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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025.12.19 CCM SPECIAL11/10/25 -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 SPECIAL SESSION DECEMBER 19, 2025 CITY HALL – COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDER The Brooklyn Center City Council met in Study Session called to order by Mayor April Graves at 5:32 p.m. ROLL CALL Mayor April Graves, Councilmembers Teneshia Kragness, Kris Lawrence-Anderson, Dan Jerzak, and Laurie Ann Moore. Also present were City Manager Reggie Edwards, Deputy City Manager Daren Nyquist, City Clerk Shannon Pettit, and City Attorney Siobhan Tolar. Mayor Graves said she would like to make a statement before the discussion begins. She said that everyone present cares about accountability, safety, and outcomes for the residents, and she does not question that commitment. She said she needs to clearly and respectfully name the impact of exercising the Council's oversight, particularly on professional Staff and community partners. She said oversight matters, questions matter, and accountability matters, as does consistency, fairness, and tone. She noted that when questioning becomes repetitive and centers on credibility rather than performance, or when it conveys doubt and undermines the expertise of qualified professionals, it creates harm, whether or not that harm is intended. She continued that when questioning undermines trust, and destabilizes the organization, it makes it harder for people to do the work the City asks of them. She noted that as leaders, the Council is responsible not only for what is decided, but for the conditions that are created and must be able to look honestly at whether the Council is holding all Departments and leaders to the same standards with the same level of respect and good faith. She stated that City Staff are not abstract; they are people who have dedicated their careers to public service with clear expectations, fair process, and professional respect. Mayor Graves said she believes the City can do better, and the Council cannot lead with suspicion or allow governance to drift into punishment rather than stewardship. She said that Brooklyn Center deserves leadership that is rigorous, equitable, and humane at the same time. She asked that the Council pause, reflect, and choose a path that upholds fairness, consistency, and dignity not just in principle but in practice. She noted that the decisions the Council makes tonight will define the Council and will echo long after the meeting ends. She said that the Council should lead in a way that strengthens the City, protects its people, and reflects the values that they claim to stand for. She requested that time be allocated on the agenda for public comment. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson said no, she did not want to make time for public comment. Mayor Graves said she had a feeling that the other Councilmembers would say that, and asked if 12/19/25 -2- they could compromise to make room for some public comment within reason, maybe limiting public comments to five people or 15 minutes. Residents began chanting that if they were not allowed to speak, the meeting needed to be shut down. Councilmember Moore requested a point of order and asked to clear the Chambers. Residents continued chanting that if they were not allowed to speak, the meeting needed to be shut down. Mayor Graves said an alternative would be for at least five residents to speak. Councilmember Moore asked Mayor Graves to keep order in the chambers. Mayor Graves said she is trying to maintain order, and asked Councilmember Moore what she expected her to do. Mayor Graves said her desire was to give space for a few community voices. Councilmember Moore asked Mayor Graves to make a motion regarding the City Manager. Mayor Graves said she wanted to respectfully ask again to allow at least five members of the community to speak for 15 minutes. She asked if the Council did not think the community deserved to have its voice heard, especially if the Council was so confident in its decision. Councilmember Moore asked for a point of order and stated that the public has already spoken, provided feedback to the Councilmembers, and does not need to speak in the chambers. Mayor Graves said it would make sense to keep the order of the meeting together to allow the public a short chance to speak. Residents continued to chant that if they were not allowed to speak, the meeting needed to be shut down. Councilmember Kragness said she was in favor of allowing the public to speak for a certain amount of time in order to reach a compromise. Councilmember Kragness moved, and Mayor Graves seconded to allow the public to speak for two minutes each, for a total of 15 minutes. Councilmember Moore voted against the same. Motion passed. Dr. Ethan C. approached the Council and said he is a resident of Brooklyn Center. He said he works with Health On the Go, and cities do not succeed because of slogans. Cities succeed because of steady leadership, discipline, management, and people who know how to run complex systems under pressure. He noted that Brooklyn Center has navigated the pandemic, public safety disruptions, the national scrutiny microscope, and the pain of deep community strain. He said Dr. Edwards stepped into City leadership during that period, not after the storm, but in the middle of it. He said the question before the Council is not whether everyone agrees with every decision 12/19/25 -3- made during that time in the City under pressure, and no leader ever receives universal approval; that is not the role of the City Manager. He asked if the City had competent, disciplined management when it mattered, and the record shows yes. He said Dr. Edwards has overseen real municipal operations, managing a workforce of 160 employees with a budget exceeding $20 million. He said Dr. Edwards' responsibilities included payroll contracts, public safety coordination, infrastructure, and accountability, while the choices and directions made by the elected leaders often seemed conflicted or reactionary. Mayor Graves notified Dr. Ethan C. that his time was up. Adrian G. said she has lived in Brooklyn Center for 29 years, and City leadership and management matter, not just in policy, but in how people feel navigating their lives in the City. She said when leadership reflects the demographics, history, and lived realities of the community, trust grows and civic participation becomes possible. She said that too often, the discussion of racial harm and exclusion is framed as southern issues, that stopped at the Mason-Dixon line, but communities across the north, including Minnesota, were shaped by sundown city practices, redlining, exclusionary zoning, and information systems of removal. She noted that when leadership is removed or lacks transparency, it reactivates history and affects morale, while fracturing trust and reminding long-standing residents, especially people of color, that belonging can feel conditional. She said this is why this moment feels different, since Dr. Edwards and LaToya Turk have been in their roles, she has felt more connected to the City than at any other point in her life in Brooklyn Center. She said she has had opportunities to serve in her community in meaningful ways, participating in the Police Chief interview process, engaging with Immersion Brooklyn Center, and contributing to civic spaces that recognize residents as partners, not spectators. She said that most recently, her son participated in the North Star Leadership Academy, and it was not just what he learned, but that he saw leadership that was accessible through civic systems that were not closed off. Mayor Graves notified Adrian G. that her time was up. Junadi addressed the Council and said he has been a resident of the City for over 20 years with his family. He stated that home values in Brooklyn Center are valued at around $160,000. He noted that other neighboring cities, such as Brooklyn Park, have home values around $313,000, and Crystal is around $281,000, proving that Brooklyn Center has the lowest housing stock in terms of value among surrounding cities. He noted that Dr. Edwards came in as the City Manager during the peak of the City's crisis, and in 2021, when Dante Wright was killed, and all media was focused on Brooklyn Center from CNN to BBC. He said the first thing Dr. Edwards did was to secure over half a million dollars for the peace, stability, and health of the City. Junadi said Dr. Edwards is one of the few black City Managers in the country, and he loves the community, and the community loves him. Mayor Graves informed Junadi that his time was up. Alfreda said she was there to support Dr. Edwards because leadership is not about comfort. It is about courage, results, and accountability to the people. She noted that under Dr. Edwards, Brooklyn Center has reached historic milestones, including negotiating the largest settlement in history for Dante Wright, which marks the beginning of the process of accountability and healing. He stated that Dr. Edwards secured over $650,000 in foundation funding for community transformation, a first for the City, and for the first time, Brooklyn Center evolved, with programs 12/19/25 -4- emerging to lift up community voices and develop leadership within them. She noted that programs were later dismantled, but their impact cannot be erased. She noted that for the first time, Brooklyn Center celebrated Juneteenth, honoring black history and culture in the City that was too often ignored. She stated that July 26 was another example of his leadership, something that had never happened in Brooklyn Center, where he had expanded and reduced fees, allowing access to Community Centers and increasing participation for kids and families of color. She said he secured local option sales tax opportunities, bringing new revenue to the City, and brought the Senate Bonding Committee to Brooklyn Center, which was also another first. She noted that Dr. Edwards invited residents to have real dialogue about police fencing, canine units, drones, and conversations that would not have happened without the leadership of Dr. Edwards. She said the Council needed to listen to community voices, as the residents are the ones who voted for them, and the Council has to listen to what the residents want and what they need. Marquita B. addressed the Council and said she has been a 30-year resident of Brooklyn Center, and served for eight years on the City Council with most of the current Councilmembers. She said she had the privilege of serving with Dr. Edwards and was really disappointed when people started reaching out to her about what was going on, but she was not surprised. She said what is happening in Brooklyn Center is not different than what is happening across the country with white fragility and racism, instead of coming together and moving the community forward. She said that instead of focusing on what will move the community forward, all that has happened is dissonance, and Dr. Edwards is one of the most qualified people to be in the seat. She said that during her time on the Council, she learned that education does not matter, and she witnessed microaggressions against the City's lawyer from people who lacked a basic education. She noted that when people get an education, other people get intimidated. She told Dr. Edwards to hold his head high because the Council had already made its decision, but the public was there to support him, and history would show that the public was on the right side. She said the great thing about these Council meetings is that they are recorded, and the public is on the right side. She noted that she is really disappointed that tenant protections are being stripped away because she spent hours with people who were being disenfranchised, while the Council goes home to warm homes, while people are being put out of their homes unjustly. She said she feels for those on the Council who are on the right side, but have to have this on their record. She said God bless you to Dr. Edwards. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson said there was time for two more speakers. Julie B. said she has lived in Brooklyn Center for 16 years, and that leaders become great not because of their power but because of their ability to empower others. She said that every time she hears that quote, she thinks about those in her proximity who lead with graciousness, humility, curiosity, integrity, and deep respect for those who serve. She said she did not know if she could find better words to describe how Dr. Edwards has led in Brooklyn Center. She said Dr. Edwards is one of the few City Managers across the country with a PhD, and is part of the only three percent of black City Managers in the United States. She said this matters because representation matters, as Brooklyn Center is one of the most diverse cities in the state. She noted that as a white woman raising a black child, she can say that there are things about her child's lived experiences that she will never understand, which is why she has surrounded her child with people who can help her 12/19/25 -5- understand that part of her and her culture. She said that Dr. Edwards chose this community intentionally because it was a reflection of where he grew up and wanted to make impactful changes there with the skills he had acquired. She noted that he could have gone elsewhere and made more money, but he chose Brooklyn Center even when it was hard, and he chose to stay. She said that Dr. Edwards inherited a mess of epic proportions and has done an incredible job working to clean it up and help the community heal. She said he has been creative with the budget, creating positions that meet the needs of the community and the youth, while also ensuring the Police and Fire Departments have been able to grow. Initiatives include adding drones, a Police canine, and therapy dogs. She said more residents are accessing the Community Center than ever before, with intentional programming that has helped decrease complaints and increase safety at the City parks. She said he has allowed people to be heard in ways they have never been heard before and has been intentional in curating spaces to give individuals a voice and find common ground. She noted that the community is better because of Dr. Edwards. Mayor Graves informed Julie B. that her time was up. The final speaker did not state his name. He said he was there to be honest, and noted that Dr. Edwards drove to Brooklyn Center for two hours each way, day in and day out through Minnesota winters, but he did it anyway. He said that the commute did not benefit Dr. Edwards, but he did it because he believed the City was worth it. He said that one cannot put a City first while surrounding oneself only with people who think alike because growth does not work that way, and communities do not work that way. He continued that progress is built not in Chambers, but in tension and listening to the voices that challenge you, built by people who are willing to be uncomfortable and willing to be questioned. He noted that when decisions are made only to preserve comfort, control, or agreement, that is not selflessness or service, but selfish desire that only breeds loss, fractures trust, and creates problems so deeply rooted they become impossible to undo. He continued that Dr. Edwards has seen multiple sides of life and understands struggle because he has walked through life. He stated that the City does not need more explanations, it does not need more delays, it needs someone who is willing to confront and create change. He said in this moment, it is not about whether Dr. Edwards is ready to lead; that record has already been answered, the real question is whether the City is ready for leadership that cannot be controlled by comfort and commitment that exposes the difference between saying that you care, and proving that you do. Mayor Graves thanked the final speaker and announced that the 15 minutes allocated for public comments had concluded. Mayor Graves said she would not make the motion to close the Public Forum. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson moved, and Councilmember Moore seconded to close the Open Public Forum. Councilmember Kragness and Mayor Graves voted against the same. Motion passed. 12/19/25 -6- Mayor Graves said after the discussion regarding the City Manager contract, she would like to request that, after the Council votes, there is time given to Dr. Edwards to make a statement that he has requested to make. She said Dr. Edwards deserves at least that. DISCUSSION OF CITY MANAGER CONTRACT Mayor Graves asked which Councilmember would like to start the discussion. Councilmember Moore said she had no discussion but was going to make a motion. Councilmember Kragness said she would like to have a discussion. Mayor Graves asked if Councilmember Kragness had a statement she would like to make. Councilmember Kragness thanked the Council for allowing the public to speak without interruption and hoped that would also be the case while she was speaking. She shared that due to the scope of this meeting, the Council would discuss data that had not been shared publicly, without liability or penalty. She noted that her comments today are limited strictly to facts, policy, and process. Councilmember Kragness continued that during a closed session meeting where the City Manager's performance evaluation was discussed, members of the Council made statements regarding the potential termination of Dr. Edward's contract. Specifically, Councilmember Moore had stated during that meeting that termination would be pursued because the City Manager had recently terminated the Director of Finance. Councilmember Kragness noted that during that closed session meeting, she raised concerns that terminating the City Manager for taking personnel action related to Staff performance could constitute retaliation. She stated that retaliation is not permitted under law or Council policy. She