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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025.11.10 CCM REGULAR11/10/25 -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 NOVEMBER 10, 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 7:00 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL Mayor April Graves, Councilmembers Dan Jerzak, Teneshia Kragness, and Laurie Ann Moore. Also present were City Manager Reggie Edwards, Deputy Fire Marshall Brandon Gautsch, Finance Director Angela Holm, and City Attorney Siobhan Tolar. Councilmember Kris Lawrence-Anderson was absent and excused. 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. Rose K. addressed the Council and stated that she worked for the state of Minnesota for 45 years as a Management Analyst. She stated that her job entailed making recommendations to management for improving government practices and procedures for efficiency and compliance in government, as well as managing contracts and grants with boilerplate language for assurances and certificates that were attached. She said she was there with three different requests, one of which was that the City provide deed restriction language. She said she asked five different City employees, including the City Manager, who did not respond to her, and the ones she did speak with did not know what deed restriction language the City should use. She said she then spoke with the City Clerk, who referred her to the Hennepin County Deed Office to obtain the information. She spoke with the deed office and asked how to proceed according to the City ordinance, and she was told to call the City of Brooklyn Center and speak with someone there. Rose K. continued that the reason she wanted to discuss this was due to a deed restriction regarding the installation of a stove in her basement. She said she put a stove in her basement and was told she needed to have soundproofing installed in her ceiling, so she did. She said that this was a year and a half ago, and the City told her that she was the first one expected to comply with this 11/10/25 -2- DRAFT ordinance. After she installed the stove in her basement, she was informed that she would also have to install a separate entrance to her basement. She explained that she is not using the basement as an apartment or renting it out, but using it as an entertaining space or for a caregiver to live in the basement as she gets older. She said she was informed by City Staff that there would be exceptions made to the ordinance. Mayor Graves informed Rose K. that her allotted time was up and to finish her statement. Mayor Graves said she remembered reading an email from Rose K. a few days prior. Rose K. responded that she was fined $1,000 plus a $75 registration fee for a vacant home by the City, but she has lived in her home for over a year and a half. She said the reason the City thinks her house is vacant is due to the restrictive language on her deed, but no one will tell her how to rectify the issue. Mayor Graves said she could tell that this issue has been very frustrating for Rose K. and stated that she would follow up to ensure that Rose's email and information reached the right person to be resolved. Rose K. asked Mayor Graves if City Attorney Siobhan Tolar could assist her with the deed language to ensure it is corrected. Mayor Graves confirmed that Ms. Tolar would look at the language and thanked Rose K. for addressing the Council. Steve L. addressed the Council and said he serves as the education coordinator for the Inland Sea Kayakers. Kayla S. also addressed the Council and said she was the vice president of the Rapids Riders Canoe and Kayak Club. Steve L. stated that the two clubs share a long tradition of using the Brooklyn Center Community Center pool each winter for canoe and kayak safety and skills training. This partnership has lasted for more than 30 years. Each week from November through May, more than 40 paddlers from across the region come together to learn, train, and stay connected to the water year-round. Kayla S. continued that they were concerned when they learned that the Brooklyn Center Community Center would have Sunday closures, knowing how much these sessions mean to the club members and the paddling community. She said she was grateful to hear that private rentals will continue, and looks forward to working with Parks and Recreation to ensure that their partnership continues smoothly through the coming years. She stated that the pool provides a safe solution and a welcoming environment for everyone to build confidence and skills, including individuals with disabilities and paddlers coming from historically underrepresented communities in paddle sports. She stated that they value the facility as a community resource and are thankful for the opportunity to continue this partnership. She thanked the Council for their time and continued support. Mayor Graves thanked Steve L. and Kayla S. for addressing the Council. Lam W. addressed the Council and stated that he belongs to the Inland Sea Kayak Club, noting the importance of the Community Center and the pool in training and introducing young people to kayaking. He said that due to this training, the kayakers are able to make a three-mile crossing across Lake Superior in the summer. He said he hoped the Council would reconsider opening the Community Center on Sundays so the training tradition could continue, especially for the younger people. Mayor Graves thanked Lam W. for speaking and said the Community Center is one of the City's best assets, along with all the programming partnerships that come with it. 11/10/25 -3- DRAFT Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded to close the Informal Open Forum. Motion passed unanimously. 