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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-08-2024 City Council Meeting Minutes CITY COUNCIL MEETING Mayor Amáda Márquez Simula Councilmembers Connie Buesgens Kt Jacobs Rachel James Justice Spriggs Interim City Manager Kevin Hansen City Hall—Council Chambers, 3989 Central Ave NE Monday, April 08, 2024 6:00 PM MINUTES The following are the minutes for the Meeting of the City Council held at 6:00 pm on Monday, April 8, 2024, in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 3989 Central 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 Jacobs; Councilmember Spriggs; Councilmember James Also Present: Lenny Austin, Chief of Police; Andrew Boucher, City Planner; Aaron Chirpich, Community Development Director/ Assistant City Manager; Mitch Forney, Community Development Coordinator; Kevin Hansen, Interim City Manager; Sara Ion, City Clerk; Sulmaan Khan, City Engineer; Scott Lepak, City Attorney; Building Official Ryan Smith; Michael Grondek, City resident; Frost Simula, City resident MISSION STATEMENT 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 uphold our successes. We strive to be better and ensure Columbia Heights is a great place for everyone, today and in the future. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag: "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." APPROVAL OF AGENDA Motion by Councilmember James, seconded by Councilmember Buesgens, to approve the Agenda as presented. All Ayes, Motion Carried 5-0. PROCLAMATIONS, PRESENTATIONS, RECOGNITION, ANNOUNCEMENTS, GUESTS A. Engineering Staff Introduction: Ridwan Abdi, Engineering Tech IV/Grad Engineer. City Engineer Khan introduced Ridwan Abdi, Engineering Tech IV/Grad Engineer and shared some of his background and experience. Engineering Tech IV/Grad Engineer Ridwan Abdi thanked the Council for their warm welcome and explained that he used to live in the City so it has been a pleasure to be back. City of Columbia Heights MINUTES April 08, 2024 City Council Meeting Page 2 B. April 2024 Fair Housing Month Proclamation. Mayor Márquez Simula proclaimed April 2024 as Fair Housing Month and asked Councilmember James to read the City’s proclamation. Councilmember James read aloud the Fair Housing Month Proclamation for April 2024. Mayor Márquez Simula asked Interim City Manager Hansen to share some of the things the City has been doing to support this effort beyond just making a proclamation. Interim City Manager Hansen explained that he would ask Community Development Director Chirpich to fill the Council in on those efforts. