Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025.09.22 CCM REGULAR9/22/25 -1- MINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER IN THE COUNTY OF HENNEPIN AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA REGULAR SESSION SEPTEMBER 22, 2025 CITY HALL – COUNCIL CHAMBERS 1. INFORMAL OPEN FORUM WITH CITY COUNCIL The Brooklyn Center City Council met in an Informal Open Forum called to order by Mayor April Graves at 7:00 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL Mayor April Graves, Councilmembers Teneshia Kragness, Dan Jerzak, and Laurie Ann Moore. Also present were City Manager Reggie Edwards, Community Development Director Jesse Anderson, Finance Director Angela Holm, City Clerk Shannon Pettit, 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 an Informal Open Forum and reviewed the Rules of Decorum. No one wished to address the Council. Councilmember Moore moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded to close the Informal Open Forum. Motion passed unanimously. 5. INVOCATION Mayor April Graves recited a poem she wrote, titled “Be the Blueprint.” “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. We were warned by the smoke from burning ballads, by the bruises left by billy clubs. By the hush of textbooks that skipped chapters, and spent centuries in footnotes. We were warned, but still, here we 9/22/25 -2- are. A nation seemingly addicted to amnesia, rewriting oppression in prettier fonts and calling it progress. But history doesn't whisper anymore, it shouts. From Ferguson to Flint, to fires on sacred lands, from stolen lives to stolen votes. From bans on books to bans on bodies. This ain’t new. It’s the remix of the same old song. Power hoarding, truth distorting, systems exploiting, people resisting. Power concedes nothing without a demand. So tell me, what will be the demand when the ballot feels broken and the breath in our chest comes with a price. When justice comes with conditions, and freedom has a footnote. Don’t say the system works when it was never designed to work for all of us. A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything. And too many are falling still, for flag colored lies, for law and order. The murders in the daylight for silence, masquerading as peace. We watch the Pledge of Allegiance with one hand, while signing death warrants with the other. But I don't pledge to hypocrisy. I don't kneel to systems that devour the people they claim to serve. We were warned. But warnings mean nothing if we don't change course. Change isn't in slogans. Change is in Community Gardens and restorative circles. Food drives that double as survival plans. A mother teaching her son that he's more than what the system says. Change is small, relational. Radical in its insistence that everyone has the right to live whole. So we reach back to Fannie Lou, who said, 'I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.' To Angela, who said, 'You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world, and you have to do it all the time.' So we act, not to save a broken thing, but to build something new. To school, the state, and lessons, it refuses to learn, like human lives are not collateral. Black indigenous futures are not negotiable. Gender is not a threat. And liberation, that's not a luxury, that's a right. We were warned, but warnings become wisdom only when we listen, and wisdom becomes power only when we act. So write the real history, teach the truth loud, stand with the silenced, not the proud. Don’t just follow the path, be the blueprint. Etch freedom in action, not just in intent. Be fire and foundation, be mirror and movement, be the dream and the disobedience. Because justice isn’t passive, and love isn’t silent. So don’t wait for what’s coming, be the blueprint today.” 6. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Councilmember Moore moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded to approve the Agenda and Consent Agenda, as amended, with amendments to add to the Consent Agenda, item 6d. The Opioid Settlement, and added item 11, to be in closed session after Council Consideration Items, and the following consent items were approved: 6a. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. September 8, 2025 – Study Session 2. September 8, 2025 – Regular Session 6b. LICENSES AMUSEMENT DEVICES Rigel Llc 1200 Shingle Creek Crossing 9/22/25 -3- Rigel Llc 6350 Brooklyn Boulevard MECHANICAL Admiral Radon Mechanical Services LLC 13816 Utah Avenue Savage 55378 United States Mechanical 3526 88th Avenue NE Blaine 55014 Zahl Petroleum Maintenance 3101 Spring Street NE Minneapolis 55413 RENTAL INITIAL (TYPE IV – six-month license) 5408 Girard Avenue N JDK Premier Properties 5849 Colfax Avenue N Bismuth Bridge PropCO LLC INITIAL (TYPE III – one-year license) 3415 65th Avenue N Granite City Apts LLC INITIAL (TYPE II – two-year license) 4207 Lakeside Avenue, #231 Paris Gatlin INITIAL (TYPE I – three-year license) 4201 Lakeside Avenue, #106 Wallace A Sharp & Janet L Sharp RENEWAL (TYPE IV – six-month license) 3600 Admiral Lane N HPA CL1 LLC RENEWAL (TYPE III – one-year license) 4100 Lakebreeze Avenue N PBK Properties LLC RENEWAL (TYPE II – two-year license) 5442 James Avenue N Brandon J Stigsell 5621 Humboldt Avenue N Abad Martinez RENEWAL (TYPE I – three-year license) 2924 67th Avenue N Ivan Tkach 3906 52nd Avenue N Randy Hammond 6800 Dupont Avenue N Caml LLC 9/22/25 -4- 6c. RESOLUTION APPROVING JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE OF MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, BUREAU OF CRIMINAL APPREHENSION FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE INTERNET CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN TASK FORCE (ICAC) 7. PRESENTATIONS/PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS/DONATIONS 7a. HIGHWAY 252/I-94 PRESENTATION BY THE 252 SAFETY TASK FORCE Dr. Edwards stated that several years ago, the Council had authorized and supported the Highway 252 Task Force, which is a group of community members that raised their voices around the issues related to Highway 252, and they have a presentation for the Council as well as an update on their work. Highway 252 Safety Task Force member Tom Corey thanked Mayor Graves and the Council for the opportunity to provide a Highway 252 Safety Task Force Update and for the work towards improving this project. Mr. Corey explained that this presentation will focus on topical areas of concern and provide recommendations. He asked that the Council hold questions until the first recommendation slide topic is presented. The five topical areas are: Minnesota vs. Federal Environmental Law, Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) promises, public engagement contracts, congestion as soon as Highway 252 opens, and community betterment areas. MnDOT law provisions are generally stricter than federal law provisions; the stricter provision applies. Critically important is the Minnesota Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) Substantive Standards, stating that no action should result in pollution, impairment, or destruction of natural resources if a feasible and prudent alternative exists, even if the alternative is more expensive. When Interstate 35E was being planned from 94 down to Highway 5, the original design proposed a direct route with a bridge across Blackhawk Lake. Local residents objected, citing environmental concerns, especially the impact on water quality, wild habitat, aesthetics, and quietude. The case escalated all the way to the Minnesota Supreme Court, which ruled in 1980 that the highway must avoid the lake because there was a less environmentally harmful alternative. MEPA’s core principle is that you cannot damage the environment unless there is no viable alternative, and it was a key part of the court's decision. Thanks to MEPA, the plan was changed, and Interstate 35E now curves around the lake. Mr. Corey continued that Presidential Executive Order number 14173 made the Federal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental law weaker by eliminating environmental justice and equity. He said the City needs to take full advantage of Minnesota environmental law to push a vision of how to benefit Brooklyn Center residents, and Minnesota law is on the City's side. Highway 35E between I-94 and Highway 5 was built as a lower speed four-lane parkway rather than a typical six-lane freeway as a compromise to local residents. The parkway design is a lower speed, with commercial vehicles over 9,000 pounds banned, and extensive landscaping used for noise control. Community input was key to making tangible changes, and Minnesota law was applied to an interstate freeway. Mr. Corey stated that the Highway 252 Task Force has asked for many of these same elements, for safety measures and a formal environmental impact study, but it has all been rejected due to not meeting a narrow transportation focus, purpose, and need. 9/22/25 -5- He said the bottom line is that there is a precedent for environmental law and public engagement to reshape a major infrastructure project. Mr. Corey reiterated that the City needs to aggressively articulate its position on this issue. Mr. Corey compared the Minnesota MEPA law to the Federal NEPA law. MEPA provides much stronger protection in almost every category and is more comprehensive. MEPA looks at economic impacts, which are very important to Brooklyn Center, where NEPA does not. MEPA also looks more comprehensively at community impacts. Mr. Corey stated that the bottom line is that the decision is based solely on federal NEPA law and is not acceptable, and does not protect the residents of Brooklyn Center. Mr. Corey continued that after the Presidential Order eliminated Environmental Justice and Equity, his Council raised concerns on May 7. The Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) Chair sent a letter addressed to all PAC members, PAC meeting attendees, and the Highway 252 Safety Task Force regarding Environmental Justice and Equity concerns that they have heard over the past seven years. The May 7 letter stated that the community concerns are a priority, and there is a commitment to updating the MnDOT process to include those community concerns. Mr. Corey stated that he has not received any written document stating specifically what Brooklyn Center will receive from this project. Mr. Corey stated that MnDOT has made a lot of commitments, and talks about the Livability Initiative on their website, and that Highway 252 is one of three projects where MnDOT will be working with a Brooklyn Center project team. Mr. Corey has not seen or clearly been told by MnDOT what specific deliverables will be included in the project to fulfill those commitments. Mr. Corey said MnDOT needs to fulfill its commitments with measurable deliverables. He stated that decisions on alternatives to move forward in the EIS access locations in highway overpasses and under have already been made without full consideration of Minnesota Environmental Law, MnDOT commitments, and community needs, and that it is faulty decision-making. This type of decision-making will impede Brooklyn Center's ability to meet its vision. Mr. Corey has been told that a MEPA document will be created when the draft EIS comes out in mid-2026. Given the current way decisions are being made, making changes after the draft EIS release in 2026 to account for MEPA and MnDOT commitments will be difficult, or next to impossible. Decision- making must take into account all project objectives, MEPA, and livability initiative commitments. Mr. Corey continued that there is precedent going up to the Minnesota Supreme Court for environmental law and public engagement to reshape a major infrastructure project. Collaboration in Minnesota laws was key in making I-35E changes to benefit the residents. Recommendations made by the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) should push for all tax decision-making to be based on MEPA, NEPA, and all MnDOT commitments. This includes thinking beyond the narrow NEPA transportation-focused purpose and the need to consider broader community impacts that would fall under Minnesota law. Mr. Corey recommended aligning the processes so that design decisions are concurrently based on both MEPA and NEPA. Past decisions may need to be revisited if incompatible with MEPA and or MnDOT commitments. Much like the I-35E project, the City needs to articulate the details of what will meet each MEPA requirement, along with MnDOT commitments. Collaboration is key between the City and MnDOT. Mr. Corey stated 9/22/25 -6- that Amber Blanchard is the current MnDOT Project Manager, and she has an appreciation of community impact from recently managing the Stone Arch Bridge project. He stated his interactions with her have generally been positive, and collaborative meetings to define specific commitments would be a good next step. Mr. Corey said ideas that City Staff and MnDOT should discuss would be lower speed limits, banning commercial vehicles in green ways that were previously rejected, and should be revisited since there is a precedent. Mr. Corey strongly recommended an initial working document by the end of the year containing details of the specific features and requirements expected to be delivered with this project, for meeting MEPA and MnDOT commitments, and anything less is not acceptable. He reiterated that the City needs those details to make an informed decision on this project and what the best alternative is. Mr. Corey continued that five public engagement-related subcontracts totaling over $588,000 have been executed for this project by the prime contractor, HDR Engineering. He asked if these public engagements are being done to check off NEPA-required process steps or to identify what the community requires. He stated that the City needs to see tangible benefits from this public engagement reflected in the design of this project. Mr. Corey gave a concerning example that the Council should be aware of. The MnDOT decision for Highway 252 to go over the local road at 66th Avenue North, despite public preference being for the highway to go under 66th Avenue North. The interchange distance also violates MnDOT rules in Federal Highway Administration guidelines. There will be increased noise and pollution. The roadway going over will have a negative impact on property values. Another study shows that roadways should not be elevated in urban areas due to adverse effects. Mr. Corey asked if more aggressively applying and adhering to the intent of the Minnesota environmental law would result in better decisions for the City. Mr. Corey continued that MnDOT has stated that congestion on connecting highways will cause congestion for vehicles on Highway 252 on the first day it is completed. Backups on eastbound 694 will limit vehicles entering and exiting Highway 252, and solving congestion resulting from these other roadways is not part of the Highway 252 project. A MnDOT study of Interstate 694 from Shingle Creek to Lexington will likely start in February 2026, with a major rebuild of Interstate 694 anticipated to start in 2032. The Interstate 694 study would be too late to help the Highway 252 project and would likely require more work on parts of Highway 252. Mr. Corey stated that his recommendations are that the decision regarding Highway 252 going over 66th Avenue North be revisited and looked at in a holistic fashion. With so many negatives regarding Highway 252 going over and concerns with property acquisition for Highway 252 to go under 66th Avenue North, the option of no interchange at this location should be reconsidered. Any decision on an interchange at or near 66th Avenue should reflect anticipated changes to Interstate 694 and Highway 100, or the decision should be delayed until planned changes are known, and a temporary solution could be used in the interim. Mr. Corey noted that Brooklyn Center has a vision to shape its future around health, safety, affordability, and cultural preservation, and this project must enhance the community. He stated there are many benefits of public transit using the Highway 252 corridor, including better business and jobs, support for people without cars, less pollution and congestion, and social connections. 9/22/25 -7- Public transit would connect people to other areas of Brooklyn Center as well. Mr. Corey recommended that the City Council require a clear definition of both Brooklyn Center's minimum acceptable and desired level of public transit, along with a written document from Metro Transit defining what is required to meet those levels of service. A preliminary, written, detailed document of what will be provided should be produced no later than January 31, 2026. Project approval would be contingent on meeting an acceptable transit level of service. Mr. Corey discussed the problem with noise pollution, stating that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency sets noise limits based on land use, time of day, and amount of time. The noise level limits for residential areas are 60 and 65 decibels during the day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. The nighttime limits are 50 and 55 decibels from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Many of the homes in Brooklyn Center already exceed the noise limits, and current plans will result in increased noise pollution with MnDOT’s plan to elevate Highway 252, increasing the noise levels even further, resulting in additional residences exceeding noise limits. MnDOT has stated that they do not provide individual home noise abatement. Mr. Corey stated that if general noise mitigation efforts do not reduce noise levels within the Minnesota Pollution Control limits, then individual resident home noise mitigation should be required for homes that are currently expected to exceed the limit. Mr. Corey continued that safety was the number one reason for the Highway 252 project more than 15 years ago. Detailed safety analysis and modeling of alternatives have not been done by MnDOT, with an interchange going over 66th Avenue North that violates Federal Highway Administration safety guidelines. He suggested the City hire an independent analysis by a Safety Traffic Engineer and must not compromise on safety. Mr. Corey concluded that Brooklyn Center has many amenities, including its proximity to the Mississippi River, parks, downtown, and diversity, and all must be enhanced with infrastructure projects. His recommendations, just presented to the Council, will help achieve this goal. He asked if the Council had any questions and stated that other members of the Highway 252 Safety Task Force, such as Bill Newman, would also be available to make some additional comments relating to safety. Bill Newman stated that he was not sure if the audience was aware, but the TAC group had every intention of embracing the Executive Order, and it was only through pressure of the City Council and the Highway 252 Task Force that a May 7 memo was sent back to the Highway 252 Task Force that TAC would consider the environmental justice and equity of the project. He continued that the City cannot assume that MnDOT is going to act in good faith unless the City makes them. He stated that if the City can get MnDOT to commit to MEPA in writing, there is a much better chance for a good outcome of the Highway 252 project. As far as the safety of the project goes, 66th Avenue is the biggest concern. Mr. Newman continued that MnDOT highway design rules require a minimum of 2,000 feet between an on-ramp and off-ramp, and they have been looking at 800 to 1,000 feet for Highway 252, which is absurd. He noted that when the Highway 252 Safety Task Force met with MnDOT in July, MnDOT was claiming that by adding an auxiliary lane and a collector-distributor lane, it models out and is fine to have the on and off-ramps at a closer distance. He explained that the auxiliary lane allows vehicles to get up to speed and match traffic speed to merge, but it shortens the merge distance. He noted that if in that auxiliary lane, 9/22/25 -8- there would only be 100 to 200 feet to merge, which only allows drivers a few seconds to merge, and that is not safe. Mr. Newman continued This is why it is important to get an independent safety analysis done to look at different interchange location options, and putting an interchange further north of the major system between Highway 252 and Interstate 694 interchange would be in compliance with state and federal design rules and much safer. He said that MnDOT claims they are doing modeling to ensure safety, but have not shown the City anything, and an independent expert would do that analysis and share it with the City. Mr. Newman said he would refer to Mr. Corey if the Council had any questions. Mayor Graves thanked Mr. Corey for his presentation and the comments from Mr. Newman and asked the Council if they had any questions. Councilmember Kragness thanked Mr. Corey and Mr. Newman for their presentation and stated that the Highway 252 Safety Task Force is always very thorough, and she appreciates that. She agreed that MnDOT has not shown the Council anything in writing, and a representative from MnDOT did come and address the Council and speak about core values, but nothing was presented to the Council in writing, and if there is no push to require that, the City probably will not get it. She thanked the Highway 252 Safety Task Force for leading the effort to get documents in writing from MnDOT. Councilmember Moore thanked the Highway 252 Safety Task Force for their presentation and noted that she is not as involved with the Highway 252 Safety Task Force as Mayor Graves and Councilmember Jerzak, but does receive updates on it. She asked if anyone on the Highway 252 Safety Task Force could comment on the reality of the project actually coming to fruition in the next three years, and the dollar amount towards the project. A member of the audience stated that it is really difficult to speculate, and they are all wondering the same thing. Councilmember Moore asked if anyone had an opinion. Mr. Corey stated that right now, there is no money to complete the project. Councilmember Moore thanked Mr. Corey for his response and asked when the City did the corridor on I-35E because she used to work down there. (Member of the public spoke from seat; unable to hear what was being said.) Councilmember Moore said it was completed in the 1980s and asked if he could think of any other examples of work done, because Highway 252 goes through a residential and retail area, and that should be at the forefront of what it can look like, and should look as nice as the corridor down on I-35E does. Councilmember Moore said the I-35E corridor was just an example for today, but she could visualize it, and that corridor has to slow traffic for neighborhoods, businesses, and a parkway. She thanked Mr. Corey for his comments. Mayor Graves thanked the Highway 252 Safety Task Force for all of the work that they have done, and the Council would not be unified in voice and at the point they are now without the Highway 9/22/25 -9- 252 Safety Task Force and all of the work they have done. She stated that the purpose and need statement is one of the first things the Council tried to change as well, and Brooklyn Park was in on that request as well, and MnDOT refused and continues to refuse to address the issues that mean the most to community members. She stated she appreciates all of the work the Highway 252 Safety Task Force is doing, understands their frustrations, and will continue to advocate and be a voice for them. Councilmember Jerzak stated he wanted to acknowledge Highway 252 fatigue and apologized for things being the way they currently are. He stated the Highway 252 Safety Task Force should not offer their resignation to MnDOT because they will accept it. He continued that when he had asked MnDOT what the benefits of this project are for Brooklyn Center, they have never been able to define them. Brooklyn Center is the most impacted by this project from Minneapolis to Brooklyn Park, but one positive is that Brooklyn Park is in lockstep with Brooklyn Center. One thing to consider is that if Brooklyn Center has to pay its fair share for this project, it would bankrupt the City. He said he feels like MnDOT is asking the City to commit to this