HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-10-2023 City Council Minutes
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
Mayor
Amáda Márquez Simula
Councilmembers
Connie Buesgens
Kt Jacobs
Rachel James
Justice Spriggs
City Manager
Kelli Bourgeois
City Hall—Council Chambers, 590 40th Ave NE
Monday, April 10, 2023
6:00 PM
MINUTES
The following are the minutes for the Meeting of the City Council held at 6:00 pm on Monday,
April 10, 2023, in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 590 40th Avenue NE, Columbia Heights,
Minnesota.
WELCOME/CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL
Mayor Márquez Simula called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm.
Present: Mayor Márquez Simula; Councilmember Buesgens; Councilmember Spriggs; Councilmember
James
Absent: Councilmember Jacobs
Also Present: Lenny Austin, Chief of Police; Kelli Bourgeois, City Manager; Aaron Chirpich, Community
Development Director / Assistant City Manager; Kevin Hansen, Public Works Director; Jim Hoeft, City
Attorney; Sara Ion, City Clerk; Charlie Thompson, Fire Chief
MISSION STATEMENT
Our mission is to provide the highest quality public services. Services will be provided in a fair, respectful
and professional manner that effectively addresses changing citizen and community needs in a fiscally -
responsible and customer-friendly manner.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Mayor Márquez Simula announced the addition of Proclamations, Presentations, Recognition,
Announcements, Guests: “Kelli Bourgeois Day.”
Motion by Councilmember James, seconded by Councilmember Spriggs, to approve the agenda as
amended. A roll call vote was taken. All Ayes, Motion Carried 4-0, Jacobs absent.
PROCLAMATIONS, PRESENTATIONS, RECOGNITION, ANNOUNCEMENTS, GUESTS
Kelli Bourgeois Day
Mayor Márquez Simula read in full a proclamation recognized April 13, 2023 as Kelli Bourgeois Day.
Mayor Márquez Simula commented on the honor it has been to work with City Manager Bourgeois and
expressed her excitement for her last three days at Columbia Heights. She stated that City Manager
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Bourgeois would be missed and she appreciated having a City Manager who was understanding in the
midst of a pandemic. She thanked City Manager Bourgeois.
Councilmember Buesgens wished City Manager Bourgeois well and added the new city is lucky to have
her.
Councilmember James stated it was wonderful to hear all the things in the proclamation that City
Manager Bourgeois has accomplished, the challenges she has overcome, and the ways the City has
moved forward during her time as City Manager. She thanked City Manager Bourgeois for all of her
accomplishments.
Councilmember Spriggs agreed with the previous comments and added his gratitude for the work of
City Manager Bourgeois while he and Councilmember James started on the Council. Councilmember
Spriggs stated he could not imagine working with anyone else. He stated he looks forward to seeing
what City Manager Bourgeois continues to do in her new position.
City Manager Bourgeois stated it has been an amazing nine years because of the Staff and the current
and previous Councilmembers. She noted the community has done “a lot of cool stuff” and expressed
her excitement to watch the City continue in an upward trajectory, stating she will be cheering from a
far. She added the Council could not have a better Staff to continue with, noting it felt like leaving
family. She stated it was time to move on but she will miss everyone. She thanked the Council for the
proclamation and recognition and for her time as City Manager.
CONSENT AGENDA
Motion by Councilmember Buesgens, seconded by Councilmember James, to approve the Consent
Agenda as presented. All Ayes, Motion Carried 4-0, Jacobs absent.
MOTION: Move to approve the Consent Agenda as presented.
1. Approve March 1, 2023 City Council Corner Meeting Minutes.
MOTION: Move to approve the March 1, 2023 City Council Corner meeting minutes.
2. Approve March 27, 2023 City Council Meeting Minutes.
MOTION: Move to approve the March 27, 2023 City Council meeting minutes.
3. Accept March 1, 2023 Library Board Minutes.
MOTION: Move to accept the Library Board minutes from March 1, 2023.