5. INVOCATION Mayor Graves read a quote from the 1994 Inaugural speech of Nelson Mandela, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous. Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we left our own light shine, we consciously permit other people to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." 6. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Mayor Graves 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 replace item 7b. Northstar Youth Academy Presentation, with the Random Acts of Kindness presentation, and move it up to item 7a.Northstar Youth Academy Presentation, and move item 7a. Minneapolis Northwest Tourism Update to become item 7b. Minneapolis Northwest Tourism Update and the following consent items were approved: 6a. LICENSES GASOLINE SERVICE STATIONS Brooklyn Center Municipal Garage 6844 Shingle Creek Parkway Casey’s General Store 2101 Freeway Boulevard Holiday #3808 5710 Xerxes Avenue North LIQUOR LICENSES BC Liquor Store #1 1350 Suite A Shingle Creek Crossing Cub Foods-Brookdale 3245 County Road North 10 Davannis 5937 Summit Drive Duoos Brothers 6110 Brooklyn Boulevard 11/10/25 -4- DRAFT Embassy Suites 6300 Earle Brown Drive Pump N Munch 1505 69th Avenue North TOBACCO LICENSES Holiday #3808 5701 Xerxes Avenue North Premier Tobacco 6930 Brooklyn Boulevard Speedway 3192 6940 Brooklyn Boulevard Speedway 4503 1901 57th Avenue North Speedway 4160 6545 West River Road Winner (AM/PM Corner Market) 6501 Humboldt Avenue North RENTAL INITIAL (TYPE IV -- six-month license) 2012 Brookview Drive Mai Nhia Xiong & Lue Yang INITIAL (TYPE II – two-year license) 5308 Emerson Avenue North Catherine Williams 1713 70th Avenue North Bismuth Bridge PropCo LLC 3300 67th Avenue North Thomas A Cook 6123 Beard Avenue North ELLA CLAIBORNE RENEWAL (TYPE IV – six-month license) 1510 69th Avenue North JULIUS ASVELT COCHRAN 1701 69th Avenue North Earle Brown Farm Apartments RENEWAL (TYPE III – one-year license) 1308 68th Lane North Roth Wagner Llc1 5301 France Avenue North Juniper Land Trust Llc 5636 Irving Avenue North Bruce A Goldberg 6219 Chowen Avenue North Butterfly Bound Care 11/10/25 -5- DRAFT RENEWAL (TYPE II – two-year license) 2912 69th Lane North Lydia S. Kim 3712 53rd Place North SFR BORROWER 2022-A LLC 5357 71st Circle Randy E White 5607 Halifax Avenue North Kane M Buss 6413 June Avenue North CEL MONTON LLC RENEWAL (TYPE I – three-year license) 4201 Lakeside Avenue North #209 Robert J Morgan 5351 71st Circle Pyarali Revoc Trust 5814 Pearson Drive Ih2 Property Illinois Lp 6312 France Avenue North O OLADEJI & O OLADEJI 6506 Drew Avenue North P M ISABELL & K S ISABELL 6613 Camden Drive Mark One Resources LLC 6b. RESOLUTION APPROVING THE LABOR AGREEMENT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT LABOR SERVICES (LELS) LOCAL 86 (SERGEANTS AND COMMANDERS) AND THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER FOR THE CALENDAR YEARS 2025, 2026, AND 2027 7. PRESENTATIONS/PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS/DONATIONS 7a. RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS Dr. Edwards said the Council would review a brief presentation, and then nominees and nominators could take a photo with the City Council. A larger, more in-depth presentation will follow on Saturday, November 15, as the community celebrates and recognizes Random Acts of Kindness. Director of Community Prevention, Health and Safety LaToya Turk addressed the Council and stated she was there to make a presentation and to acknowledge all of the recipients. She asked that, as she calls the names of the recipients and they are present, they should stand to be recognized, but hold applause until the end of the presentation. Ms. Turk explained that the Random Acts of Kindness program was established in 1997, and this year marks 28 years for the Brooklyn Center Random Acts of Kindness program. The focus of 11/10/25 -6- DRAFT Random Acts of Kindness is to honor Brooklyn Center residents and/or groups that demonstrate acts of kindness, making the community a wonderful place to live and work. Ms. Turk explained that this year's process involved paper and email nominations and media promotion both on the City website and social media, along with newsletters, park signs, and community engagement promotion activities. She noted that this year there were 53 nominations, and the Random Acts of Kindness nominee celebration would be held at the Community Center