project, without acknowledging what the City would actually be committing to, and that is very troubling. From MnDOT’s perspective, they are telling the City they can have any color car as long as it is green; in other words, MnDOT designs it and tells the City they will love it. He admired the tenacity of the Highway 252 Safety Task Force and heard the passion in last week’s meeting he went to with them. He stated he could not promise them anything, but told them to continue their work, and he would echo their legitimate concerns and support their efforts. Mayor Graves thanked the Highway 252 Safety Task Force again and took pictures of all the concise recommendations given to the Council, so if she is ever in a conversation about this topic, she can go back and reference all of them to effectively advocate for all of them. A community member who was present said she was in earlier discussions with the Highway 252 Safety Task Force and is a band member who travels all summer along Highway 10 up to Cass Lake and passes through a tiny town called Royalton that has one red stoplight that causes traffic backups. She noted that somehow Royalton has kept that traffic light there, despite it being problematic. She said she has owned her home in Brooklyn Center for 26 years and will fight with the Highway 252 Safety Task Force for the project. Jeff B. said he was at the meeting that Councilmember Jerzak was referring to earlier, and he had asked Amber Blanchard from MnDOT a question regarding the 45-mile-per-hour speed limit on I-35E, and she did not really give him an answer. He stated Ms. Blanchard responded that the speed limit there is not working. He stated that if a speed limit is not working in a certain area, why is it not changed, and that it is frustrating to hear that. Councilmember Moore moved, and Councilmember Kragness seconded to accept the presentation from the Highway 252 Safety Task Force. Motion passed unanimously. 7b. RETAIL MARKET ANALYSIS AND COMPARATIVE RETAIL NODE STUDY 9/22/25 -10- Dr. Edwards said this presentation is part of the continuing efforts relating to the City's Economic Growth Plan. Dr. Edwards said Community Development Director Jesse Anderson would introduce the speaker, who is responsible for the study. Community Development Director Jesse Anderson said his Department is finishing up the Economic Growth Plan, and as part of that plan, there was a retail market analysis compared to a node retail study done to analyze the City's retail market and demands. He continued that the report had a lot of interesting data and is 72 pages long, and while all 72 pages would not be presented to the Council, a summary would be presented by Grant Martin from LOCi Consulting. Mr. Martin thanked the Council for having him there and stated that the purpose of this project was to provide commercial real estate market analytics to guide strategic economic development planning in the City of Brooklyn Center. The market analysis includes a site analysis of the general retail nodes, retail areas of Brooklyn Center, a demographic and economic analysis, and a review of the retail real estate market in Brooklyn Center, as well as five comparable retail areas in the Northwest area. The market analysis also includes demand analysis to determine what the demand is for additional retail space in Brooklyn Center, as well as key findings and recommendations. Mr. Martin continued that he would discuss what he thinks will happen in the City of Brooklyn Center over the next five years, so they know what to expect and what some of the challenges or key issues may be. He said his prediction can always change, but his goal is to present the most likely outcome over the next five years. Mr. Martin stated that the study was bound to the Brooklyn Boulevard I-694 and I-94 corridor and the Highway 100 corridor, as this is where the most retail space in the community is. It is where the old Brookdale Mall is located, and the Shingle Creek Crossing redevelopment is occurring. This area, in terms of retail development and how retail developers would look at this, is very connected to the Metro, with transportation corridors on I-94, I-694, and Highway 10 all being well connected with a lot of interchanges, and retailers often look at these aspects as great ways to bring in traffic to the area. Some of the drawbacks with this area are that the primary core of retail is not located where the highest traffic counts are, so some people traveling through the area may not know the Shingle Creek Crossing area is there. Mr. Martin showed a map with some of the major anchors in the area, and vacant spaces, with the area being around 1.4 million square feet and the major anchors being Cub Foods, Sun Foods, and Empire Foods. Anchors are large retailers that drive the most traffic to the area, and in the case of Cub Foods, it is probably generating about 750,000 trips to this area each year, and retailers look for this and want to be close to those anchors. Mr. Martin discussed the comparable retail nodes that he looked at, which included Maple Grove, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Robbinsdale, and Fridley. He stated he would not go into a lot of detail regarding those comparable nodes, but there is a lot of information regarding them in the report. One of the key things that they look at is driving time, and what the population within 10 minutes of driving time is, and how frequently that population is visiting these retailers. Brooklyn Center is within a 10-minute drive of four of the comparable retail nodes, so they are overlapping and share a lot of the same trade areas. 9/22/25 -11- Mr. Martin stated that the population and population growth rate for the area are projected from 2025 to 2030, and show a significant decline compared to what has been seen in the last 15 years, and that is due to slowed birth rates and a decline in immigration that is projected to occur in the next five years due to Federal policy. Due to declining growth, retail growth that has occurred in the last 15 years will also slow across the metro area. Mr. Martin stated that retailers often look at median household incomes to understand what the incomes are in the area that includes the 10-minute drive time for the comparative analysis. He stated that he uses a demographic provider that forecasts inflation at 2.4 percent over the next five years, so when a number for the median household growth is below 2.4 percent, it means that incomes are not keeping up with inflation in that area. This discrepancy can be caused by a lot of things; it can be driven by aging populations that move out of higher incomes and start collecting social security or pensions, and their incomes decline. Incomes can also decline because households become smaller, sadly, because maybe a partner or spouse has passed away. When looking at the Brooklyn Center retail node, some declines relative to inflation are projected. The only areas that are expected to see an increase in median household incomes are Brooklyn Park and Maple Grove, and that is probably because there is household growth in those areas. Mr. Martin continued that overall demand for retail space was very strong in 2023 and 2024, new retailers were coming, consumer spending was rebounding post-COVID, and there was some really strong growth. In 2025, things have slowed down, and that is one of the big issues that he is starting to see with vacancy rates going up in retail spaces, and construction of new retail spaces at a historic low. With construction rates being high and interest rates being higher, this has limited new construction, and with almost no new retail supply, vacancies are projected to remain low over the next five years across the metro area. Mr. Martin stated that the Brooklyn Center retail node has about 1.4 million square feet in retail space, whereas Maple Grove has over three million square feet in retail space, and that size difference puts Brooklyn Center at a real disadvantage. This same thing occurred 50 years ago, when Brookdale Mall was developed, and all the retailers came to Brooklyn Center as the retail center because of its proximity to Brookdale Mall. The vacancy rate for Brooklyn Center is also at 10 percent, which is much higher than the metro vacancy rate, which is around 2.5 percent. Mr. Martin said he also talked to brokers to get their thoughts on what is going on in Brooklyn Center, and many brokers said that population density and connectivity are selling points for the area. He stated that there is a rumor in the broker community that the local Walmart closed due to security issues that were making the store unprofitable; however, Mr. Martin said he could not verify that with Walmart or anybody else and wanted to communicate that with the Council. Walmart brought a lot of traffic to the area, and the other tenants in the area might be considering other options elsewhere because they do not have a strong anchor in the area. Market-wide, there is interest in smaller second-generation spaces, especially for discount grocers, discount retailers, and entertainment spaces. There will continue to be demand for retail space from lower-credit local businesses, small restaurants, and convenience businesses. 9/22/25 -12- Mr. Martin highlighted some key findings for the site analysis and said that Brooklyn Center is well-connected to the transportation network and viable as retail real estate serving the community. The demographic analysis showed that population and household growth are projected to slow over the next five years relative to the previous 15-year period. When inflation is included, household incomes and total consumer expenditure in the trade area are projected to decline slightly over the next five years. The market analysis showed the retail vacancy rate in the Brooklyn Center retail node is much higher than the Minneapolis market, 10 percent versus 2.5 percent, and the published vacancy rate does not include large vacant properties like Sears and Brown College that are not marketed as retail or considered available for lease. The Brooklyn Center retail node has seen positive absorption, meaning new tenants have come in and absorbed space, but there is still a 10 percent vacancy rate. Mr. Martin said other key findings are that the demand for retail space in Brooklyn Center is projected to remain flat between 2025 and 2030, with published vacancy rates at 10 percent and a handful of prominent large vacant boxes; there is still too much retail supply in the market. Retail concentrated along Brooklyn Boulevard and Bass Lake Road will remain the most viable; retail along Shingle Creek Parkway will continue to struggle. The closure of Walmart is a significant loss to the retail node, reducing the overall number of shopping trips to the node and, with that departure and likely lower sales, many high-credit national chains and tenants are expected to consider options to relocate. The loss of national retailers will create opportunities for low-credit, local retailers and entrepreneurs; however, these changes can reduce the overall market value of shopping centers for landlords, because it is easier to sell the property when there is a national retailer nearby. Mr. Martin recommended that the City keep an eye on the vacant properties, as they may start to feel like they are losing value with more local tenants. Mr. Martin said his recommendations are that the City should try to focus its efforts on retaining and attracting retailers to existing spaces, rather than developing new traditional and/or mixed-use retail space. Develop and maintain relationships with shopping center owners to promote national retailer retention and facilitate local business placement. Prioritize retail development and enhancement in the areas along Brooklyn Boulevard and Bass Lake Road that are most likely to continue to support retail. Continue to work with property owners to quickly re-purpose or demolish vacant, obsolete retail space, especially in areas away from Brooklyn Boulevard and Bass Lake Road. Try to enhance small business support programs, as these businesses will become a more significant portion