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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020 08-07 CCM Continuation of Joint FinancialMINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL/FINANCIAL COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER IN THE COUNTY OF HENNEPIN AND STATE OF MINNESOTA JOINT WORK SESSION AUGUST 7, 2020 CALL TO ORDER The Brooklyn Center City Council/Financial Commission Joint Work Session was called to order by Mayor Elliott at 6:30 p.m. The meeting was conducted via Webex. ROLL CALL Present were Mayor Mike Elliott and Councilmembers Marquita Butler and Dan Ryan. Councilmembers April Graves and Kris Lawrence -Anderson were absent and excused. Also present were Financial Commissioners Teneshia Kregness and Dean Van Der Werf. Also present were City Manager Curt Boganey and City ClerkBarb Suci u. INTRODUCTION Mayor Elliott stated tonight's meeting is the continuation of a Work Session focused on the City's Operating Budget. The City Council's role is to inform and instruct the City Manager to craft a budget that reflects the City Council's goals and priorities, current realities and the needs of the community. He added City Council feedback and comments will be requested regarding the City's departmental goals, budgets and programs. 2020 DEPARTMENT GOALS Mr. Boganey stated the focus of this evening's meeting is Department goals. He added it would be better to address maximum levies and fees with the full City Council present. He added the Agenda Item related to CIP is a continuation of the City Council's discussion a few weeks ago, which can be postponed. He reviewed a presentation providing context and background on each of the City Departments. Mr. Boganey stated the departmental goals reviewed in this presentation were established for 2020. The City Council is requested to provide feedback and comments as well as requests or expectations for other goals that should be reflected in the 2021 budget. He reviewed the City's departmental goals for 2020. Administration -fostering a culture of inclusion and inclusive engagement -Systematic administrative approaches across the organization to achieve customer service goals that account for gender equity in the hiring process Community Activities, Recreation and Services (CARS) —government buildings, recreation, the community center, Earle Brown Heritage Center, and Centerbroolc Golf Course. -Continued improvements in customer service for all functions -Enhanced internal and external marketing efforts for all divisions Community Development - Building construction regulation, rental licensing, property maintenance, Code enforcement, housing programs, planning and zoning, redevelopment, long range strategic, Economic Development Authority (EDA), business retention, and workforce development. -Preserve and enhance quality of life for residents and businesses in Brooklyn Center by guiding development with effective measures Fire Department —Admstration, fire prevention, operations, training, and emergency management. -To protect lives and property during emergencies -Enrich the community by providing non -emergency services focused on safety and prevention -Achieve 9-minute response time for 15 firefighters for structure fires -NFPA Standard 1720 goals reached 90% of the time -Confine a fire to room of origin at least 75% of the time Finance Department —Finance staff, utility billing, municipal liquor store. Finance Department Mission is to provide accurate and timely information to all users of financial information; provide administrative and professional support in financial matters to all City Departments. -Ensure financial stability of the City -Enhance customer access to utility account information and actions Police Department —Vision: committed to helping provide an exceptionally safe and secure community for residents, businesses and visitors, with great dignity and respect. Mission: to protect and serve in a manner that preserves the public trust. -Reduce domestic violence -Reduce youth crime -Reduce crime in general Mayor Elliott asked if the Police Department has indicated how they are going to achieve this, and whether these are their current goals. Mr. Boganey stated there is some discussion about methods in the budget nai7ative. He confirmed these are the Police Department's 2020 goals. Public Works —Mission: Ensure maintenance and operations Vol infrastructure and facilities in a quality and cost-effective manner. -Meet or exceed minimum infrastructure maintenance standards -PASER pavement management -Continue to improve streamlined management strategies and techniques, using refined methods and technologies CITY COUNCIL FEEDBA CK ON DEPAR TMENTAL GOALS Mr. Boganey requested the City Council's consideration regarding items that they believe should be included in the 2021 budget for the City to be successful. He stressed the importance of considering outcome and results, rather than how something should be done. He added City Staff is capable in their ability to do research and analysis, and provide approaches, strategies and methods. He noted 8/07/2020 Page 2 