4. Authorize Sergeant Tim Noll’s attendance at Northwestern School of Police Staff and
Command.
MOTION: Move to authorize the attendance of Sergeant Tim Noll at the Northwestern
School of Police Staff and command being held at the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office from
September 11 through November 17, 2023.
5. Approve Change Order No. 1 to Hydro-Klean Solutions Group for Sanitary Sewer Lining,
City Project 2304.
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MOTION: Move to approve Change Order No. 1 to Hydro-Klean Solutions Group in the
amount of ($137,393.00) deduction, for a revised contract amount of $349,264.20, for
Sanitary Sewer Lining, Project 2304.
6. Approve Purchase of Computers, Monitors and Peripherals for the New City Hall.
MOTION: Move to approve the purchase of Dell computers, monitors and peripherals from
Everyday Technology in the amount of $45,112.00 and Dell Marketing in the amount of
$24,732.83.
7. Approve Purchase of Cameras, Camera/Recording/Captioning Equipment, and
Installation for New City Hall Council Chambers.
MOTION: Move to approve the purchase of Swagit LLC/Granicus remote recording,
broadcasting, and captioning set-up and service in the amount of $65,715.00
8. Adopt a Photo and Video Policy for the Columbia Heights Public Library.
MOTION: Move to adopt the Enclosed Photo and Video Policy for the Columbia Heights
Public Library.
9. Rental Occupancy Licenses for Approval.
MOTION: Move to approve the items listed for rental housing license applications for April
10, 2023, in that they have met the requirements of the Property Maintenance Code.
10. License Agenda.
MOTION: Move to approve the items as listed on the business license agenda for April 10,
2023 as presented.
11. Review of Bills.
MOTION: Move that in accordance with Minnesota Statute 412.271, subd. 8 the City
Council has reviewed the enclosed list to claims paid by check and by electronic funds
transfer in the amount of $1,659,964.05.
ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION
12. Approval of Mission Statement and City Council Strategic Plan.
City Manager Bourgeois thanked the Council and Staff for going through the strategic
planning sessions with Phil Kern. City Council had reviewed the mission statement, and
goals, made edits to the Mission Statement and affirmed the goals at their April 3rd Work
Session. She read the revised Mission Statement as “Columbia Heights is a vibrant, healthy
and connected City. We are here to actively support the community, deliver equitable
services, build and strengthen connections, improve upon our past, and uph old our
successes. We strive to be better and ensure Columbia Heights is a great place for
everyone, today and in the future.”
Mayor Márquez Simula noted it was a great process to work through with Staff and Phil
Kern. She was proud of the new Mission Statement and explained that the Council and
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Staff had worked together to hone in on the new Mission Statement to accurately
articulate the services they provide.
Motion by Councilmember James, seconded by Councilmember Spriggs to approve the
Mission Statement as stated above. All Ayes, Motion Carried 4-0, Jacobs absent.
Motion by Councilmember James, seconded by Councilmember Spriggs to adopt the 2023
Strategic Plan and Goal Setting Report. All Ayes, Motion Carried 4-0, Jacobs absent.
CITY COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS
Report of the City Council
Councilmember Buesgens stated she toured the new City Hall and the Ratio Apartments. She attended
the Local Government Officials meeting in Andover and noted Anoka County is replacing their siren
system and asking cities to pay for the new sirens. She mentioned Bruce Nawrocki’s wife, Geraldine
“Gerry” Nawrocki, passed away and she attended the visitation. She attended the Town Hall meeting
for the State Representatives and heard updates on the legislation. She expressed her excitement on
hearing that Anoka County will be conducting a study of 40 th Avenue from Central Avenue to Main
Street in spring of 2024 with public involvement and outreach. She announced that yard waste
organics would begin pick up that week and added residents can find the specific date on the City’s
website or can call Public Works at 763-706-3700.
Councilmember James stated on March 31, 2023 she celebrated Trans Day of Visibility which
celebrates non-binary people and raises awareness of discriminations faced by Trans people. On April
1, 2023 she attended the ARAHA Ramadan fundraising Iftar meal at Murzyn Hall where they raised
over $100,000 for relief in the Horn of Africa which is currently experiencing the worst drought in the
world. She explained that they are relying upon international aid and the organization is well known
and was founded in Columbia Heights. She added their goal is to raise $120,000 and they are still
accepting donations. She attended the Town Hall with Senator Mary Kunesh and Representative s Feist
and Koegel, who are working on Columbia Heights initiatives including securing funding since the
second half of the session is primarily about budgeting. She noted Senator Kunesh spoke about
working toward free student meals. She added the Council is working with Representative Koegel on
transportation. She stated Representative Feist has five bills that have passed and are headed to the
Governor. She noted it was Holy Week and Easter the previous weekend and many people in the City
were celebrating. She mentioned on April 15, 2023 the Lion’s Club will be hosting a University Avenue
cleanup and can sign up to volunteer on the Lion’s Club Facebook page. She added that HeightsNext
would host the Central Avenue cleanup on April 22, 2023 at 9 am at the library and you can reserve
tickets online or reply to the Facebook event.
Councilmember Spriggs noted he toured the new City Hall as well. He attended the Library Board
meeting last week where they discussed rental hours for the community room. The Library Board’s
recommendation was to align the rental hours with the current library hours and not allow before or
after reservations, noting the Council would discuss that in the next couple of weeks. He attended HIV
Day on the Hill at the Capitol with activists talking about ending the stigma and requesting funding
from the legislature and Governor to end HIV. He attended the Senate District 38 Town Hall meeting
with the rest of the Council. He noted he signed a letter from the chair of the Minnesota House of
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Representatives who had a petition going around for supporting sustainable, affordable h ousing
investments. He stated he is still working with residents at the Legends to help get a rent increase cap
for 2023 and years beyond. They have meetings set up with legislators and are trying to get meetings
with the Governor and the Commissioner of the Housing Department. Mayor Márquez Simula noted
they are planning to be there Wednesday morning to meet with the local legislators.
Mayor Márquez Simula stated she attended story time at the library and read two books about
butterflies, one in English and one in Spanish . This activity will count towards the Mayor’s Monarch
Pledge. She noted about 50 individuals attended with about half of them speaking Spanish. She
attended the resident meeting at Parkview Villa and gave an update about sidewalk lighting going in
and litter in LaBelle Park. She attended an Easter Last Supper play at First Lutheran Church and an Art
to Change the World event at the MWMO. She showed the Council a mini sculpt ure made from trash
she had created at the event. She noted there was a meeting at the Legends apartment building and
Interim City Manager Kevin Hansen, the Police Chief, and Fire Chief attended. She had meetings with
the City Manager and Police Chief, finished the property tax assessment meeting, and had a meeting
with the police and Superintendent at the School District about the SRO contract and getting it
updated. She filled out the online MnDOT survey about Central University and encouraged others to fill
it out. She attended a zoom meeting with the Silver Lake neighborhood about milfoil in Silver Lake. She
also attended meetings with the Police Chief and Captain Markham and the EDA work session. She
noted the Friends of Kodiak Park meeting with County Commissioner Mandy Meisner would be on
April 25, 2023 at the library and it will be posted on the website.
Report of the City Manager
City Manager Bourgeois mentioned she has been working with Staff on her transition. She added there
would be the shredding and community cleanup event on April 15, 2023, which is a free opportunity to
get rid of sensitive documents through shredding.
ADJOURNMENT
Motion by Councilmember Buesgens, seconded by Councilmember Spriggs, to adjourn. All Ayes, Motion
Carried 4-0, Jacobs absent.
Meeting adjourned at 6:27 pm.
Respectfully Submitted,
______________________________________
Sara Ion, City Clerk/Council Secretary