of the retail space occupiers. Focus retention efforts on large, high- traffic anchor retailers, such as maintaining Cub Foods, Sun Foods, and Empire Foods. Mr. Martin asked if the Council had any questions regarding the presentation and the report. Mayor Graves thanked Mr. Martin for his presentation and asked the Council if they had any questions. Councilmember Jerzak thanked Mr. Martin for the comprehensive report and said it confirmed a lot of the obvious for him. He wanted to highlight on page four of 55 with published vacancy rates of 10 percent, when Walmart pulled out, two prominent other businesses were able to adjust their leases so that percentage will go back up when those leases expire. He said there is a slight decline in consumer income, and one of the recommendations that Mr. Martin made, and Councilmember Jerzak said he will be discussing more in private one-on-ones, is how the City retains businesses, as that is easier in this environment than attracting new ones. He asked if any 9/22/25 -13- efforts were made by the City to reach out to CVS, Denny’s, and BB’s BBQ before they closed, and whether the City is spending as much time reaching out to Sun Foods to try and retain them. He continued that if the City is only able to absorb 400 square feet of retail space a quarter, that is not much because it does not take attrition into account, and that is frightening. Councilmember Jerzak said in his opinion that until his colleagues are willing to seriously address the master plan, which is 10 to 15 years old and includes a lot of retail, then that ship has already sailed. He stated that no one is talking about the Amazon effect either, which is causing the City to see fewer and fewer entrepreneurs. He stated that the Council needs to address the outdated retail plan that they have inherited. He said there is ample evidence of this, with the fact that nothing has really taken off at the Opportunity Site over time, and he believes City Staff is well aware of this, and hopes that Staff is addressing that. He recognized that the City has its challenges and he believes they can be overcome, but he hopes that all City Staff take this comprehensive report to heart when discussing Economic Development in Brooklyn Center. He stated that he does not think most people understand that the work that starts now may not see a direct return for 15 to 20 years and will not be instantaneous. He stated the primary source of revenue for Brooklyn Center, as everyone knows, is property taxes. Councilmember Kragness thanked Mr. Martin for the presentation and said she would be interested in finding out how to bring in new businesses and what that step-by-step process would look like. She said it would also be helpful to know what the City can do to keep businesses in the City. Mr. Martin said those are valid points, but the scope of this project was not to do a deep dive into the City's Economic Development programs, but more to outline and understand the scale of the opportunity that Brooklyn Center has. Once the scale of opportunity is understood, he provides recommendations. He said he thought that is what the Economic Development plan is hoping to achieve, though, and his report is a tool that can be leveraged to help the City do that effectively. Councilmember Kragness thanked Mr. Martin for his remarks and said he made a good point, that this report will be helpful in the City's next steps, and not just a footnote. Mayor Graves asked what strengthening relationships around retention looks like. Mr. Martin said his analysis is more high-level, and that the Economic Development Plan that the City Staff is working on should outline how to do those things with concrete steps on what to do. Mayor Graves said the Council recognized early on that the businesses that were growing in Brooklyn Center were the small businesses, and are trying to lift up programs to support the small businesses, but she wondered if there are ways that the Council could be more supportive in their approach. Mr. Martin responded that the work that is being done through the Economic Development plan process is evaluating best practices to do just that. Mayor Graves told Community Development Director Jesse Anderson to come on up to further elaborate on the Economic Development plan. Mr. Anderson stated that at the next Council meeting, there would be a presentation about the Economic Growth Plan that would cover entrepreneurial efforts, retention and development, as well as trying to incorporate all of the data and information from the Node Retail Study. He stated this study is one piece of the puzzle that is leading towards the efforts of the Economic Growth Plan. 9/22/25 -14- Mayor Graves asked about the recommendation to quickly get rid of obsolete retail space away from Brooklyn Boulevard and what the reason is. Mr. Martin responded that the way the market has shifted, the most vacant retail space is on the far East side of that district, and the most viable property has been along Brooklyn Boulevard and Bass Lake Road. The recommendation comes from the market organically changing, and most of the vacancies are in one area, versus being peppered around the City. He continued that trying to leverage all those vacancies and make them more viable in one area is going to be really difficult because there is not a lot of demand. Councilmember Moore said she lives two blocks north of the border of Minneapolis on the east side, and she stated she thinks that ship has sailed, unfortunately, especially along the Opportunity Site as a whole, and acknowledged it was a beautiful space at one point. She stated that the City needs to re-strategize what is possible and focus on retention. She said there is an Incubator and a new business that the Department is talking about all the time, but she thinks the focus needs to shift to retention because the Opportunity Site is not doing anything, and Community Development has acknowledged that in presentations earlier this year. She acknowledged that the market has changed for a variety of reasons, and high interest rates are still high. She thanked Mr. Martin for his presentation and said she wanted to take more time to digest the report. Councilmember Jerzak said a lot of this property was built when there was a fair amount of demand for retail. When you organically grow a number of entrepreneurs of smaller businesses, you spread your risks, so if one pulls out, it does not have an incredible impact on other small businesses around them. He acknowledged that the other aspect to consider is that entrepreneurs must have access to space that is affordable, and a lot of that space is not. He said he would not call out people by name, but it is simply not affordable for small businesses, and that has been reported to the Council. He said he knows that the Community Development Department is thinking about this, and he understands the challenges in delivering affordable space that does not have the reputation of being called low-credit and still provides a product that people want to seek out. He said that the City does not need that reputation that oftentimes can come with that type of thinking. He said the City wants a Home Depot, but that is not going to happen, and the emphasis needs to be re-concentrated elsewhere. He gave the example that CVS in Fridley was vacant for many years, and now it is a Krispy Kreme. Now, Brooklyn Center has a vacant CVS building, and the Council can help influence what that building could be used for in innovative ways. He said this would require the Council to get out in the community and ask entrepreneurs what they need and what is working or is not working for their businesses. Mayor Graves said she has never understood why a landlord would prefer to have a vacant space for a prolonged amount of time versus reducing the rent or lease and having the building filled. Mr. Martin said that with some of the triple net buildings, like CVS, they are still receiving rent even when it is closed, so they are not incentivized to rent the building. He said he does not know for sure if that is the case with CVS, but sometimes it is the case when a retailer closes because it is cheaper to pay the rent than it is to operate, so the landlord does not have any incentive to backfill it because they are still getting a rent check. The other problem is that the property may sit vacant because the landlord is waiting to get a national tenant in there, because once they accept a longer- term tenant from a non-national store, there may be a reduction in the property value. He said he 9/22/25 -15- does not know what the solution is to get a landlord to accept a non-national tenant instead of them waiting it out for a national one. Mayor Graves said Mr. Martin spoke about the reasons Walmart pulled out earlier in the presentation, and it was widely talked about on social media. Although Walmart did not give that reasoning to the Council either, she asked how detrimental commentary like that is to the perceived viability with brokers. Mr. Martin said he thinks brokers are talking about these types of situations nationally, with increases in crime and shrinkage making retail properties difficult to operate, and thinks that there are a lot of valid concerns in that. However, he acknowledged that sometimes stores close and claim it is due to crime, but there may also be a competitor that just opened down the street, and so the reasons for closing may be a little less clear. He noted that the industry is very focused on shrinkage and operating stores profitably right now, as well as crime and organized crime. He said he mentioned it earlier because the City should be aware that perception is out there, but said that perception is in a lot of places. Mayor Graves said she realizes that perception is in a lot of places, but one of the strategic priorities in the past for the Council has been around clean-up campaigns, and public art to address the City's image, and she wondered if that helps influence people to be interested in investing economically in the City. Mr. Martin said those efforts absolutely make a difference and are valuable. He stated he worked for a retailer, and if retailers see the City making significant investments in the area, retailers feel reassured in their investments to build a new store in that area. Councilmember Kragness said she would like to volunteer the City of Brooklyn Center as a team player for Krispy Kreme, as they have a vacant CVS as well, and she would be willing to support it by purchasing. Dr. Edwards seconded that sentiment. Mayor Graves said there has been talk by the American Legion about consideration of the CVS building, as the American Legion needs more space, but she does not know if they have reached out to anyone about it yet. Mr. Anderson added that Community Development has gotten a lot of calls about the CVS building, with people checking zoning, and his gut tells him that it will not be vacant for an extended period of time. He said there have also been conversations with the owner of the Sears building and some progress has been made there, as well as Brown College, which just changed ownership, so things are going in the right direction. Councilmember Kragness moved and Councilmember Moore seconded to approve the presentation on the Retail Market Analysis and Comparative Retail Node Study. Motion passed unanimously. 7c. PROCLAMATION DECLARING SEPTEMBER 15, 2025, TO OCTOBER 15, 2025, AS NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH IN THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER Mayor Graves read in full a proclamation declaring September 15, 2025, to October 15, 2025, as National Hispanic Heritage Month in the City of Brooklyn Center. 9/22/25 -16- Councilmember Kragness moved and Mayor Graves seconded to accept the PROCLAMATION declaring September 15, 2025, to October 15, 2025, as National Hispanic Heritage Month in the City of Brooklyn Center. Motion passed unanimously. Mayor Graves called for a 10-minute recess at 8:20. Mayor Graves recalled the meeting at 8:30. 8. PUBLIC HEARINGS 9. PLANNING COMMISSION ITEMS 10. COUNCIL CONSIDERATION ITEMS 10a. RESOLUTIONS APPROVING THE PRELIMINARY 2026 PROPERTY TAX LEVY AND PRELIMINARY BUDGET Dr. Edwards said he would be presenting this item with Finance Director Angela Holm. He noted that the purpose of the presentation is to provide an overview of the budget process to provide insight into factors that guided the development of the 2026 preliminary budget, as well as provide fiscal analysis, budget highlights, and impacts. Dr. Edwards said there have been conversations over the last several months around the general direction and landscape of all the City Departments, with presentations from each of them on their budgets, culminating in the presentation tonight, which is the preliminary levy and budget that will be adopted by December 1, 2025. Dr. Edwards said the City's strategic plan is the most important factor that drives the budget and shapes the long-term financial position of the City. He highlighted the City's mission statement, which states the City will provide high-quality, equitable City services that are safe, welcoming, and inclusive to the community and within the vision of the City. Dr. Edwards listed the strategic priorities because they narrow down what the priorities should be for this year, which are to maintain a strong financial position, improve community and employee safety, strengthen and diversify business development and housing, and improve employees' experiences. Dr. Edwards also stated some of the challenges that Brooklyn Center has, which are systemic societal wealth and cost of living, which is outpacing wealth, along with other jurisdictions having tax increases, which do impact how the City Staff thinks about Brooklyn Center's budget in the levy increase. The City has to consider the challenges of an immediate tax burden while also addressing long- term fiscal needs, such as the Central Garage and maintaining a fleet of vehicles. It is also challenging with the past three years of reductions and long-term sustainability regarding those reductions. Some past reductions dictate how the City can move forward as an organization. Dr. Edwards stated that the Retail Study will fold into the Economic Study, but Economic Growth investment is critical to the City. The reduction of operations will be more challenging and is not a viable option due to the reductions that have been made within programs and services. He said 9/22/25 -17- the City will have to be more innovative and look at some long-term sustainable funding stability options. Dr. Edwards said initially, the levy was at 8.25 percent, but after the Council indicated it wanted to keep the budget tight and as low as possible, the Departments brought that number down to 4.98 percent. Dr. Edwards displayed a slide with the ten other comparable cities and the levy increases those cities are proposing, with Crystal proposing a 15.87 percent increase, Brooklyn Park proposing a 12.50 percent increase, and Maple Grove proposing a 6.35 percent increase. Dr. Edwards said it is worth noting that it is difficult to compare other jurisdictions, and it is not always an apples-to-apples comparison. He said he has engaged with research analysts at Minnesota Compass to model out what Brooklyn Center can afford related to levies and the tax burden to ensure that the City is taxing at an appropriate rate. He said the findings from Minnesota Compass should be available in the next few weeks. Dr. Edwards highlighted Maple Grove's tax levy increase at 6.35 percent, with one percent increase equaling $500,000, whereas Brooklyn Center's one percent increase equals $250,000. The economy in Maple Grove is more robust than Brooklyn Center's, and the population in Maple Grove is twice as large, so there are some trade-offs; it can be difficult to compare, but it does put things into context. Dr. Edwards noted some initial investments the City made and how the levy was decreased from 8.25 percent to 4.98 percent. He explained that no new staff were added, and Departments determined what was needed and what was essential, and no new programs were introduced. He continued that 3 percent went to wages and COLA at $899,014. The City's benefits contribution for City Staff was $55,000. FMLA is required in the state of Minnesota, and the City has to pay for that, which costs $60,907. He continued that Central Garage needed $348,389 to address some of the financial stability issues there, knowing that costs will continue to increase over time, so it is critical that the City positions itself to be able to address large-scale purchases for Central Garage. Another investment of $230,944 went to restoring some of the City's Reserves so that the account does not get depleted. Bonding costs came in at $15,000, and miscellaneous items came in at $290,746. All of these investments came in at a total of $1,900,000, and in order to get down to 4.98 percent, that meant that the budget had to be reduced by $893,000. Dr. Edwards highlighted some of the major reductions and adjustments that had to be made, with the Community Center closing on Sunday, saving $58,762. Delaying cell phone purchases for some employees saved $8,850 and lowered the City's reserve adjustment from 50 percent to 45 percent. He explained that the City already has a higher reserve percentage than the state requires, and he thinks that the City can lower its reserves and still maintain financial integrity and credibility. He said those funds will be used to address one-time issues, such as replenishing the emergency CIP reserve and other high-priced items, such as generators that City facilities need. An amount of $80,000 from those funds will also be used to address some issues, such as refurbishing office spaces. Dr. Edwards said the City could not reduce the budget by $893,000 without addressing some City Staff. He acknowledged that the Staff is the City's greatest asset but is also the most significant expense. He noted that eliminating COLA for part-time City employees saved the City $29,785, and eliminating two vacant positions for future firefighters saved $238,292. He explained that the 9/22/25 -18- City did not receive the Safer Grant in order to help fund those firefighter positions, but will apply for it again in the future, and address those positions again at that time. A full-time Parks and Recreation Coordinator position was also eliminated to save $90,669. Dr. Edwards said this is the second position in the last couple of years that the Parks and Recreation Department has provided in order to maintain a low levy, and he commended them for doing so. Dr. Edwards spoke to all the Departments and asked each of them to identify at least one full-time position that could be reduced or two part-time positions, which is equivalent to one full-time. The Community Service had two part-time positions that were reduced, saving $62,771. The Artist- in-Residence reduction came to a savings of $11,165. The Artist-in-Residence position was partially grant-funded, and that grant has expired, so the City opted to forego funding their portion of that position and maintain the base funding for that position with funds from the General Fund, and remain under a certain number of hours in order to fund that position. A full-time employee was laid off from the Community Prevention, Health and Safety Department, saving $88,904, and one full-time Administration Communication position was laid off in order to save $98,114. Dr. Edwards said that other miscellaneous reductions equaled $205,840. Dr. Edwards said when looking at reductions, it was important to maintain employee morale, as that pertains to the productivity of employees as well as retention. Dr. Edwards said there was an employee survey done, and it showed that reductions were a significant issue as it relates to morale. Dr. Edwards noted that one of the priorities of the City is the employee experience, so it was critical that this was addressed. When reductions are made, it is imperative to maintain the integrity of the City’s programs and ensure that the reduction does not eliminate a program, so reductions were made across the organization to ensure that not only one program or Department was affected. Dr. Edwards said over the last several years, investments were made in various staffing positions, which resulted in a low levy rate, but the City had to reduce programming in order to offset spending in other areas. Dr. Edwards said that in order to keep the levy low, there cannot be significant funding spent on programs or services. To make reductions now, several positions were frozen or reduced, such as one Parks and Recreation Outreach full-time employee, an Outcome Performance Analyst, as well as programs like the Youth Prevention and Intervention, Brooklyn Boulevard Maintenance, landscaping and park maintenance, and the Park Entertainment and Juneteenth. He noted that the reduction of these programs really impacts the City in services and programs that can be offered at the Community Center. Staff reductions impact morale, productivity, and the quality of the City's services. He noted that some reductions are not prolonged resolutions, such as delaying cell phone purchases and firefighter positions, meaning the City will eventually fund those things, but will delay until it is able to. Dr. Edwards stated that the proposed 2026 levy increase dollar amount totals $1,313,631, which equates to 4.98 percent. He stated that Finance Director Angela Holm would detail more of the budget and levy details. Ms. Holm said that anyone who has been around for a while has seen some of this information already, so she will try to get through it quickly. She stated that budget policies provide a basic framework and assist in the decision-making process. The policy states the budget must be 9/22/25 -19- balanced, current revenues should pay for current expenses, and the contingency could be up to five percent of the budget, although right now the contingency is very small at $25,000. The budget must provide adequate funding for Capital replacement and maintenance, and the budget should describe goals, services, and programs. Ms. Holm stated the revenue policies that direct how the City maintains the ability to pay for services. The Finance Department is always looking to maintain a diversified and stable revenue system. Annual revenue estimates are completed through an objective, conservative analytical process. Anyone who has a revenue stream is asked to look at that revenue and provide guidance and information on how those amounts were determined. User fees are reviewed and revised on an annual basis. Fees and user charges for Enterprise funds should fully support total direct and indirect costs, and while that is not part of today's discussion, user fees will be established to a level that recovers the City's full cost of providing that service. Ms. Holm continued that when looking at some of the economic conditions of the City, one of the first things that comes to mind is the median home value and since 2008 the median home values have taken a dip, but have steadily increased but in 2025 and 2026, the median home value only went up by about $9,000 from $272,000 to $281,000. In comparison to some of the other surrounding cities, Brooklyn Center is on the lower end, with Golden Valley coming in at the top with a median home value of $447,000. Ms. Holm explained that the reason why there could be such a discrepancy between Golden Valley and Brooklyn Center is that Golden Valley has a very broad range of values in homes. There are a lot of homes in Golden Valley similar to Brooklyn Center homes, and there are a lot of homes there that are dissimilar as well. When there is a large population like that in Golden Valley, it can skew the numbers pretty quickly, and it is a comparison point; it does not mean that every home in Golden Valley is substantially different than Brooklyn Center. She continued that Robbinsdale was nearly flat in median home value with no increase, and Crystal came in just slightly above Brooklyn Center, although Crystal does have a large levy increase that is being predicted this year. Ms. Holm stated another data point that the Finance Department looks at is the taxable market value estimates and the impact of a levy increase. This year, it is not surprising to see that the commercial and industrial values have gone down, as well as apartment values. Residential was really the only one that increased, as well as personal property, although personal property is not something that she would consider a strong data point from a tax levy standpoint. She noted that in 2024 and 2025, the City did see an increase in commercial and industrial tax values, but it is now swinging the other way. Ms. Holm stated that the property tax levy is at an overall increase of 4.98 percent, as stated before, and is determined by looking at the payable 2025 tax levies and the estimated 2026 tax levies. She explained that the HRA levy is actually formula-driven and has a very specific use. Once the City gets it, it is immediately transferred into the EDA for EDA programs. The total dollar change is $1,313,631. 