in Constitutional Hall on November 15, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for brunch, acknowledgements, and Council photos. Ms. Turk stated she would start reading through the nominees and the nominators. She read aloud the nominees: Scott Hanson, Persephone’s Pals, TQL, The Organization of Liberian Women in Minnesota, BKBM Engineers, Jack MacMillan and Jill Dalton, Kids for a Better World, Inc., Kids on the Move Daycare, Brooklyn Center Lions Club, Brooklyn Center Lady Lions, Raven Robinson, who were all nominated by Adopt-A-Park. She stated that Taylor Oswald was also nominated by Adopt-A-Garden. Ms. Turk read aloud the 53 individual nominees: Commissioner Alexander Koenig, Alan and Darnell Hancock, the Brooklyn Center Community School Custodial Staff, B. Vang, Bill Bailey Family, The Brooklyn United Methodist Church, Caddox Herrera, Sheryl Jecarek, Christina Jones, Cindy Copaz, Denise Togbah, Derek Wolf, Diane Sannes, Dr. Amir Monzavi, Erika Lee, Erwin Heisler, Francis Bernard, Ginger and Phil Luoma Anderson, Hadi Medical Clinic, Hussein and Kaniz Walji, Ingrid Smith, Jennifer Olson, Jody Vaillancourt, Kazem Meshksar, Kelly Tomsche, Lamarion Edwards, Leonard “Lenny” Jacobsson, Lillian McDonald, Mariah Russell, Mezgebu Alemneh, Mike Mahigan, Minneapolis Elks Lodge #44, Rick Gordon, Sandy Becker, Sarah Meissner, Sheila Bear, Shelly Auld, Stella Sola, Teri Iverson, Terry Hayes, and William Schafer. Ms. Turk said that this year, there were three nominees for the Community Engagement Connector Award, recognizing leadership and commitment to engaging and connecting Brooklyn Center communities with needed resources. Ms. Turk said she would like to acknowledge those three nominees: Re-Church and Pastor Chuchi Xiong, Sports and Leadership Academy, and The Inner Hero. She thanked those three organizations for all of their service to the City of Brooklyn Center. Mayor Graves congratulated all of the nominees and said that when people stand in their own power and their own purpose and let their light shine, it opens the door for other people to do the same, and those people make up the community of Brooklyn Center. She stated that when people create their own positive ripples, it makes the City even more beautiful for everyone to live in and exist. She thanked all of the nominees for all of their work. Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded to accept the presentation of the Random Acts of Kindness. Motion passed unanimously. 7b. MINNEAPOLIS NORTHWEST TOURISM UPDATE 11/10/25 -7- DRAFT Mayor Graves introduced CEO and President Leslie Wright to present this item. Ms. Wright said she would like to open by talking about lodging taxes and framing this the way the convention and visitor bureau or destination marketing organization is funded. She said this enables legislation in the regulatory context per Minnesota statutes, Chapter 469, which is on Economic Development, and at Miscellaneous Economic Development Powers section 469.190, which is the local lodging taxes and funding of the local convention or visitor’s bureau, this is where some of the City's funding is taken from. She explained that when looking at common uses and restrictions of those taxes, the things that are allowed are marketing visitor guides, social media, attracting regional and national conventions and events, and hosting events that bring tourism. The City's Capital Improvement plans and public improvements, such as public space beautification, are not allowed to use those funds, so taxes really go to promoting the City. Ms. Wright explained that Northwest Tourism is a destination marketing organization representing Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park that focuses on the promotion, management, and development of a specific travel or tourism destination. She stated that their primary role is to attract visitors, improve the visitor experience, and ensure sustainable tourism growth. The organization typically represents a City or region and works in collaboration with local businesses, governments, and stakeholders to foster tourism and drive economic development. She noted that Northwest Tourism includes her and two other staff members, and there is one vacant marketing consultant position that is currently available. She said the organization is determining what to do entering 2026 to ensure they have the right strategy to move their destinations forward. She explained that the organization is funded by lodging taxes, which are the taxes paid by visitors staying at the accommodations in the cities of Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center, not by the tax-paying residents who reside there. The more people that stay at these area hotels, the more revenue the organization receives, which means more marketing. Ms. Wright said that the organization participates in data analysis of occupancy at the area hotels, to ensure that numbers stay up, and if they do not, the organization does an analysis of why and how they can increase occupancy year after year. Ms. Wright explained what Northwest Tourism