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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026.02.23 CCM REGULAR01/26/26 -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 FEBRUARY 23, 2026 CITY HALL – COUNCIL CHAMBERS 1. INFORMAL OPEN FORUM WITH CITY COUNCIL The Brooklyn Center City Council met in Informal Open Forum called to order by Mayor April Graves at 7:00 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL Mayor April Graves, Councilmembers Dan Jerzak, Teneshia Kragness, Kris Lawrence-Anderson, and Laurie Ann Moore. Also present were Interim City Manager Daren Nyquist, City Engineer Lydia Ener, City Clerk Shannon Pettit, and City Attorney Siobhan Tolar. 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. 4. INFORMAL OPEN FORUM Mayor Graves said before moving into the Informal Open Forum, she would like to read the Brooklyn Center Police Department press release that just came out for immediate release after an Officer-involved shooting. She read the following statement: "On February 23, 2026, at approximately 3:55 p.m., Brooklyn Center Police Officers were dispatched to the business area in the vicinity of the 5500 to 5600 blocks of Brooklyn Boulevard in Brooklyn Center to investigate a report of a male with a gun outside retail establishments. Brooklyn Center police officers arrived in the area and were confronted by the subject, who was armed with a handgun. Gunfire was exchanged between the subject and officers, and the subject was struck by gunfire. No officers were struck by gunfire. Officers immediately rendered first aid, and the subject was transported to an area hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. A handgun was located at the scene. Preliminary information indicates this incident is related to a double homicide in Minneapolis earlier in the day. The Brooklyn Center Police Department was assisted by multiple area police agencies during the incident. Brooklyn Center Police officers have been placed on critical incident leave. The Brooklyn Center Police Department requested that the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigate this use of force. Incident Offices were wearing body-worn cameras during the incident. There is no danger to the public related to this incident any longer. This incident remains under investigation, and additional information will be released by the BCA as it becomes available." She added that the statement is from Chief of Police Garett Flesland. Mayor April Graves opened the meeting for the purpose of Informal Open Forum and reviewed the Rules of Decorum. 02/23/26 -2- Adrian asked for clarification about speaking on items that are not on the agenda, because she wanted to speak about the hotels. Mayor Graves said that the discussion was during the Study Session, so they will take comments during the regular session. Adrian said she addressed the Council last year about the Baymont hotel and said she was there to provide context regarding her organization's prior engagement with the Baymont hotel in the City's stabilization effort. She said her organization, along with two others, was contracted to provide on-the-ground support during the period when the Baymont was shut down with concerns about the hotel and the people at the hotel, and the highly transient communities living in the hotel. She said they carried out that work in good faith and in collaboration with City leadership. She said after the engagement, though, her organization made deliberate efforts to remain aligned and involved as hotel-related discussions continued. She stated that she saw clarity on whether there were conditions tied to the reinstatement of Baymont's license and requested a copy of the current hotel ordinances, upcoming hotel ordinance meetings, and whether her organization would continue to be included in participation. She stated that her organization had a draft appeal letter for a focus group with the long-term hotel residents, whether the City anticipated future collaboration with other hotels, and whether a convening of hotel owners and property managers would occur, and whether there would be an opportunity to report back to the Council on the work completed at the Baymont, and future considerations. She stated that her organization scheduled meetings with Baymont ownership to address operational concerns and improve coordination, but those meetings were canceled multiple times. She stated that they were limited to proactive problem-solving with the Baymont, but this is a trend with all of the hotels in the area. She stated that many follow-up questions did not receive responses, and her organization was not consistently included in subsequent conversations related to hotel policy strategies. She continued that, as hotel-related concerns have resurfaced, she believes it is important to note that some of the challenges they are seeing today may have been mitigated through sustained coordination, structured follow-through, and continued inclusion of contracted partners after the initial engagement. Adrian said this statement is not about criticism, but about continuity. When