9/22/25 -20- Ms. Holm displayed a slide that shows an example of how the median property tax value of $1,668 is distributed across the City, with $637.00 of that going to the Police Department, Public Works, Community Development, Fire, general government, and some other more ancillary items. Ms. Holm showed a slide with a 2025 and 2026 taxable market value for a single-family residential home, and that taxable market value is the value with a homestead adjustment on it, so the property is qualified for a homestead adjustment that is calculated into that value with an overall $9,701 increase that equates to 3.88 percent from 2025 to 2026. That tax rate is what drives what the City taxes would be, so the tax rate is the total levy increase divided by the tax capacity, and while she does not generally speak about that percentage a lot, it is what drives the calculation. For this same median value home, the taxes were $1,531 in 2025 and, with the impact of the 4.98 percent levy, would go up by $137 for 2026, coming in at $1,668, and this is the change the homeowner would see. She said this example is important to understand what the tax capacity and tax levies' impact would be for the median homeowner. Ms. Holm highlighted the 2026 budget's next steps, which include a joint City Council and Finance Commission meeting on budgets, utilities, and grant funds on October 20, 2025. On November 3, 2025, another joint City Council and Finance Commission meeting will discuss budget request presentations on Enterprise Funds. On November 10, 2025, a joint City Council and Finance Commission meeting will discuss the utility rates in a public hearing, and on December 1, 2025, a special meeting will occur for the adoption of the 2026 budget and levy. Ms. Holm said that she is requesting that the Council approve a resolution for a preliminary tax capacity levy for the General Fund, Debt Service funds, and a market value levy for the Housing and Redevelopment Authority for property taxes payable in 2026. She is also asking the Council to approve a resolution for a preliminary budget for the 2026 fiscal year. She asked the Council if they had any questions. Mayor Graves thanked Dr. Edwards and Ms. Holm for the presentation and said she would open up to the Council for questions. Councilmember Moore thanked Dr. Edwards and Ms. Holm for the presentation and asked to confirm which handout she received was correct, because two of them are different. Ms. Holm said the handout provided on the dais is the correct one, not the one that was included in the packet. Councilmember Moore said that explains some things. She commended Dr. Edwards for providing direction and support to various Departments in order to trim the levy down to 4.98 percent because she knows that included a lot of difficult decisions. She said in terms of the reductions and adjustments, she agreed that it seems equitable across the Departments; however, the Artist-in-Residence position was kept and only reduced by 0.125. She stated that previous Councilmembers have discussed grant-funded positions and noted that there is no expectation to continue to fund those positions in future years. She stated she is also looking at the fact that the Community Center, which is an icon and asset to the City, is reducing Sunday hours, which also reduces revenue. She said she has had this conversation with Dr. Edwards, and said she cannot support or accept continuing an initial grant-funded position in times when every Department had 9/22/25 -21- to look at cutting vacant positions, or laying off Staff who have been with the City for a number of years. Councilmember Moore continued that she also will not accept part-time employees not getting a cost-of-living increase, and while she does not know how many employees that affects, she noted that grant-funded position money could cover maybe a few hours of operation for the Community Center on Sundays, or give employees who are committed and working with the City a cost-of- living increase. Councilmember Moore said across the board, there is no equity in terms of wages and benefit increases over time, but Dr. Edwards spoke about equity when it came to reductions. She continued that her question is under Contractual Services on line 6449, and if that Canopy Service is going through June 30 of next year, or what the contract is. Ms. Holm said in the current budget that the Hennepin County Social Worker and Canopy are still grant-funded for the remainder of this year and a portion of 2026. Councilmember Moore said she thought the City had a contribution towards Canopy Services, and it was not 100 percent grant-funded. Dr. Edwards said as far as programming, the City has helped with some initial costs related to computers and office spaces, but it is very limited for the pilot model for Canopy. Councilmember Moore asked if the City also helped with the purchase of a van. Dr. Edwards confirmed that she was correct about the van. Councilmember Moore asked if the 2026 Canopy was all grant-funded. Dr. Edwards said that for half of the year 2026, it was grant-funded. Councilmember Moore asked on page 173 of 188, there is an Office of Prevention, Health and Safety, and then there is a Health and Social Environment with a number of wages, which is an increase because in 2024, there was no budget for that. She asked if anyone could explain what this program is, if there is a person who has a position in that program, and if it is under the Director of the Office of Prevention, Health and Safety. Dr. Edwards said the Health and Social Environment was a former organization and structure within Parks and Recreation that has changed, so names will change, but that is where the Outreach program is funded from and is distinctly different from the office of Prevention, Health, and Safety. Councilmember Moore asked if this includes more than one Outreach worker who is covered under wages, salaries, and full-time employees on that page. Dr. Edwards said it includes one full-time Outreach employee and some part-time employees. Councilmember Moore asked if it would fall under the umbrella of Parks and Recreation. Dr. Edwards said that it is correct. Councilmember Moore thanked him for that clarity. Councilmember Kragness asked to confirm the dates for the meetings on the budget for the next steps. She said she had written down November 3 as a budget meeting, and on November 10, she has that as a regularly scheduled Council meeting, and a joint meeting scheduled for November 17. Dr. Edwards said he would confirm, but currently, he has the meetings scheduled for November 3, November 10, and December 1. Councilmember Kragness asked if there is a meeting scheduled for November 17. Dr. Edwards said he would confirm and get back to her. Councilmember Kragness said she wanted to commend the Staff for acknowledging the request by the Council to keep the levy low, as it was probably uncomfortable to do and took a lot of 9/22/25 -22- initiative to be creative with the numbers. She stated it is hard to support the Community Center closing on Sunday, as that is family day, and she thinks it is unfortunate to close it on Sunday since it is community-based. She stated that her understanding of the grant-funded Artist-in-Residence position was that the base funding was cut, not that the City is going to continue to fund that, but the City will continue to fund the portion that the City is responsible for. She wanted to make sure she was understanding that correctly. Dr. Edwards said the Artist-in-Residence position is a part- time position and a portion of it was grant-funded, but the City intended to pick up the grant- funded portion with General Fund dollars, and that was always the plan. He continued that five years ago, the plan was to seek grant money to fund something that the City could not afford to do at the time, but over time, it would begin to fund fully on its own. At this time, the City is only able to fund a part-time position, so it was only increased from 20 to 25 hours this year in the budget. Ms. Holm stated that in 2025, the Artist-in-Residence was partially funded by grant dollars from the Public Safety Aid and the General Fund. In 2026, the initial proposal was to make the position entirely funded by the General Fund as a 0.625 position, which equates to 25 hours a week. The proposal in front of the Council reduced that position to a 0.5, which is a reduction of 0.125 or about $11,000, and the position would be entirely funded at a 0.5 by the General Fund for 2026. Councilmember Kragness thanked Ms. Holm for clarifying that. She continued that she understands cutting vacant positions, but she has a hard time supporting the reduction of positions that have people in those positions who are doing their jobs and showing up every day for the City. She said that cutting four part-time Park liaisons will most likely affect the number of complaints the Council gets, and those are things that everyone needs to be thinking about, because if no one is there to maintain order at the Parks, then complaints will go up. She stated that the Youth Prevention and Intervention cost reduction is one of those things that, if it gets cut now, the City will be paying for it later. She does not support a reduction in anything that has to do with prevention, because it prevents expenses from coming to the City in a different form. She stated that the City just got Juneteenth, and now it is already being taken away. Mayor Graves said there was no Juneteenth celebration this year, because it was eliminated in last year's budget. Dr. Edwards said some of the reductions, such as the part-time liaisons, occurred in 2023. He continued that the other cuts that Councilmember Kragness mentioned occurred in 2024 and 2025, so in this case, the slide she was mentioning was just trying to show past reductions. Councilmember Kragness said the City is missing out on the services mentioned that would typically be provided for the citizens. She said she understands it is difficult and she appreciates that the levy is low, but wants everyone to understand what that means, and it is not just a number. She noted everyone wants to pay lower taxes, but it comes at the expense of reducing services that the community should get. She asked if it is fair and equitable to people who show up for work every day and noted that those employees are not just a number. Councilmember Jerzak said he wanted to acknowledge all the hard work the Staff has put into this budget and levy, with competing interests, it is difficult. He noted that Otsego just proposed a 19 percent levy increase, and he is very proud that Brooklyn Center's levy came in as low as 4.98 percent. He continued that he likes to protect jobs, but also has to be realistic, and unfortunately, in uncomfortable cuts that have to be made. He asked about the $290,746 on page four and does 9/22/25 -23- not want to micromanage, but would like a breakdown of that to ensure equity. He said he supports what his colleagues brought up about closing the Community Center on Sunday as well, and wants to look out for residents with families who want to bring their children to a place that is affordable. He continued that on page five, or what used to be page 132 