeps across the City. Mr. Anderson gave the Council a summary of cases and said the Staff reviewed 45 cases with $1,000 or more citations, and every case is different with different circumstances, but nothing was atypical. A minimum of two notices were given, along with attempts to talk to someone before issuing the citations. He noted that the highest citation was given to a property located at 4110 Lakebreeze Avenue North, with $14,850 in citations for renting without a license. The rental license for this property expired on March 31, 2024, and the owner failed to renew or get a rental inspection, even after several attempts to contact the owner were made by City Staff. A complaint inspection was conducted at this property after the tenant contacted the City due to roach infestation, no gas, no heat, and property maintenance issues. This property owner did not appeal the citations. Mr. Anderson stated that eight properties in total appealed, six for administrative penalties and citations, and two for tall grass and weed abatements. Public Hearings were open and closed for each special assessment hearing, and the Staff prepared a report for each case that was appealed. Mr. Anderson introduced Mr. Thao to discuss each of the cases. Mr. Thao stated that the property at 5711 Camden Avenue North had an Appellant speak at the Public Hearing who said that the notices were not received, and the vehicle owner refused to give 10/27/25 -14- DRAFT the keys to the Appellant to move the vehicle that was in violation of the City code. The Appellant also stated they were not able to pay the citations that were issued for said vehicle. Mr. Thao explained some background on the property and said that prior to 2013, a rental license was issued, and rental property notices were also sent to the owner and property manager. The property was sold in 2013 as a contract for deed; therefore, notices were no longer sent to the property manager. City Staff were not able to verify that the sale was recorded with Hennepin County property records. Since the sale was not recorded, the owner of record remains in Alma B. Sybrant’s name. Compliance notices were then mailed to Ms. Sybrant in California and to the occupant at the current address. There are two separate cases that led to citations being issued at this property. Councilmember Kragness asked if the cases being explained now are the appeals. Mayor Graves confirmed these are the appeals that came before the Council. Councilmember Kragness said she just wanted to ensure that the Council was being respectful, and protecting people's innocence, and going through these things makes her a little bit uncomfortable to go into so much detail. Mayor Graves responded that this is what the Council asked for at the previous meeting. Councilmember Moore apologized because she was ill at the last meeting and missed the appeals, but she watched the recording, and she still has multiple questions. She agreed with Councilmember Kragness, but between the PowerPoint and what was in the pack et, and asked if what the Council requested was a summary of the appeals. Mayor Graves responded that typically, the process involves putting these citations on the tax roll, and owners can come in and appeal the citations. She explained that City Staff comes back to the Council with additional information and a summary about the citation that was appealed, and Council can deliberate on whether to assess or not. Councilmember Moore thanked Mayor Graves for clarifying. Councilmember Jerzak stated that he was not trying to cut off Mr. Thao's presentation, but he had read all 546 pages and a summary of each case, and acknowledged the hard work that Staff put into this summary of all the cases. He stated he did not want to embarrass people by putting their information out there, and after reading the summaries, he has no desire to second-guess City Staff or the Inspector's decisions at this time. He stated that the citations were issued according to City policy, and for the most part were not appealed by the property owners, and there are going to be a lot of surprises for those property owners next spring when they pay their property taxes. He noted that some of these property owners are going to be incredibly impacted by this, and that is where he believes a large problem lies with the City. Councilmember Jerzak continued that Mr. Anderson spelled out the City policy and included it in tonight's memorandum, and went over the frequency and outlined how the citation amounts can double. He said that this is what needs to be revisited by the Council. He noted that the Council approved this policy and the fees which has been done every year previously. He stated that the Inspectors did their job; enforced existing ordinances and followed the City's procedures and fee schedule, which was adopted by the Council. He stated that code enforcement followed policy and did their job, and he firmly believes that the existing policy is not just or equitable. Councilmember Jerzak continued that it is the Council’s responsibility as elected officials to correct wrongs when they can, and it is his sincere hope that the Council will address this policy and the fees before more harm is imposed. He stated these are unintentional consequences in a lot 10/27/25 -15- DRAFT of cases, and he believes these fees will cause a lot of hardships and therefore will be voting not to add them to the tax rolls based on the injustice of the policy. Councilmember Moore asked Mr. Anderson if any of the assisted living homes in Brooklyn Center had any code violations. Mr. Anderson said there are 180 assisted living facilities through one of the two agencies, and the City cannot address issues inside of those properties, but can handle violations through code enforcement sweeps of