is working on now, which includes media coverage for bigger events in the area, newsletters and blogs, and community engagement meetings with both Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center to understand what is happening in order to promote events. She said they are hosting quarterly hotel sales director meetings, social activities with board members and stakeholders, proactive selling, lead qualification and distribution, and the Gus Macker event. Upcoming events for Northwest Tourism include critical board training, soft rebrand of Minneapolis Northwest Tourism which includes more information about the Brooklyn’s, a familiarization tour holiday event on December 2 at the Heritage Center, updating Insider’s Guide for meeting planners because some events have changed in the community, a board newsletter, determining return on investment for the Gus Macker event, and strategizing for 2026. Ms. Wright noted that to promote tourism in the area, they primarily use social media, Google Ads, newsletters, blogs, conferences, and events, communicating with event planners, and some 11/10/25 -8- DRAFT free marketing and promotion events that the organization is able to do for businesses and restaurants. She said the next area of focus will be storytelling in 2026, where stories about residents and businesses of the area will be featured. Ms. Wright noted the importance of Councilmembers attending community events. She said she attended every neighborhood meeting in Brooklyn Center in order to hear what residents are saying, to learn more about the community. She said the focus is also on Gus Macker sponsorships and contacts, as the organization needs as many as they can possibly get, and it is important for Councilmembers to advocate for. She encouraged Councilmembers to follow the organization on social media and to be an advocate for the City and the visitors. Ms. Wright explained that the Gus Macker event is a community three-on-three outdoor basketball tournament that is a national event held throughout the country. On August 2nd through the 3rd, it was held at North Hennepin Community College, and 173 teams participated. She said there were local partnerships supported by local non-profit businesses, volunteers, and City leadership, and Mayor Graves was one of the celebrity judges. Northwest Tourism donated $20,450 to non - profit organizations and volunteer groups this year, received $21,800 in sponsorships, and had 300 shifts of volunteers that helped with the Gus Macker event. Ms. Wright highlighted how Brooklyn Center can support Minneapolis Northwest Tourism with communication about events, promoting awareness of the community, expanding amenities to attract visitors, investing in establishments, and including Northwest tourism for decision-making. She asked if the Council had any questions for her. Mayor Graves thanked Ms. Wright for her presentation. Councilmember Kragness said she looks forward to the Gus Macker event. Ms. Wright said the event will be even better next year, and it is critical to have the support from the City, even though the event is in Brooklyn Park; she wants the presence of Brooklyn Center to be there. Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded to accept the presentation from Northwest Tourism. Motion passed unanimously. Councilmember Jerzak asked if the names of the local non-profits that received funds from Northwest Tourism could be printed in the Friday update. Mayor Graves said that sounded like a great idea. Ms. Wright said she would get those names, as well as the organizations that volunteered, to City Staff to be included in the Friday update. 7c. CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER PROCUREMENT CARD USE POLICY Dr. Edwards introduced Finance Director Angela Holm to present this item. Ms. Holm explained that she was there to present the new Procurement Card use policy that the Finance Commission has been working on under the direction of the Council and City Staff. The 11/10/25 -9- DRAFT Finance Commission has taken time to review this policy, as it was based on research from other cities and started with the initial credit card use policy, which was out of date and no longer applicable. Ms. Holm noted the differences between a City Procurement Card (P-card) and a credit card, and said the City previously had a credit card, which allowed individuals to make charges. Receipts were required, and bills were not paid until all receipts were gathered and verified. This resulted in late fees, interest, and locked account issues. The P-card bills are set to auto-pay each month, which eliminates late fees and interest, but receipts are still required from cardholders to verify charges each month. She said the reason the Finance Commission is looking at this new policy is due to audit findings in 2023 and 2024 in an independent audit. She noted that the City needed to demonstrate corrective actions to address the findings in those audits. She said the City needed to provide guidance and expectations for cardholders, and the previous policy was