of 188, he is afraid that the City just kicked that can down the road for the Fire Department, and he understands the justification, but future Councils will have to deal with that. Councilmember Jerzak stated that on page 142 of 188, the travel and mileage at $10,400 and dues and subscriptions are at $57,000, which has been discussed before, but is still not ideal. He stated his other concern is the $68,000 under the City Manager contract, which is for coaching Directors, is a little harder to swallow because, for less than that, the Community Center could be kept open on Sundays. He stated he believes in the competence of the City's Directors, and they were hired because they are competent. He continued that on page 146 of 148, account 6301, if there was an explanation of the actual expenses for the audit and financial services totaling $118,920 in 2025, yet they have served their notice to discontinue service with the City. He noted that last year's budget was $85,000, so the auditor exceeded it by $33,950, and he knows that the City asked the auditor for some additional things, but the 2026 budget has the audit costing $65,000, and he asked how it can cost $20,000 less. He asked if the new audit contract, being cheaper, will contain everything the City wants, and noted that the contract with the new auditor has not even been issued yet. Ms. Holm said as far as the $65,000 goes, Councilmember Jerzak is correct there is no contract with an auditor yet, and she does anticipate the audit will cost around $85,000, however a portion of that is distributed to the City’s Enterprise funds and the $65,000 is the portion that would be applied to the General Fund. Councilmember Jerzak asked about the Other Contractual Services that have increased by $12,000 and what those increases were for, as well as the Human Resources 41810 reduction of $177,551 and the reason behind that. He continued that there was a $400,000 allocation for open or vacant positions, and it looked like that had disappeared from the budget. Ms. Holm said the $400,000 is its own business unit, and so it should be towards the end of the packet in those pages. The Human Resources Department had a placeholder for the Fire Department, and it is probably a combination of a reduction of the firefighter positions and the reduction of a Human Resources employee who was moved over to Communications. Councilmember Jerzak asked to confirm that 6449, with the increase of $42,00, is the Comprehensive Plan that is due and has the associated costs with it that are under Planning and Zoning and were announced before. Ms. Holm nodded that he was correct. Councilmember Jerzak said his final comment is that his colleagues brought up some important points about the community, and he knows that levy increases for residents on fixed incomes is challenging and while the Staff has done a very good job at looking at all the places to save money, he has to echo Councilmember Kragness’s sentiment particularly in servicing the community, saving a dollar cannot be the only answer. He said it is hard for him to justify a contribution from the General Fund of over $155,000 from a non-performing asset, and then closing down the Community Center on Sundays. He said he made a commitment to supporting the 4.98 percent levy increase, and it hurts, but everyone is living in a time when things cost more. He said he does not have the answer to get more services while spending less, and he does not want to micromanage Dr. Edwards. The 9/22/25 -24- things that have been cut or reduced must have been for good reasons, and just because he does not like something does not mean that it should not be so. Councilmember Moore said she wanted to go back to the Mayor and Council budget on page 142 of 188, 6449 other contractual services, and that it pertained to Common Sense for $46,000, and said that should be eliminated. She continued that she cannot figure out how subscriptions keep going up from $57,000 to $59,000, and if those are actually necessary. She thanked Ms. Holm for clarifying the accounting question that Councilmember Jerzak had asked. She said she has had a lengthy discussion with Dr. Edwards and commended him on his work with the City's Directors, and will continue to have conversations with Dr. Edwards as he will with his Directors. She thanked Dr. Edwards and Ms. Holm for their presentation. Councilmember Jerzak said he had looked at dues and subscriptions, and there are a lot of things that the City almost has to have. By the time he got done sorting it out, a lot of the dues and subscriptions had to do with the ability to have lobbying done on behalf of the City of Brooklyn Center. He said the only budget he can say anything about is the Council budget, and he would be willing to give that portion up in order to keep the Community Center open on Sundays, but that is not his call. He reiterated that the Council’s only job is to give Dr. Edwards a levy dollar figure. Councilmember Kragness said she supports the lower levy, but the Council needs to recognize what the City actually values, and if that is not recognized, it is easy to cut. She gave the example of Common Sense, and the purpose of Common Sense was to create an environment where the Council would learn to work as a team and together, instead of having shouting matches with each other. She said the Council does not have to agree on everything but should be able to talk to each other cordially, and asked how long it took just to get a Code of Respect together. She said that was an asset put into place to help the Council, and if the Council does not value that as an asset, it is easy to get rid of. She stated that continuing education programs are in the position to be cut, along with people, but the City is expecting people to do more, and education and training might be needed to do more. She said these are all things the Council needs to talk about. She said if Dr. Edwards and the Council say they do not believe in additional education, then the City will become stagnant, especially with the resources that the City currently has; no one can continue to go uphill with less. She continued that if they have to lay people off, then the Council needs to make sure that they are doing better as a City to be good stewards of the money that they are entrusted with. Mayor Graves said she appreciates all the comments from her fellow Councilmembers and all the work that the Staff has done to bring back a budget that is within a proposed reduction that Councilmembers felt they could live with. She said she was willing to go a little higher than 4.98 percent, recognizing that there is a lot of frustration with wages not keeping up with the cost of living and inflation. She agreed with the other Councilmembers that she wished the Community Center did not have to close at all, and questioned if Sunday would be the most appropriate day to do so, since that is when parents are off work and children are out of school. She said she would have liked to know what the revenue and usage were of the Community Center on Sunday, in order to come to that decision. She agreed with Councilmember Kragness about the importance of not laying off employees, especially when thinking about the City's strategic priorities and the 9/22/25 -25- importance of improving employees' experience and safety. She stated she understands times are tough, but asked what a one percent levy increase would do, and whether that could potentially save the City from having to lay off Staff. She asked if raising the levy by one percent would improve morale and help City Staff feel as though the Council values and invests in employees who implement the things that the Council decides as a governing body. She said she would be willing to go up another percentage, which would only cost the average homeowner $15.00 more per year, in order to hold on to Staff and not create more lay-offs. She said that when the consensus of the Council was to lay off 13 other employees with the closure of Liquor Store #2 earlier this year, that brings the total to 15 employees who were laid off this year alone. She continued that she does not know what kind of message those lay-offs send, but if that were her, she would start wondering if she should move somewhere else. Mayor Graves stated that when she started as the Mayor, the City was hemorrhaging employees, and she just started feeling like employees were getting back to being valued, but due to the Council's fiscal hawkishness, the needle is moving in the other direction. She said the Council has to remember that without employees, the City can not do anything. She reiterated that no one wants to pay taxes, but the local taxes are the most important ones that residents pay. She suggested the levy be raised to 5.98 percent, and asked if the Council would be amenable to that in order to avoid laying off any more City Staff. Councilmember Moore said she wanted to respond regarding the Common Sense program, and said that the contract predates Councilmember Jerzak, Councilmember Kragness, and her. She said she takes offense to the fact that by suggesting cutting Common Sense and reducing the budget by $46,000, it means she does not want to be an adult and work with her colleagues. She said she sees a bigger picture beyond this, the Department Directors were tasked because of Federal, state, county, utility fees, housing, and transportation fees, and said the residents have been taxed to the point of wanting to leave or cannot afford to stay. She stated that it is important to remember that Brooklyn Center is the most financially disadvantaged suburb, according to the numbers, and increasing the levy will have an impact. She acknowledged it was a difficult decision for all Departments to determine lay-offs, but the Departments made those decisions based on the benefit of the City, and budget, not because a few Councilmembers said the residents could not afford an increase. Mayor Graves said she believed that City Staff was following the direction of the consensus of the Council as far as the cuts that were made, and she applauded the Staff for trying to do that in an equitable and fair way across the City enterprise. Mayor Graves said she started on the Council in 2015, and back then, there was no Communications Department, and there was no community engagement department. She said that communications and some community engagement were happening, but there was no intentional space around that. She stated that the Council needs to make sure they are doing a good job communicating and engaging with the community, as well as the communication that needs to happen internally, because otherwise Departments get siloed. All of these things are connected and relate to economic development as well. If residents are not feeling safe, and the City does not get ahead of the narrative that business owners do not want to open shops in the City due to crime, then the Council is doing a disservice to the City economically. 