the exterior of the building. Councilmember Moore said she was in agreement with Councilmember Jerzak and cannot imagine how some of the individuals, based on the assessed value of their home, along with their mortgage payment, pay an additional $800 a month to address their fines, on top of their current property taxes. She stated she appreciates the level of detail that Mr. Anderson and Staff provided for the Council regarding all of these properties. She said the Council needs to revisit these policies to determine what is a priority. She continued that the grass complaints may be coming from residents who have a perfectly manicured lawn, and the neighbor has grass that is over six inches, or there is thistle in the yard. She stated she will not support these fees going on to the tax r olls, and the residents cannot afford them. She reiterated that the Council should revisit the code enforcement guidelines to also make the process easier for Mr. Anderson's personnel as well. Councilmember Kragness said she wanted to clarify where the Council is at, and first wanted to thank City Staff for providing the Council with 2,500 pages of data, and she is not complaining because that is what the Council asked for. She stated for the record that she never do ubted City Staff's expertise and trusted that they were doing their job correctly. She stated she was now confused because the Council voted for these fines to be implemented, and went through the documentation that stated the fines were purposeful and warranted, but now Councilmembers are saying these fines are not going to be assessed. She asked if the Council wants residents to pay fines or not, and is very confused as to where the Council is at now. She noted that residents cannot afford anything to begin with, but how is the Council going to balance holding people accountable, and ask people to pay fees and fines, but then not assess them. Mayor Graves recommended that the Council let City Staff finish their presentation to stay on track, and then have a discussion afterwards. Councilmember Moore said she thought the Staff was done presenting. Mayor Graves responded that this was just the first address that was read into the record that was presented on, and there should be seven more. Dr. Edwards stated that City Staff is ready and prepared to cut to the chase and make a recommendation to approve the citations, and asked if the Council would like to do that and forego the six appeals, or hear what Staff is recommending to do with the other appeals that were brought forth. Mayor Graves said that sounds good, because there are two Councilmembers who have already made up their minds about this. Councilmember Moore asked for a point of order and clarification regarding the motion that they are expected to pass to adopt a resolution certifying these special assessments to the tax rolls that did not happen at the last meeting, and if the second assessment is regarding tall grass and weeds. 10/27/25 -16- DRAFT Mayor Graves said the main issue is addressing the six appeals for administrative citations and the two weed abatement fine appeals that were not passed at the last meeting. Mayor Graves asked if that made sense to Councilmember Moore. Councilmember Moore asked Dr. Edwards to explain what the Council is supposed to be doing. Dr. Edwards said there are two actions before the Council, one to adopt the special assessment administration fees and citations to the Hennepin County tax rolls, of which there were six appeals. The second action to adopt the resolution certifying the tall grass and weed abatement cost appeals to the Hennepin County tax rolls, of which there were two. He noted that City Staff is prepared to speak about the eight total appeals that were brought before the Council and address them. Mayor Graves asked City Staff to jump to the summary for the Council to review. Mr. Anderson stated that City Staff’s recommendations are as follows: for the property at 5711 Camden Avenue North, assess the administrative citations totaling $1,000 plus the certification fee of $40 to the property tax rolls. The property at 3607 50th Avenue North, specially assess the administrative citations totaling $7,000 plus the certification fee of $40 to the property tax rolls and dismiss $1,100 based on the administrative hearing results. The property at 7201 Knox Avenue North, specially assess the administrative citations totaling $5,100 plus the certification fee of $40 to the property tax rolls and dismiss $1,900. The property at 6736 Toledo Avenue North, specially assess the administrative citations totaling $2,900 plus the certification fee of $40 to the property tax rolls. The property at 6401 Scott Avenue North, specially assess the administrative citations totaling $2,100 plus the certification fee of $40 to the property tax rolls. The property at 801 Woodbine Lane needs no action taken since the administration citation has been paid, and $50 is to be stayed based on a hearing that occurred after the last City Council meeting. The property at 5430 Morgan Avenue North, specially assess the abatement costs totaling $195 plus the certification fee of $40 to the property tax rolls. The property at 7227 Humboldt Avenue, specially assess the abatement cost totaling $120 plus the certification fee of $40 to the property tax rolls, and dismiss the $75 administrative fee. Mr. Anderson stated that there are two actions for the Council to consider. The first action is a motion to adopt the resolution certifying special assessments for administrative fines and citations to the Hennepin County property tax rolls, and the full list is updated with Staff-recommended changes. There were six appeals brought to the Council; three had no changes to the citation amount, two had reduced citation amounts, and