the City Council has probably heard of projects or tactics being used by other communities, that they may want City Staff to be aware of. Mr. Boganey stated Councilmember Graves provided her comments which have already been incorporated into a working document. Mayor Elliott stated he would like to get feedback and comments from the rest of the City Council before reviewing Councilmember Grave's comments. Mr. Boganey stated Councilmember Grave's comments have already been added to the document. He added however Mayor Elliott wants to proceed is fine. Administration Mr. Boganey stated the Administration Department includes Human Resources, City Clerk's office, City Manager's office, elections, IT, the receptionist, and strategic leadership for the organization as a whole. Many of the Administration Department's 2020 goals will carry over to 2021. Mayor Elliott stated, in addition to gender equity, there should be focus on the overall diverse makeup of the City in hiring practices. Councilmember Ryan stated that has already been a key goal for many years, under Administration and in other departments. He added he believes it is entirely appropriate. Councilmember Butler agreed, adding the City's overall hiring process should reflect the racial and gender make-up of the community. She added it is not just about who people see in City Hall, but also who they see out in the community. Mr. Boganey asked whether gender equity should stay on the list of goals. Mayor Elliott stated gender equity stays on the list, as well as reflecting the overall diversity of the community. He added those two goals should rise to the top. Councilmember Ryan stated communication and community education are especially important during the pandemic and related economic crisis. He added it is essential that residents are kept informed of what the government is doing, and he is glad there are qualified City Staff who are assigned to communication duties. He noted it has always been a challenge to keep residents informed and engaged. Financial Commission Chair Teneshia Kregness expressed the importance of ensuring equity by setting limits and requirements for progress. Mayor Elliott stated it is important for goals to remain general yet specific. He added he agrees equity is an important goal, but it should also be called out and named, so it gets the attention it needs. He noted that applies to both gender and racial justice equity. CARS —Community Activities, Recreation and Services 8/07/2020 Page 3 Mr. Boganey reviewed Councilmember Graves' comments: "Increased cultural competency of employees and programmatic offerings; explore potential mental health issues relevant to the community." Mr. Boganey stated CARS provides a variety ofhigh-quality, inclusive programs and services. He added the goal for government buildings is quality, efficient service and a clean, healthy environment in which people can work and do recreational activities, providing health and leisure benefits to all residents. Councilmember Butler stated it will be necessary to be innovative and diversify the City's current recreational program offerings. She added it is not known when Covid will go away, and whether things will return to normal. She noted virtual programming will be an area that will continue to grow and become more important, and the City should be innovative and creative with technology, creating programs for residents that are beneficial and safe. She added, for instance, there is an activity kit that residents can pick up to take home. Councilmember Butler stated that should be a CARS goal, to continue to be creative and diversify the City's recreational offerings. Mayor Elliott stated he agrees with that goal 100%. He added families and kids are unable to connect with each other, and many do not have internet access, which is a unique challenge faced by the community. He noted a recent Star Tribune article referenced Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park as communities that have been most negatively affected the most by Covid-19 in the Twin Cities area. Mayor Elliott stated it will take real effort for Brooklyn Center to meet the challenges it faces - financial, economic, health -related, and education -related. He added this is a wholistic crisis. Mayor Elliott stated, fiom a public health standpoint, Brooklyn Center is in the "center" of the pandemic, with its harsh realities and negative impacts. He added there will be a great financial burden on the community. He noted The City Council will need to focus on each of the goals to find balance and prioritize, as the City has limited resources, and residents have a limited capacity to pay taxes. He agreed with Councilmember Butler's statements, adding innovation is the key to reaching kids and families and getting them through this time. Councilmember Ryan stated the idea of new virtual programming is innovative, but the real challenge will be residents without interpret access, and how to deal with that. He added the mental health aspect of CARS is open-ended, and Councilmember Graves has background and expertise in that area. City Staff