directed to credit card activity and needed to be updated for the P-cards. Ms. Holm stated that the key provisions of this policy are that P-cards are considered an asset of the City and must be handled in a way to protect the City’s financial interests. There will be required purchasing card user agreements that will be maintained in the City employee’s personnel file. The P-card policy will also reference other City policies that include: Personnel policy, Business Ethics policy, the Purchasing policy, and the Progressive Discipline policy. Other key points of the policy include that purchases must be for a public purpose, no personal use of the P- card will be permitted, invoiced amounts may not be paid with a P-card, which was a specific finding by the auditors, and adequate documentation regarding the nature, purpose, and total cost of the purchase is required. P-card transactions will also be processed through the City’s accounts payable workflow system, and lost receipts will not relieve the cardholder of purchase responsibilities. Each P-card will have a credit limit of $5,000, and individual transactions will be limited to less than $1,000. She noted that this limit aligns with the current purchasing policy authorization thresholds. Adjustments to these limits can be made for specific purchases. She said that an example would be if a Staff member is traveling or needs to make a larger purchase, the P- card purchase threshold can be increased for a one-time purchase. Ms. Holm noted that a loss of privileges for the P-card would be due to failure to comply with the P-card policy, patterns of missing receipts or disputed transactions, and fact-finding investigations would be conducted prior to any disciplinary action. Disciplinary action would include cancellation of the cardholder's account for 60 days, or permanent loss of P-card privileges, and the Progressive Discipline policy may be applied. Ms. Holm noted that this policy does not restrict the use of personal credit cards for expenses that are eligible for reimbursement, but Staff must be aware that immediate reimbursement of these expenses is not possible. She noted that Staff should use their own card for City purchases cautiously. Ms. Holm asked the Council if there were any questions. 11/10/25 -10- DRAFT Councilmember Moore thanked Ms. Holm for the presentation. She asked about P-card purchase limits and said she thought previously the limit was $3,000. Ms. Holm said from historical research she did, $5,000 was the credit limit on the card, and $1,000 was the single purchase limit. Councilmember Moore asked if travel was the only example Ms. Holm could think of that would require a P-card designee to go above the purchase limit. Ms. Holm said that the example is the only one that has been presented to her. Councilmember Moore said that because all Directors report to Dr. Edwards, it would be up to Dr. Edwards to implement any investigation or disciplinary action regarding the misuse of the P-cards. Ms. Holm responded that Dr. Edwards would play a significant role in that process, but would be acting on her general recommendation due to her having access to all the P-card transactions and activities surrounding the card each month. Ms. Holm continued that she has a Staff member who specifically tracks every transaction and consults with Ms. Holm if there are any issues. Councilmember Moore thanked Ms. Holm and the Finance Commission for coming up with this policy. Councilmember Kragness thanked Ms. Holm and the Finance Commission for coming up with a thorough purchase policy. Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded to accept the Brooklyn Center Procurement Card Use Policy presentation. Motion passed unanimously. 8. PUBLIC HEARINGS 8a. RESOLUTIONS APPROVING 2026 PUBLIC UTILITY RATES Dr. Edwards introduced Finance Director Angela Holm to present this item. Ms. Holm said that she would present to give some extra information about how to proceed with the 2026 Utilities rates, allow for adequate comment, and keep a clear record. She noted that any variances to the information contained in the resolutions would require modification to the language. She said one of the resolutions was not originally included in the Public Hearing, which was the Storm Sewer rates, but will be discussed tonight and will be included in the resolutions. Ms. Holm said that when proposing rates to the Council, she wants to ensure that service levels are maintained while providing cash for operating needs, Capital projects, and debt services. The 2026 proposed rates will be presented to the Council on December 1, 2025. There will be a long- term analysis to promote stabilization of rate changes. She said she included the Utility Capital projects in her presentation, just as a point of reference, so people understand what these Utility funds are used for. She explained that Capital improvements are outside of operating funds, but there are structural and infrastructure needs that have to be done to ensure that Utility services are maintained for the City as well. 11/10/25 -11- DRAFT Ms. Holm showed the Council a summary of what the proposed rate changes are for 2026, comparing them to the 2025 rates. *Rates not shown on screen.