one had no action required due to an administrative appeal and is no longer on the assessment list. He noted that if the Council prefers to adjust the amount or dismiss the citations, the resolution can be amended with the motion to approve. Mr. Anderson continued that the second action item for the Council is to make a motion to adopt a resolution certifying the two appealed citations for special assessments for tall grass and weed abatement costs and citations to the Hennepin County property tax rolls. Of the two appeals to these citations, only one had a change to the assessment amount with a reduction of abatement cost. Mayor Graves thanked Mr. Anderson for clarifying that for the Council and was prepared to make the motion, but noted that if there are Councilmembers who feel there are changes that need to be made, she is open to having those conversations. She continued that during the appeals, she 10/27/25 -17- DRAFT thought she heard residents mention that compliance could not be completed before receiving another citation from the City. She said she was not 100 percent sure residents are having the full opportunity to respond to notices from the City. She said she has experienced this herself when doing programs related to government, and things have to be submitted within a day or two a fter receiving all the information, and the timeline is very tight. She said the timeline could be longer to ensure that residents have the opportunity to get into compliance before receiving another citation. Mr. Anderson said his Department does try to give residents additional time, especially in cases that were appealed; those residents were given two weeks before receiving another citation. There was also one case that was given a month before receiving another citation. He said the guideline is to go once a week, but generally speaking, it ends up being longer than that before City Staff visits them again. Mayor Graves said she heard Mr. Anderson say that during his presentation, and is concerned that some people might be getting cited more often than others, and it needs to be consistent. She noted that there is also an ongoing struggle with folks who are disabled or elderly, and she understands that the City makes referrals for those people, but it is still a problem. She said she recently saw a social media post of a community in Wisconsin that puts up yard signs for elderly or disabled people who need extra help to manage either yardwork or snow removal, and the community rallies and does their part to help out those community members. She said this was an interesting idea and something to look into for Brooklyn Center to encourage support for people who are experiencing citations because of their ability level to get into compliance. Councilmember Moore asked Mr. Anderson to go back to his slides detailing the Council’s action, and said she has nothing in her packet that would suggest how she is supposed to do a motion one way or another. She said that she does not have anything in her packet, and that is why she has had so many questions on exactly what the Council is supposed to be voting on. She continued that in terms of the code violations, she saw one for tall grass that specifically stated it was on the far rear side of the property. She stated that she agrees with Councilmember Kragness that this has to be all or nothing, because how else will the Council decide who gets these citations assessed to their taxes and who does not. She said it is alarming to see how many times City Staff has gone out to some of these properties, and the challenges that the homeowners are having for a variety of reasons. She said, regardless of all this, she likes to be prepared in terms of what action she is expected to take, and it is not in her packet. Councilmember Jerzak stated that the Inspectors have a large toolbox to work with that includes education, information gathering, resident-to-Inspector discussion and compliance, persuasion, reaching out to neighbors, abatement, and towing, just to name a few. He asked why the rental property that accrued over $14,000 in fines for not having a rental license was not vigorously prosecuted by the City, or at a minimum, referred back to the Council for some type of action. He noted that the $14,000 fine will go back to the tenants because they are the ones who will end up paying for it. He said his other concern is that after so many efforts to get compliance, these fines are more than a felony, which is not just, and asked why the property was not referred to the City Attorney for a formal complaint for a nuisance. He continued that if one of these policies is not 10/27/25 -18- DRAFT just, then none of them are. He said the Council is responsible for adjusting this, and he is not against citations, but in the 15 years that he was an Inspector, he wrote less than five thousand citations because he learned to take the resident's beer money, not their food money. He continued that he believes there is a place for citations, but this is excessive. He noted that some of these citations are $8,000 or more, and the residents have to pay them off in one year, which is going to have a deep effect on a number of people. He stated that the Council needs to take this time to look inward at the policy that the Council created and, moving forward, at least try to address it. He continued that this does not mean these residents did not commit these violations, but the punishment needs to fit the alleged violation. He noted that a garbage can at the end of the road is not worth a $500 violation. Mayor Graves said she agrees with Councilmember Jerzak, and a lot of times it depends on who lives in your neighborhood and who is willing to file complaints. She noted that the Council put this policy into place last