should be supported and encouraged to seek partnerships with the County, as they are already working on some of these initiatives. The City can work with the County to identify residents who need support services. Mayor Elliott stated there is a trail system in Brooklyn Center that might be used for recreational programs for residents who are unable to use the Community Center. He added this would be a way 8/07/2020 Page 4 of bringing recreation to residents, He noted CARS could play a role by getting information out to residents, promoting programs, and encouraging people to use the City's outdoor spaces. Communi • Development Mr. Boganey reviewed Councilmember Graves' comments: "Establish and implement a workforce development program in collaboration with City departments, multi jurisdictional partners, and community organizations." Mayor Elliott stated there should be significant investments in housing assistance including rental and mortgage assistance. He added loans should be made available for small to mid -sized businesses, especially micro entrepreneurs. He noted significant financial investment is required to support food shelves like CEAP and CAPI, and other nonprofit organizations that are helping to fill the gap and sustain people. Mayor Elliott stated the City must invest in child-care systems. He added this could go under the City Council budget, including funding to hire experts or consultants that can assist with evaluating best practices around the reforms that the City Council is putting into place. He noted he understands this is not one of the areas that is being reviewed tonight. Councilmember Ryan stated "reforms" is a general term. He asked whether Mayor Elliott can be more specific. Mayor Elliott stated the City Council had conversations before George Floyd's murder about public safety and policing in Brooklyn Center. He added some policies may be adopted out of those conversations, and it would be helpful to have external resources and experts in that type of work to provide advice about completing strategic policy work to improve public safety in Brooklyn Center. Councilmember Ryan stated Police Chief Gannon gave a presentation to the City Council on the results andrecommendations of the Ellison and Harrington Police Use of Force report. He added Chief Gannon was supportive of those reforms. He asked whether Mayor Elliott is not satisfied with the advice and expertise of the Police Department, and why he would want additional outside expertise. Councilmember Ryan stated a 2007 study completed by the Professional Law Enforcement Research Federation addressed challenges faced by cities and counties with regard to police reform. He added, if this were a normal budget year, he would be fine with Mayor Elliott's suggestion to hire an outside expert, although he is unsure of the cost. Councilmember Ryan stated Mayor Elliott was previously listing other budget goals that will really stress the City's limited revenues, although he fully supports some of them. He added the City is experiencing an 80% drop in revenue from hotels, and the governor could potentially un-allocate Local Government Aid. He noted the City will not be in a financial position to hire a new CARS Director for a while. He noted there may be sources that City Staff can use to enhance the recommendations of the Police Chief. He expressed his skepticism at the idea of adding another position, if it can be avoided. 8/07/2020 Page 5 Mayor Elliott stated he appreciates that. He added he is always speaking about having a lean budget, and he has stressed the importance of striking a balance between community needs and people's ability to pay taxes, which has decreased. He noted it is incredibly important to have the resources to be able to do that. Councilmember Ryan stated the City Council agrees there is a trust deficit within a subset of the community. He added trust is a gold standard, and the City must continue to be transparent and accountable. He noted it may take time to see whether new legislation is effective. Councilmember Ryan stated, in a recent presentation, Police Chief Tim Gannon made the point that the Police Department's procedures exceed the standards set by the POST Board and in State statute. He added Police Department employees are committed to a higher standard for policing, continued work toward expanded community engagement, and renewed efforts to listen to all voices. He noted time is limited this evening, but this can be re -visited, and he would like to leave it as a question mark. Councilmember Ryan stated support for food shelves, and ensuring food security, is at the top of his list. He added he spoke with the Director of CEAP about the importance of ensuring that there is no gap in providing food security, related to both City support and foundations that provide funding to food shelves. He noted housing assistance is more problematic, as the State will not be in a good place financially to meet these demands if the economic situation continues to decline. He expressed the importance of residential financial assistance at the federal level. Mr. Boganey stated