* Ms. Holm showed the Council the rates for water, and what an average residential homeowner uses for water, which is approximately 18,000 gallons of water a quarter, and water is billed on a quarterly basis. *Rates not shown on screen.* Ms. Holm said with this information in mind, she anticipated the water rates to be $289.64 per quarter in 2025. She anticipated that in 2026, the new water rates would go up to $325.39 per quarter. Ms. Holm noted the total change in recycling rates per quarter is $35.75 in 2026. She said she would like to show the Council some slides comparing Brooklyn Center's Utility rates to other cities' rates. She said she always wants to look at how comparable cities fund infrastructure, operations, maintenance, and replacement, and large construction projects. She noted that some cities have very specific funding sources that are kept out of Utility rates, and that has to be kept in mind when comparing them to Brooklyn Center. She said there are also differing policies on incurring debt or using other funding mechanisms, and organics and recycling are addressed differently in each community. Ms. Holm noted that, as far as comparison of the 2025 water Utility rates compared to 2026, the rates for 2026 are higher, and it would be an easy assumption to say that other comparable cities would have higher water rates as well. She said that the Sanitary Sewer Utility rate is very similar to other cities as far as comparable rates, with 2025 being right in the middle and increasing in 2026. She stated that the City's Storm Drainage rates are lower in comparison to other cities in both 2025 and 2026. Ms. Holm continued with a comparison of all three: Water, Sewer, and Storm Drainage across all comparable cities, excluding street lights and recycling, because not all cities charge for those. The comparison shows Brooklyn Center in the mid-to-low range compared to other cities in 2025, with the expectation to move up to the mid-range in 2026 with the rate increase. She noted that for cities that charge for recycling, Brooklyn Center is on the upper end for rates. Ms. Holm explained that the next steps would include the Council opening a Public Hearing for comments on the proposed 2026 Utility rates. Once the Public Hearing is open, she suggested that the Council take comments on each individual utility, specifically calling it out, just to keep the record clear. Once all comments have been taken and the Public Hearing is closed, there will need to be a motion for each resolution. Ms. Holm said she would address any questions from the Council prior to the Public Hearing. Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded to open the Public Hearing. Motion passed unanimously. No one wished to address the Council. Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Moore seconded to close the Public Hearing. 11/10/25 -12- DRAFT Motion passed unanimously. Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded to approve a RESOLUTION adopting the 2026 Water Utility Rates, Fees, and Charges. Councilmember Moore said she would like to discuss the Water Utility rates before voting. Mayor Graves said she thought questions and comments would have been discussed before opening the Public Hearing, since the motion had already been made to approve the resolution. Councilmember Moore said a Public Hearing is different than the Council having a discussion, and she would like to discuss the motion. Mayor Graves told Councilmember Moore to go ahead with her comments. Councilmember Moore said she would not be in support of a 25 percent increase for the Water Utility rates, and thinks there has been an oversight in the Administration of the City's Water Utility Fund. She stated that the current fund does have enough money to fund the Capital Improvement project for next year. She noted that she brought this forward in the joint Finance Commission meeting, and that by 2028, there will be $9.5 million in the Water Utility fund, and there are not enough Capital Improvement projects in the City that would need that much money. She continued that the City has a water meter fiasco, which she will not go into great detail about at tonight's meeting. She requested that there be a reduction in the 25 percent increase amount dur ing a joint Finance Commission meeting, and she was told that this is the recommendation. Councilmember Moore continued that there was discussion about the bond rate, but she does not think that pertains to just the Utility fund, and that it will affect the bond rate. She pointed out that Golden Valley, Crystal, and New Hope buy water from Minneapolis under the Joint Water Commission and are not comparable to Brooklyn Center's Utility rates. She said due to those reasons and more that she is not willing to discuss during this meeting, she will not be supporting this resolution. Councilmember Jerzak said last year he voted not to support a Water Utility rate