shared that when Dr. Edwards' performance evaluation was completed, and the results were compiled, he received an overall rating of exceeding expectations. Based on these facts, she does not believe that termination for cause is supported by the performance record, nor is it consistent with the principles of proper governance. Councilmember Kragness continued that during that closed session meeting, Councilmember Jerzak also stated that the Finance Director had to be probed, but she was ultimately forthcoming with information. Councilmember Kragness reiterated that the Council policy requires Councilmembers to interact with Staff through the City Manager, and any deviation from that structure raises serious governance concerns, abuse of power, and risks undermining established checks and balances. She stated it is important to her that performance standards and disciplinary actions are applied consistently and fairly across the organization. Councilmember Kragness continued that Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson also refused to complete the City Manager's performance evaluation and made the statement, "It was not worth my time," during a meeting. She said this statement made by Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson raises serious questions as to why a Councilmember who assisted in creating the City Manager's evaluation process would choose not to participate, while simultaneously expressing dissatisfaction with the City Manager's performance, decline to meet one-on-one with him for 12/19/25 -7- discussion, or complete the evaluation designed to assess that performance. Councilmember Kragness said it is her responsibility as a Councilmember to ensure that decisions are grounded in facts, policy, and law, and that is why she is respectfully speaking today, not just as a Councilmember, but as a Doctor as well, because she also has a PhD. Mayor Graves thanked Dr. Councilmember Kragness for her comments. Councilmember Jerzak asked for a point of order and did not understand what the allegation was because he had never had any direct contact with the former Finance Director, and asked Councilmember Kragness to restate her comment. Councilmember Kragness advised Councilmember Jerzak to keep in mind that she is an accountant and fact-checks everything. She had heard him say during the closed session meeting that the Finance Director needed to be probed, but the Finance Director was ultimately forthcoming with information. She added that it was not an opinion; those were his exact words. Councilmember Jerzak agreed that he made that statement, but he would like to add the context behind what he said. He said he would yield. He added that he wanted the record to show that the statement he made during that meeting was being taken out of context by Councilmember Kragness. Councilmember Kragness added that in November 2022, when she ran for the Council alongside Councilmember Jerzak, he stated that he ran with her because of her ethics. She stated that her ethics have not changed. Councilmember Jerzak said he was not questioning Councilmember Kragness’s ethics. Councilmember Moore moved, and Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson seconded to terminate the contract of the City Manager immediately. Mayor Graves said she would like to have further discussion before taking the roll, on Councilmember Moore’s reasoning, and the public deserved to know as well. Councilmember Moore said she did not have to give a reason to terminate. The public in Chambers started chanting that they needed to know the reason for the termination. Mayor Graves asked if any other Councilmembers wanted to put on the record their reasoning behind the City Manager's termination. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson said that, based on advice from the City Attorney, she would not be making a comment on her reasoning. 12/19/25 -8- Mayor Graves asked City Attorney Siobhan Tolar to clarify what Councilmember Lawrence- Anderson just said. Ms. Tolar said she was not sure what City Attorney's advice Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson was referring to. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson said another Councilmember had received that information, and she does not need to give an explanation. Councilmember Moore said there was a motion and a second. Mayor Graves said across multiple meetings, she has seen heightened and repetitive scrutiny that has been directed towards certain professional Staff, including Dr. Edwards, as well as other community partners, that noticeably differs from the oversight applied to the Police and Finance Departments and comparable settings. She said this scrutiny often takes place in the form of repeated requests for justification or explanation, after information has already been provided, with questioning that explicitly challenges professional expertise or credibility. Mayor Graves continued that this questioning has escalated over time without a corresponding record of documented performance failure, and by contrast to the Police and Finance items, questioning was more frequently deferred to professional judgment with fewer follow-up challenges. She noted that once information was presented, questions were framed around implementation rather than legitimacy, which has governance implications. She added that oversight is a core responsibility of the Council, but when oversight becomes uneven or escalates without a clear process, it undermines Councilmember governance norms, creates instability with Staff and contracted partners, and erodes trust within the organization, while signaling inequitable standards regardless of intent. She stated governance requires not only accountability, but consistency, clarity of expectations, and respect for professional roles. The separate scrutiny, particularly when directed towards leaders and partners serving Prevention and Community Health, and non-law enforcement functions, has equity implications. She noted that the impact of this inequity is magnified when those leaders are disproportionately black professionals or community-based organizations. Explicit bias and patterns of differential treatment can lead to inequitable outcomes, including burnout, attrition among qualified leaders, effects on innovation and prevention work, and reduced confidence among community partners. She stated that the public record shows increased questioning and escalation towards specific Staff and partners. She said the public record shows an inconsistent application of oversight of norms across Departments, and wanted to say it out loud for the record that the public record provides proof of this oversight that she will be bringing up later. Mayor Graves asked the City Clerk to take the roll on the motion. Councilmember Jerzak asked that the motion be restated. 