year, and if the Council is going to move forward with assessments for everyone else, then the Council should respect that City Staff did their jobs and made adjustments to those who made appeals. Mayor Graves stated that Councilmember Jerzak is asking for change, but has not specifically stated what needs to be changed. She said she does not think that the Council should change policies and not charge these fines to special assessments, because that brings up an issue of fairness as well. Councilmember Kragness said her issue is that the Council cannot put something into place and then, when it is carried out, claim that they did not realize what it was going to turn into. She stated that moving forward, she did a rough count of 189 cases, and of those, 45 cases have fines over $1,000. She stated that her recommendation is to raise the fine dollar amount threshold before it gets put on the tax roll, which in this example would reduce the 189 cases down to 45 being put on the tax roll. This would also give the homeowner more time to pay down their fines. Mayor Graves asked Mr. Anderson if the City had done something like that before, or if it was the county. Mr. Anderson responded that the City has slightly changed the policy to allow residents more time to make partial payments and the appeal process. He said that this is something that the Staff could discuss and bring an alternative amount as well as changing the threshold for the tax roll to the Council at another meeting. Councilmember Jerzak stated that he had a brief discussion with Dr. Edwards about this, and he is not picking on Mr. Anderson, but in that budget, there is a revenue line of over $100,000 expected in citation fees. He said he knows that there is no quota, and citations are not about revenue, but the problem with that being in the budget is that the perception from the average resident is that citations are used for revenue. He recommended that for residents who come forward, there is an option to make payments on their fines, and focus on the restorative aspect for those who want to take accountability. He continued that making fines cumulative is also not solving the overall problem. He acknowledged that if fines are assessed for others, they have to be assessed for all to ensure equity across the board. He stated he hopes that the Council can revisit this soon so he can participate in the conversation with Staff recommendations. He added that the Inspectors he knows 10/27/25 -19- DRAFT do not enjoy imposing these things, and in most cases, it creates an adversarial relationship between Inspectors and residents that Inspectors never recover from, and that is problematic. Councilmember Kragness asked City Attorney Siobhan Tolar what happens if these motions do not pass. Ms. Tolar asked if she meant the Council does not certify these appealed assessments to the tax roll, or if the resolution does not pass to certify any of the assessments. Councilmember Kragness asked what happens if the resolution to certify any of the assessments does not pass. Ms. Tolar said if the resolution does not pass, then the Council has to come back and do it again, or forgive all of the assessments going to the tax roll. Dr. Edwards said he had not heard the Council’s desire not to move the bulk of the assessments to the tax rolls, only the ones that had been appealed. His recommendation for the Council is to move to adopt the resolution, aside from the six that appealed, and come back with policy discussions later on, in order to move forward. Councilmember Kragness agreed with Dr. Edwards and wanted to clarify what the Council wanted to do. Ms. Tolar said during his presentation, Mr. Anderson had misread a reduction in fees of $190, but it was actually a reduction of $1,900, and she wanted to clarify that for the record. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson said she would like the Council to have a discussion soon about the fee schedule and the compounding of fees. She noted that if residents do not have the money to pay the first fee, adding more fines on top of that only makes the situation worse and more adversarial. She stated she understands that the City is paying Staff to go out multiple times to ensure compliance, but she would like to have a conversation about the fee schedule. Mayor Graves said there is consensus from the Council on revisiting compounding payments and high fees at a later time. Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded to adopt the RESOLUTION Certifying Special Assessments for Administrative Fines and Citations to the Hennepin County Property Tax rolls with the full list as updated with Staff recommended changes. Councilmembers Jerzak and Moore voted against the same. Motion passed. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson said for the purpose of this meeting, she does not want to change policy in the middle of the vote and will support Staff’s recommendation, but in the near future, she would like to have a robust discussion about the fee structure. Mayor Graves said City Staff has heard and understands the Council’s consensus on having an in- depth discussion at a later meeting, regarding the fee structure and policy. 10/27/25 -20- DRAFT Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded to adopt the RESOLUTION Certifying Special Assessments for Tall Grass and Weed and Weed Abatement Costs and Citations to the Hennepin County Tax Rolls with changes noted by Staff. Councilmembers Jerzak and Moore voted against the same. Motion passed. Mayor Graves thanked Mr. Anderson for his presentation and said the Council looks forward to their future conversation. 11. COUNCIL REPORT 12. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded adjournment of the City Council meeting at 8:37 pm. Motion passed unanimously.