increase, but this year he would be voting in the affirmative because Staff has identified that there is a shortage of funds and there are several needs for the City. He noted that no one likes cost increases, but he has to be realistic about what has to be done so there are ample funds in that account. He said he is hopeful that, going forward, the Council continues to re-examine the Utility rates. He noted that as far as the water meters go, he said City Staff has presented a concrete plan to remedy them, and is securing contracts to replace the no-read water meters. He said he respectfully understands Councilmember Moore's concerns, but also wants to be realistic, and Staff have identified that an increase is needed to remain fluid and fiscally responsible. He noted that for all of those reasons, he would be voting to approve the resolution. Councilmember Moore voted against the same. Motion passed. Councilmember Moore moved and Mayor Graves seconded to approve a RESOLUTION adopting the 2026 Sanitary Sewer Utility Rates, Fees, and Charges. 11/10/25 -13- DRAFT Motion passed unanimously. Mayor Graves moved Councilmember Moore seconded to approve a RESOLUTION adopting the 2026 Storm Sewer Utility Rates, Fees, and Charges. Motion passed unanimously. Councilmember Kragness moved and Mayor Graves seconded to approve a RESOLUTION adopting the 2026 Street Light Rates, and Charges. Councilmember Moore said she wanted to commend Ms. Holm and other City Staff for reducing the original increase amount for Street lights from 20 percent down to 10 percent. Councilmember Jerzak said he would like to include Engineering and Public Works in that commendation, and for adopting the state statute around state specifications for better light poles and easier replacement of light bulbs, and a basis for bulbs to be stocked in inventory. He said he knows that has been a difficult issue in the past, and wanted to acknowledge the work that the Staff did to ensure that the process went smoothly. He noted that in the past, on Brooklyn Boulevard, street lights would be out for a long period of time, due to the difficulty in changing out the bulbs, and now that is no longer an issue. Motion passed unanimously. Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Moore seconded to approve a RESOLUTION establishing the 2026 Recycling Rates and Charges. Councilmember Moore acknowledged that originally there was a five percent increase in recycling, and that was reduced to three percent. She commented that she does not know why Brooklyn Center rates are still so high, but thanked the Staff for reducing them. Motion passed unanimously. Mayor Graves said Brooklyn Center was a little late to the game to sign up for recycling, which is why the City’s rates are a little bit higher. 9. PLANNING COMMISSION ITEMS 10. COUNCIL CONSIDERATION ITEMS 10a. AN ORDINANCE REPEALING AND REPLACING IN ITS ENTIRETY CHAPTER 5 OF THE BROOKLYN CENTER CITY CODE OF ORDINANCES, REGARDING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FIRE PREVENTION DIVISION WITHIN THE BROOKLYN CENTER FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND SETTING THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR NOVEMBER 24, 2025 (FIRST READING) 11/10/25 -14- DRAFT Dr. Edwards introduced Deputy Fire Marshall Brandon Gautsch to present this item. Dr. Edwards said there are a few notable changes to this ordinance which includes updating the codes and standards for landscaping, allowing email corrections notices in addition to mailed notices, adding language to support safety to gated access, as well as addressing prevalent malfunctioning elevators, maintenance for alarms and sprinkler systems, vacant buildings that require maintenance, requirements for hotel life and safety inspections, regulations for electric vehicle charging stations and mobile food truck inspections. Dr. Edwards explained that all changes to the ordinance have been provided in the information the Council received, and the motion before the Council is to approve the first reading of the ordinance repealing and replacing Chapter 5. He noted that Mr. Gautsch would answer any questions that the Council may have; otherwise, the Council could make the motion. Mr. Gautsch said he appreciates the Council’s time and the fact that Chapter 5 has been updated, as it has been 20 years since its last update. Councilmember Jerzak said he thoroughly reviewed the updates and said he appreciated Mr. Gautsch considering the feedback received from the previous meeting, and noted the language changes in the code. Councilmember Moore moved and Mayor Graves seconded to approve an Ordinance Repealing and Replacing in its entirety, Chapter 5 of The Brooklyn Center City Code of Ordinances, regarding the establishment of the Fire Prevention Division within the Brooklyn Center Fire Department, and setting the Public Hearing for November 24, 2025 (First Reading). Motion passed unanimously. 11. COUNCIL REPORT 12. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded the adjournment of the City Council meeting at 8:21 pm. Motion passed unanimously.