9/22/25 -26- Mayor Graves continued that spending another $180,000 to hold on to City Staff that are doing critical roles then that is a worthy investment, and she thinks that most households would say paying $15.00 more a year is worth having Staff that are focused on important skills that does affect the amount of money that the City is bringing in to offset the tax burden on residents. She stated that paying for prevention now can prevent problems in the future, such as having safer communities, better communication, and a better narrative around Brooklyn Center, making investors want to come and develop in the City. She stated that the Council cannot act as if all of this only affects a few individuals; it affects all of the City's strategic priorities. She stated that while she is mindful of not adding financial pressure on residents, she believes that if people understood that a small increase could lead to better community engagement, safety, and communication, and that dedicated individuals within the City and Council are working in the public’s best interest, they would be willing to support it, especially since the cost is less than a tank of gas. She said she is trying to make a case and realizes she is only one vote, but she does not think a lot of people would disagree with her. Councilmember Jerzak said the $15.00 is not the issue; it is the proposed possible double-digit tax increase from the county, along with inflation and tariffs, homeowner's insurance that has doubled, utilities that are increasing, and so on. He continued that one of the strategic priorities is financial sustainability and responsibility, and the Council has to balance those. He said he was one of the Councilmembers who wanted a zero percent levy increase, and in the spirit of cooperation and discussions with Dr. Edwards, he saw the merits in the increase of 4.98 percent, but could not support anything more than that. He said he would not speak for Councilmember Lawrence- Anderson, who was absent, but she had said in past meetings that the City needed to get back to basics. Mayor Graves said she is grateful that Councilmember Jerzak did not stick to his zero percent levy, because the City would be looking at losing a lot more people. Councilmember Jerzak said he had those conversations with Dr. Edwards, and he gave his word at 4.98 percent. It hurts, but during the pandemic, the City had to lay off 100 employees, and some of those people were colleagues of his. He suspected that no matter what the Council would say, there would be a counter to it. He said he would stick with the 4.98 percent increase, but could not support any higher, and wanted to advocate for those on a fixed income who do not have a voice at the dais. Councilmember Kragness said that a zero percent increase is not even realistic; there is COLA, and maintaining the cost of living would require an increase in itself, so a zero percent increase was never really an option. She said she was voicing the things that she does not support, but also wanted to commend and recognize that those were tough decisions that Dr. Edwards and Staff had to make, and she knows it was not easy. She said it is unfortunate to lose those resources, but knows it costs money to run a City. Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded to approve the RESOLUTION approving the Preliminary 2026 Property Tax Levy for the General Fund, and Debt Service Funds, and the Market Value Levy for the Housing and Redevelopment Authority for Property Taxes payable in 2026. 9/22/25 -27- Motion passed unanimously. Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Moore seconded to approve the RESOLUTION for the Preliminary Budget for the 2026 Fiscal Year. Motion passed unanimously. 10b. RESOLUTION AMENDING CERTAIN CONDITIONS OF THE STAY OF REVOCATION OF THE HOSPITALITY ACCOMMODATION LICENSE FOR BC SEVA LLC DBA SUBURBAN STUDIOS Dr. Edwards explained that back when the Council had issued a revocation of the Hospitality Accommodation for BC Seva LLC and Suburban Studios, there were certain conditions that were stipulated in order to maintain that Hospitality License. In recent conversations with BC Seva LLC and Suburban Studios, there seems to be an issue related to unannounced inspections, which is a point of difficulty for the group of people who are staying at the Hotel. He continued that the request was to have unannounced inspections of common areas, spaces outside of rooms, and rooms that do not have people staying in them, and a 24-hour notice for anyone who is staying within a room. This would require a change in the resolution in order to make those changes. Dr. Edwards said City Staff thought the Council would be amenable to that, to ensure that the property is still in compliance with the Hospitality License. Dr. Edwards asked Ms. Tolar if she had anything to add. Ms. Tolar said another point is to try to stay in line with the existing plan; there needs to be a development agreement, and the Hospitality Accommodation Ordinance defines Hospitality Accommodation as something for 30 days or less. The existing PUD for the property allows for an extended stay hotel, which, in the solution, can be up to 60 days, so there is a conflict there. To resolve that conflict, the Hotel needs to comply with the PUD and all other license requirements. Mayor Graves asked if there were any questions from Councilmembers. Councilmember Kragness asked Ms. Tolar to repeat what she said so the Council could confirm. Ms. Tolar said there needed to be two amendments to the conditions for the stay of the Hospitality Accommodation revocation, the first being unannounced inspections need to be modified to allow for a 24 hour written notice for occupied rooms or emergency inspections can be done right away, and secondly that Suburban Studios strictly adhere to their planning and development agreement pursuant to the zoning code and the Hospitality Accommodation license. Councilmember Jerzak said he read through this thoroughly and saw it more as a clean-up of a current understanding, and would not have any problem or objections to moving forward. Councilmember Kragness said she understands the language around the notice of 24 hours, but anyone who has in-laws knows that you can get your house in order in 24 hours, and if someone is doing something they should not be doing, it gives them time to get things in order. She said 9/22/25 -28- she wanted to note that she would be voting against this, and was not here for the initial vote on the stay of revocation, but she did not support it then and does not support the changes now to make it even more flexible. Councilmember Moore asked if, since the revocation went into place in July, there have been 24- hour written notices given or emergency inspections. Ms. Tolar said she does not know what kind of inspections have taken place, but the owner is trying to work with City Inspectors to make sure that everything is cleaned up and under control. Councilmember Moore asked if the change in the resolution was a request made by Suburban Studios. Dr. Edwards said that it is correct, the 24-hour notice for inspections was something that was requested by Suburban Studios, and the second issue, to adhere to the license itself, is something the Council needs to maintain. Councilmember Moore asked if there have been any concerns regarding a 24-hour notice or emergency inspections at the Hotel. Dr. Edwards said there have not been any concerns that he is aware of, and he has spoken to City Staff, and nothing has arisen. Councilmember Jerzak said it is a courtesy to give notice, particularly for those who may be vulnerable, for example, members of the Indigenous Nations who have a lot of problems with male inspectors; it gives them time to find an alternative place to be during the inspections. He said he completely understands and supports this, and there is still an ability to enter for an emergency, and it is more of a clean-up of language. Ms. Tolar said that Councilmember Jerzak is correct, this only amends two of the conditions, there are still many conditions remaining, and if the Suburban Studios owner or Staff violates this, their Hospitality Accommodation license will be revoked, so there are still safeguards in place for the City to manage this. Councilmember Kragness said that the proposal is to give notice, and that would give notice to someone who has shown they will operate with a license improperly. She continued that not giving prior notice to them would discourage someone from following the rules. Mayor Graves said she does not disagree with Councilmember Kragness’s statements, and giving notice to people does give them a chance to clean up things that maybe they should not be doing, but there also has to be balance, and inspectors can still go in without notice to any other space. She stated that it is important to hold accountable the entity that is running the business, and still respecting the people who have paid for rooms that have nothing to do with the owner. She stated that if City Staff says they are not concerned about being able to make sure that the Hotel is adhering to the requirements of the stay of revocation, then she trusts City Staff that that is the case. Councilmember Jerzak said the primary cause of the action started with a non-performing enunciator, which is a sprinkler or warning system for a fire. He said there are obvious reasons the City Staff is asking for this, and he trusts their judgment. 9/22/25 -29- Councilmember Jerzak moved and Mayor Graves seconded to approve the Resolution Amending Certain Conditions of the Stay of Revocation for the Hospitality Accommodation License for BC Seva LLC DBA Suburban Studios. Councilmember Kragness voted against the same. Motion passed. 11. CLOSED SESSION COUNCIL - ATTORNEY DISCUSSION Mayor Graves said she would entertain a motion to close a portion of this meeting to discuss ongoing litigation and potential settlement options. Ms. Tolar said this portion of the meeting is to conduct a closed session pursuant to Minnesota Statute § 13D.05, Subd. 3(b) to discuss ongoing litigation and potential settlement options. Suburban Studios filed a lawsuit against the City on July 8, 2025, appealing the City’s decision to revoke their Hospitality Accommodation License. Suburban Studios' appeal alleges that the City's decision to revoke Suburban Studios' Hospitality Accommodation licenses was arbitrary, capricious, and not based on substantial evidence, among other bases. Litigation has been pending and ongoing since that time. On September 4, 2025, Suburban Studios communicated with the City's Attorneys regarding a possible visible resolution or settlement to this matter, which may also include discussions regarding litigation strategy. The situation requires a candid and open discussion between the City Council and the City Attorneys without the presence of potential litigants, and for these reasons, the purpose is served by the Attorney- Client privilege against those served by the open meeting law, which dictates the need for absolute confidentiality. The closed session will be limited to the scope of the litigation and potential resolution or settlement. Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded to close the Open Session pursuant to Minnesota Statute § 13D.05, Subd. 3(b) for an attorney-client protected discussion with the City Attorney to discuss ongoing litigation and potential settlement options pertaining to BC Seva LLC, Suburban Studios, and the Hospitality Accommodation license revocation. Motion passed unanimously. Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded to close the Closed Session. Motion passed unanimously. 12. COUNCIL REPORT Councilmember Kragness reported on her attendance at the following events and provided information on the following upcoming events: • Went to the Public Works Open House. • Went to the NAACP Dinner at the Heritage Center, and there was a lot of praise for the food from MinTahoe. • There is a meeting on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, in the Evergreen neighborhood. 9/22/25 -30- Councilmember Jerzak reported on his attendance at the following events and provided information on the following upcoming events: • Went to the Highway 252 Safety Task Force meeting. • Went to both of the Chief Walks through Centennial Park. Councilmember Moore moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded to suspend the rules and allow the meeting to continue past 10:00 p.m. Motion passed unanimously. Councilmember Moore reported on his attendance at the following events and provided information on the following upcoming events: • Councilmember Moore thanked Councilmember Kragness for reminding everyone of the Evergreen meeting, which is the last one of the year, at 7112 Bryant Avenue North. • There is a Pancakes and Fire Trucks event at Living Christ Mission Church at 6500 Dupont East Fire Station on Saturday, September 27, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. • There is Faith in Blue Pancakes at Living Christ Mission Church with the Police Department at 1200 69th Avenue North on Saturday, September 27, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. 13. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded adjournment of the City Council meeting at 10:23 pm. Motion passed unanimously.