partners, partnerships, and beyond crisis activation include consistent communication and follow-through, it strengthens outcomes for residents, the City, and service providers. She said she is sharing this to ensure that the context is on record, as future hotel-related strategies are considered. She noted that she was there when a community member was raped and stabbed at the Baymont, and it should not be open. She stated that the Baymont violated their terms of being shut down multiple times, and that information was relayed. Mayor Graves said Adrian's time was up and thanked her for her information. Mayor Graves asked Adrian if she could email the Council her testimony today, and asked that City Staff respond to her comments. Kevin S. said he lives in the Evergreen neighborhood and goes by the hotels often, and there are bag ladies and bag men, and vagrants all the time. He noted that trash is piling up, and the county needs to be held responsible for the people who are put in those hotels and not being watched over and given the proper mental health support. He stated that the City should not be spending thousands of man-hours going to the hotels to provide security for them. He stated that the Baymont lost its restaurant, and he has no doubt it is because no one would want to eat there and see what he sees outside that building. He stated that behind the Baymont is a trash heap. He noted there is a security camera on a post in front of the building, so that tells people that something is going on there. He added that there has to be a way to shut down the Baymont, and even if it 02/23/26 -3- becomes an empty lot, that is better than the current situation with people in distress moving through the neighborhoods. Mayor Graves thanked him for speaking. Gretchen E. stated she attended the Northwest Tourism annual meeting last week, and knows that Mayor Graves was there, and wanted to give her kudos for her opening speech about being calm, knowing that there is chaos surrounding them lately, and strongly encouraged everyone in the room to take a deep breath. She said she appreciated what Mayor Graves brought to that meeting and a calming presence to the room. Carmina M. said the last time she spoke at a Council meeting, she was told someone would reach out to her, and no one ever did. She stated she also wanted to comment on the land where the King Restaurant used to be, and asked what is being done with that land. She stated she used to work with Acer on having that land developed, but that was years ago, and nothing has been put up. She said she is not moving out of Brooklyn Center, so the City needs to do the renovations they have to do, because the black people in Brooklyn Center are not moving out. She said Brooklyn Center needs to be developed, and if the Council is not going to develop, then the people will replace each and every one of the Councilmembers because they are not doing anything for the City, and she is not even sure that the Councilmembers live here. She stated that if the Councilmembers lived here, they would want the City to be developed. She stated there is traffic in this place, and there is money flowing in and out. She asked what is happening to that money, and if the Council wants its citizens to live in poverty, and in places where the residents do not see beauty. She said that the Council is wrong, and the beauty is in the residents' hearts, and in the things they look at on their screens, and where they travel to in Austria, Germany, and South Africa. She stated she is not moving anywhere because anytime she wants to see beauty, she can see it. She stated that the Council needs to develop this City, or they will be voted off the Council. Mayor Graves asked if the Council was open to having a person come back up and speak since there was time left. Councilmember Moore asked if it was on the same subject. Councilmember Moore said no, there are rules for two minutes allotted, and it should be kept at that, but Staff can follow up with her regarding a follow-up on what happened with the contract. Councilmember Kragness asked exactly what Adrian’s organization is doing to help the hotels. She said she remembered last year that Adrian had spoken about the things they were doing, but wants her to clarify. Mayor Graves asked Adrian to come up to the microphone to answer the question. Councilmember Moore called for a point of order and said the Council is not supposed to ask her questions. Mayor Graves said they are allowed to ask clarifying questions. Councilmember Moore said again, the two minutes are up for this speaker, and there needs to be follow-up with Staff, and if the speaker wanted to say what company she works for, she could have said that in her two minutes when she presented. Mayor Graves said this does not need to be a debate, and they can make sure her comments do not go over the next two minutes, and the speaker can answer the question that Councilmember 02/23/26 -4- Kragness asked. Mayor Graves asked the speaker to come back up and give a little more context about the organization. Adrian said the organization she owns is Logo