12/19/25 -9- Councilmember Moore moved, and Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson seconded to terminate the City Manager employee contract, effective immediately. Councilmember Kragness and Mayor Graves voted against the same. Motion passed. Mayor Graves asked the Chambers to be quiet in order to hear Dr. Edwards' statement. Dr. Edwards said he stood before the Council and Mayor with a heart full of gratitude and a deep sense of pride. He noted that his nine and a half years serving in Brooklyn Center have been defined by a simple, yet powerful mission to lead with excellence, to act with integrity, and to ensure that every resident feels engaged, empowered, and heard. He said when he looks at the work that he has done with the City together, he sees a community that chose togetherness and unity over divisiveness. He said that he and the City navigated unprecedented trauma in the global pandemic and the painful weight of civil unrest and did not just survive but built something new. He said he and City Staff launched authentic engagement opportunities, like the City's strategic plan, to ensure that the residents' voices were heard. He said he sparked joy with the "I love BC" campaign, which filled streets with banners, and young adults and elders smiling and reminding the residents of the diverse community that lives within the borders of Brooklyn Center. He said in a moment of crisis, he and Staff pioneered the Community Crisis Response team, a historic cooperative effort bringing together Police, Social Workers, schools, protesters, and faith leaders to find a way forward. Dr. Edwards continued that he is personally honored that he helped to secure the $650,000 to support a City when it did not have it, and really needed it. He noted that behind the scenes, he has had the privilege to lead brilliant, gifted Staff together to modernize the City's operations by creating processes and programs such as Health-on-the-Go, the Department of Community Prevention Health and Safety, and expanding models in which the City responds to 911 calls to meet the diverse needs of the residents. He said he helped develop and publicly reported the actions to achieve the City’s strategic priorities. He stated that Staff from across the organization helped to complete 92 percent of the 64 different strategic priority efforts aimed at achieving the mission, which was a first for the City to measure and report accountability. He said he and City Staff began to take on training of all the Managers within the organization, and added equity to Human Resources. He said he helped improve government so that it can be compassionate and fiscally responsible by delivering one of the lowest tax increases across the Metro of only 4.78 percent while maintaining high-quality services. Dr. Edwards said in a bittersweet moment, on Monday, as Councilmember Kragness articulated that he received his annual performance review from the Council, which rated him as exceeding expectations, it is unfortunate because his contract is not being renewed after receiving such a positive evaluation. He said, despite this, he carries the honor of being one of only two City Managers of African-American descent in the state of Minnesota, among approximately 834 cities. He said this distinction affords him the chance to inspire hope for those who have been historically marginalized and the opportunity to share his personal experiences and stories with youth who are promising future civic leaders. He said it pains him to think that the momentum that he and Staff 12/19/25 -10- have worked diligently to build a vision of empowered Brooklyn Center may be dwarfed by short- sightedness and divisiveness, and while this chapter is ending prematurely, his resolve remains unchanged. He said the work that he and City Staff did was never about one person, or him, but about the people of Brooklyn Center, and he will leave this position with his head held high, knowing he served with integrity and dedication. Dr. Edwards shared that he helped move the needle forward for justice, transparency, and good governance, and it has been the greatest honor of his professional life to serve the people of Brooklyn Center. He said he knows the City will continue to win, and already has. He said his son who eloquently spoke to the Council earlier, shared the Bible verse Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand,” with him earlier and when youth consult with adults and tell them not to be afraid, and quote the Bible he has already won. He thanked the City and the Council for their trust, partnership, belief, and heart. Parks and Recreation Director Cordell Wiseman told Councilmembers Jerzak, Moore, and Lawrence-Anderson shame on them, and he knows who is going to be next, but it will not be that easy. Residents in the Chamber began to chant to shut down the meeting. Councilmember Moore asked for a point of order. Residents in the Chamber began to chant that it is over for Councilmember Moore, and they do not want to hear anything she has to say. ADJOURNMENT Councilmember Moore moved, and Councilmember Jerzak seconded to adjourn the Special Meeting at 6:15 p.m. Motion passed unanimously.