it would be preferable if the City Council could articulate desired results in specific areas, as opposed to how-to recommendations. He added that will free up staff to focus on various options. He noted, for instance, funding food shelves is one way to address the need for food security, but the goal is food security as opposed to how the City Council thinks the need should be addressed. Mr. Boganey stated City Staff are open to all suggestions and ideas, and all options will be evaluated. He stressed the importance of identifying outcomes that the City Council is seeking. Mayor Elliott stated these outcomes are all related to economic stability. He added, for instance child-care assistance is especially important for residents who are health care workers, faced with the additional burden of supporting and sustaining the community. He noted food security and housing assistance are broader goals, and support allocations from the City's resources, however modest it would be, is extremely important, keeping in mind the financial constraints the City is facing. Mayor Elliott stated he has always advocated for as lean a budget as possible. He added he is still very much tuned in to that goal and objective. He added Brooklyn Center is one of the hardest hit communities in this health and financial crisis and will be required to take actions that have never before been taken. He noted this includes investing in outside resources to assist with doing the work around public safety, racial equity and justice. He noted this is not a question mark for him. 8/07/2020 Page 6 Mayor Elliott stated this is an investment that the City of Brooklyn Center must malce, especially right now, just a few months after the brutal murder of George Floyd. He added these recent events have had all of us looking at how to improve public safety in the community. Councilmember Ryan stated he is fine with that and looks forward to City Staff s recommendations for how to get the desired results. Mayor Elliott stated these improvements would include increasing transparency and access to data regarding stops, complaints, and other pertinent data related to public safety. He added this would Aso include a commitment to implement reforms to improve public safety. Mr. Boganey asked Mayor Elliott for clarification in terms of the types of outcomes he would expect for improving public safety. Mayor Elliott stated improved public safety is the goal. He added there are some key indicators that the City Council should review. Mr. Boganey requested that Mayor Elliott send him an email with more information on these two issues he referenced: public safety and emergency management plan. Mayor Elliott stated they could schedule some time to have a discussio�r. Councilmember Butler stated she agrees with the comments of Mayor Elliott and notes from Councilmember Graves and has no additional comments. Mr. Boganey stated his goal is to share this feedback with City Staff and have a review of the outcomes to identify effective strategies to achieve the outcomes. He added City Staff will do their best to associate a cost estimate with the outcomes and include strategies and costs as part of the preliminary budget. He noted he anticipates the preliminary budget will be multiple budgets showing the costs of a balanced budget, and whether the tax burden is reasonable, or higher than what the City Council is willing or prepared to pay. Mayor Elliott stated many City Councils typically have a Budget Committee to work on this process. He added that might be something Brooklyn Center should consider. He noted it might be helpful to have assessments to review when appropriately sizing the budget to meet residents' ability to carry a certain tax levy. Mr. Boganey stated City Staff will hopefully be able to provide performance measurements related to these goals and expectations, to know what success would look like for 2021 in some of these areas, and determine at the end of the year whether the performance objectives have been achieved. Mayor Elliott stated the rest of tonight's agenda will be addressed at a future meeting. He thanked the meeting attendees for their commitment to this process and working together to come up with the best possible budget for Brooklyn Center. 8/07/2020 Page 7 ADJOURNMENT There was a motion by Councilmember Ryan and seconded by Councilmember Butler to adjourn the meeting at 8:14 p.m. The motion passed. STATE OF MINNESOTA) COUNTY OF HENNEPIN) ss. Certification of Minutes CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER) The undersigned, being the duly qualified and appointed City Clerk ofthe City of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, certifies: 1. That attached hereto is a full, true, and complete transcript of the minutes of the City Council fi•om the City of Brooklyn Center Joint Work Session with Financial Commission held on August 7, 2020. 2. That said meeting was held pursuant to due call aiid notice thereof and was duly held at Brooklyn Center City Hall, 3. That the City Council adopted said mimrtes at its August 24, 2020, Regular Session. City Clerk 8/07/2020 Page 8