Community Support Services, and last year they were contracted to work with community members during the time that the hotel was shut down because a lot of those community members left from another hotel where the power was cut off. She stated that her organization worked with community members to make sure they were connected to Social Services to help those residents either transition out of the hotel or have basic needs met while they were in the hotel. Adrian stated she is an accessibility specialist for the state, so she also ensured that residents who were handicapped or had accessibility needs were able to get those needs met. She said the organization's main focus was engaging community members who were there, but also engaging with ownership and management to better facilitate emergency situations and understand how to better provide specific services that might benefit the tenants or patrons of the hotel. Mayor Graves thanked Adrian for clarifying. Councilmember Jerzak asked if Adrian was going to put this in an email and address it to City staff. Adrian said she could do that and was asked to send her testimony over to City Staff. Councilmember Jerzak asked if she could include the Councilmembers on that email, too. Adrian confirmed that she would send it to the Council. Mayor Graves stated her intention was to have Adrian send her an email to the Council. Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Moore seconded to close the Informal Open Forum. Motion passed unanimously. 5. INVOCATION Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson said in light of the many things going on in the community, she found a quote, “Kind hearts are the gardens, kind thoughts are the roots. Kind words are the flowers, kind deeds are the fruits. Take care of your garden and keep out the weeds. Fill it with sunshine, kind words, and kind deeds.” 6. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded to approve the Agenda and Consent Agenda, as amended, with amendments to the minutes as stated during the Study Session, and the following consent items were approved: 6a. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. February 9, 2026 – Study Session 2. February 9, 2026 – Regular Session 02/23/26 -5- 6b. LICENSES RENTAL INITIAL (TYPE IV– six-month license) 5337 Queen Avenue North ALFRED APATA 7217 Perry Court East MOA APAGODU & LINA SALAH TR INITIAL (TYPE III – one-year license) 6707 Dupont Avenue North Mahugnon Moise Kplacacha A Obinwa & C Obinwa RENEWAL (TYPE IV – six-month license) 1107 57th Avenue North 1107 4x LLLP 5556 Emerson Avenue North Thomas D Belting RENEWAL (TYPE III – one-year license) 1701 69th Avenue North Earle Brown Farm Apartments 3907 65th Avenue North GRANITE PROPERTIES SPE LLC 5350 Logan Avenue North CCF3 LLC RENEWAL (TYPE II – two-year license) 6737 Humboldt Avenue North Humboldt Square Ventures Llc 5601 Camden Avenue North Western Sky Properties Llc 5739 James Avenue North Rifive Investments Llc 5956 Beard Avenue North SFR BORROWER 2021-2 LLC 7100 Lee Avenue North Selene Avendano Miguel & Olmedo Jara RENEWAL (TYPE I – two-year license) 3906 Eckberg Drive William E Clabots 5006 France Avenue North A&m Estate Services Llc 5351 Irving Avenue North Cel Monton LLC 5701 James Avenue North Sunset View Rentals Llc 02/23/26 -6- 6642 Camden Drive Joby John & Resmy Kurian 6725 Bryant Avenue North Vong Duong & Ngoc-keiu Huynh 6807 Scott Avenue North Gao Qiang Liu 6c. RESOLUTION APPROVING PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS AND AUTHORIZING ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS, IMPROVEMENT PROJECT NO. 2026-01, 02, 03, & 04, HUMBOLDT AVENUE (CR 57) RECONSTRUCTION 6d. RESOLUTION APPROVING THE LABOR AGREEMENT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT LABOR SERVICES (LELS) LOCAL 520 (SUPPORT SERVICES MANAGER) AND THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER FOR THE CALENDAR YEARS 2025 AND 2026 7. PRESENTATIONS/PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS/DONATIONS 8. PUBLIC HEARINGS 9. PLANNING COMMISSION ITEMS 9a. RESOLUTION REGARDING THE RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF PLANNING COMMISSION APPLICATION NO. 2026-002 SUBMITTED BY THE MOUND CEMETERY ASSOCIATION FOR SITE AND BUILDING PLAN APPROVAL TO CONSTRUCT AN APPROXIMATELY 1,980-SQUARE-FOOT OFFICE AND MAINTENANCE BUILDING AND ISSUANCE OF A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR MOUND CEMETERY (3515 69TH AVENUE NORTH) Mr. Nyquist introduced Associate Planner Krystin Eldridge to present this item to the Council. Ms. Eldridge explained that the Mound Cemetery Association, the Applicant, is requesting review and consideration of a request to construct an approximately 1980 square-foot office and maintenance building and related site improvements at the subject property located at 3515 69th Avenue North. The county identifies this property as 6705 Beard Avenue North. She added that there was a notice of correction because the Public Hearing notice inaccurately identified the subject property with a zoning designation of R1, which is a low-density residential district. The subject property was zoned R1; the adoption of the City's new UDO in 2023 re-zoned the property to O or Public Open Space District, which was a new zoning designation. She said she spoke with the City Attorney, who advised them to move ahead with the notice of correction and to do an immediate update for moving it to the O District to match all City documents and move forward with the Public Hearing. 02/23/26 -7- Ms. Eldridge said the property is 13 acres and was established in 1862, and in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan, it is zoned as Park, Recreation, and Open Space. She showed the Council photos of the current trailer and the open space that is on the property. The Applicant desires a permanent building on the cemetery grounds to update and modernize their facility for daily operations, provide a comfortable, private, and fully ADA-accessible office to meet with families during sensitive and important moments, securely store equipment and records, and create a dedicated space for historical displays, as some of the graves date back to 1855. She stated that Applicant is currently leasing a construction trailer, which is not ADA-compliant, and a porta- potty. A maintenance garage is also present on the subject property. She noted that should the Applicant receive approvals for their requests, the construction trailer and porta-potty would be removed from the current location at the southwest corner of the subject property. Ms. Eldridge explained that the site and building plan includes construction of a 1,980 square foot office, maintenance building, and parking lot at the southeast corner of the subject property. The building would be constructed approximately 35 feet from the property line along Beard Avenue and 35 feet from the southern property line shared with City-owned Freeway Park. Section 35- 7600 of the City's UDO was reviewed to ensure that all of the criteria were met. She stated the Applicant intends to use a mix of glass, steel siding, and stone veneer as the primary composition of their building. Cupolas would be located along the ridgeline of the roof, and a canopy would provide some shelter over the front door area. She stated that there are no plans to modify access to the property; there is a right in and a right out on the property along Stone Creek Parkway. She stated the building will be closer to Beard Avenue, but there will be no changes to Beard Avenue. She added that the Applicant intends to build a small parking lot with four parking spaces, and one ADA parking space with a loading zone. She added that the Applicant would work with the Engineering Department and Building Staff to get their parking lot approved and make sure it meets all curbing requirements. Ms. Eldridge stated that Applicant will be installing a wall pack and a barn light for lighting, and submitted a photometric plan to make sure that there is no spill of light onto neighboring properties. She stated the City is not making the Applicant install any pole lighting because their parking lot is pretty small. Ms. Eldridge said the Applicant reviewed their conditional use permit, and they would not be any major impacts or disruptions to the neighboring properties, so they were fine with the conditional uses listed. She noted that a Public Hearing notice was published in the Sun Post on January 29, and the City did mail notifications and did not receive any public comments at that meeting or receive any comments via phone or email. The Applicant was present and addressed a few things from the Planning Commission, and it was unanimously approved 4-0. She stated that the Planning Commission did ask that the Applicant follow up with the Building and Engineering Department to make sure they were following code for their parking lot curb and gutter. The Planning Commission also asked the Applicant to submit a photometric plan, which they did. Mayor Graves thanked Ms. Eldridge for the presentation and asked if the Council had any questions. 02/23/26 -8- Councilmember Jerzak moved and Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson seconded to adopt a RESOLUTION approving Planning Commission Application No. 2026–002 site and building plan approval to construct an approximately 1,980 square-foot office and maintenance building and issuance of a conditional use permit for Mound Cemetery located at 3515 69th Avenue North, based on the findings of fact and submitted application, and as amended by the conditions of approval in the resolution. Mayor Graves asked what the process is for building on spaces like cemeteries. She said she assumed it is different than doing a renovation to a commercial area. Ms. Eldridge said it is not much different from a regular development or a single-family home. Mayor Graves asked who makes sure that graves are not being dug up. Ms. Eldridge said the Cemetery Director could answer those questions. Melanie Parrish, Cemetery Manager, stated she is the one who ensures the building is not going on graves. Mayor Graves asked if Ms. Parrish uses old maps of the cemetery to ensure proper location. Ms. Parrish confirmed that it was correct. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson asked how old the cemetery is. Ms. Parrish said the cemetery is older than the state and was founded in 1854. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson asked if there are markers that date back that far. Ms. Parrish confirmed there are graves that date back that far. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson said that was really interesting. Mayor Graves said it would be really interesting to learn more about the history of the cemetery. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson said both of her parents are in El Milan, in a tiny cemetery outside of the church that she was sure dated back even prior to this cemetery. Motion passed unanimously. 10. COUNCIL CONSIDERATION ITEMS 10a. PALMER LAKE PARKS IMPROVEMENTS - PROJECT OVERVIEW AND STATUS UPDATE Mr. Nyquist said originally Public Works Planner Cory Anderson-Wagner was going to provide this presentation, but is out sick, so Deputy Director Carissa Goebel will be presenting this item. Ms. Goebel explained that the purpose of the presentation is a reminder of the 2025 Park Capital Investment Plan recommendations, the proposed projects at West and East Palmer, project development, and next steps. She noted that a selection of the recommendation list includes accessible paved routes to and from amenities, implement storm water infrastructure within parks for flood mitigation, implement native plantings, increase the number of multi-use and soccer fields to meet community demands, and maintain and invest in existing facilities. She noted that currently, a lot of the park space is in a flood plain, which is causing existing conditions that are seen today in spring and summer, causing unusable trails and unusable fields. 02/23/26 -9- Ms. Goebel explained that in West Palmer, there are renderings that the community was able to see during the park CIP survey with multi-use soccer fields, flood mitigation, and improved accessibility, which were met with overall favorability. She stated that East Palmer Lake has a larger flood problem than West Palmer Lake, and a lot of comments from the public centered around that, and said the park was unusable when there was any sort of precipitation. Ms. Goebel stated that over the last nine months, Staff have devloped a 30 percent design and preliminary plans for both parks with cirtical features ihighlighting flood mitigation, new and improved ADA accessible paths, irrigated soccer fields, coordination with Three Rivers Park District, new views of Palmer Lake that are currently blocked by dead and invasive trees and overgrowth, wetland restoration, and maintaining and improving unprogrammed turf areas. Ms. Goebel said the 30 percent concept plan for West Palmer Lake includes three irrigated and raised soccer fields, Shingle Creek trail shifts to the west, and the current trail will remain as a barrier to keep invasive species at bay. She stated that it will be a dedicated volleyball and open space, with raised fields and ADA accessible areas and pathways. There will also be areas to the south where invasive species will be removed. She added that the shelter, playground, basketball, and tennis courts will remain and are not affected by this project. Ms. Goebel said the 30 percent concept plan for East Palmer Lake is primarily going to center around flood mitigation. There will be a new trail loop that is elevated, with a boardwalk section over the pond, so it is less likely to flood. She stated one thing they heard from residents was the desire for increased access to water, so this would help that as well. This plan would also focus on wetland and prairie restoration, as this park is primarily in a lake bed and is very prone to flooding, so restoring native plantings will hopefully keep some of that flooding at bay. Ms. Goebel said these two projects would remove four baseball fields. She stated the City has an abundance of baseball and softball fields, with more than the National Recreation and Park Association suggests for their population, and fewer soccer fields than those standards as well. She added that soccer fields ranked in the top 10 things that residents requested. She added that the City is not getting away from baseball or softball, but the reality is the popularity has decreased over the last 10 to 15 years, with fewer youth organizations in the City. She said oftentimes at these parks, the outfield is unusable because it is too soggy. She said the City is not trying to erase baseball, but is investing elsewhere. In the last year and in this coming year, the City will be making upgrades to some of the fields at Firehouse, Evergreen, and Grandview. She stated that they get requests for field rentals all the time, and the City is just constrained by the number of usable fields that they have, so this would help. She added that the City had a senior soccer league made up primarily of Brooklyn Center residents at West Palmer, and converted some of the usable space in the outfield, but had to move because it was too inconsistent due to flooding. Ms. Goebel explained that Three Rivers is reconstructing several sections of the Shingle Creek Trail in the coming years, with West Palmer included, so staff is working with them to make sure that this project and their project work together, and it is all done at one time. 02/23/26 -10- Ms. Goebel said the next steps include the Council seeing a request for support to pursue two DNR grants for the spring 2026 application cycle. She noted that pending the outcome of those grants, Staff will expand and intensify engagement around the project scope and design to get more resident feedback and support. She stated they will also apply for the Hennepin County Youth Activities Grant and the Conservation Legacy Grant in fall 2026. She stated that the Staff intends to secure at least one grant before moving forward with any further design work, to ensure stable funding. She said there are some City funds to do a constrained project, but the priority is to leverage grant funds to be able to do the whole thing. She said the timeline for these projects is grant-dependent, and should they win, they will move forward first in the winter with invasive species removal, and then in the summer, complete the rest of the project. She asked the Council if they had any questions. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson thanked Ms. Goebel for her presentation. She said she had to mention butterflies when discussing the native plantings, and hoped they would be part of the project. She said she is all for grant money that can be received, but in this climate, she is a little nervous, so she suggested a two-prong approach, with grants and without grants, and what the priorities will be. Mayor Graves asked where the grants would come from. Ms. Goebel said they are DNR grants, so they would come primarily from the state and the county. Mayor Graves said hopefully that is a little safer, but it will depend on where the grants get their funding from. Councilmember Jerzak said he wanted to comment on the implementation of native plantings. He said he was very much in favor of them, but he has concerns after Shingle Creek was such a disaster. He said the City spent $300,000 on native plantings, and it did not work out well. He said he does not want to point fingers, but following up on those types of things would be helpful. He said he noticed that it's one thing to go and plant those things, but maintenance and follow-up are necessary. He added that it would be helpful to set aside grant money for maintenance for the native plantings, but probably would not be allowed to do that with grant money, and the City would have to figure it out. He added that the City would also have to be able to handle runoff and water clarity, which is a huge problem up there, and there are invasive species in that water. He said Canadian Thistle is one of those invasive species, and he is very much in favor of native plantings, but wanted to put that on the Parks and Recreation radar. Councilmember KRagness thanked Ms. Goebel for the presentation and for filling in. Councilmember Moore thanked Ms. Goebel for the presentation and the work to get feedback at multiple events over the last two years. She said she appreciates the pivot from baseball to soccer, and acknowledging that is part of flooding fields, which has been an ongoing issue. She said she hopes the City can get some grant funding, and she knows this has been a priority beyond Public Safety and Development, and the parks are great and are one of the greatest resources here. Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Moore seconded to accept the presentation on the Palmer Lake Parks Improvements - Project Overview and status update. 02/23/26 -11- Motion passed unanimously. 11. COUNCIL REPORT Mayor Graves reported on her attendance at the following events and provided information on the upcoming events: • Attended the father-daughter dance at the Heritage Center with her father, and said the food was delicious and the Staff did an excellent job. • Attended several meetings with the Coalition of Mayors for Safe, Stable Communities to work on messaging. • Attended a press conference and spoke at the Capitol, which can be seen on the City's website. • Attended Representative Omar’s annual Black Leaders Happy Hour at Camden Social this year. • Attended the recent Voices and Visions Black History Month event at the Community Center on Saturday, February 21. • Attended Gala for Goals, which is the Sena Foundation that helps young people with sports, academics, and supports their families. • Attended the Northwest Tourism annual meeting. • Met with the Interim City Manager weekly. • Shared that there is an event at the West Fire Station at 6 p.m. on March 5, which is a meet and greet to get election updates. She encouraged people to attend, to get updates on any changes since the last election, get information on anyone who is thinking about campaigning, and get registered to vote. 12. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Graves moved, and Councilmember Kragness seconded the adjournment of the City Council meeting at 7:40 pm. Motion passed unanimously.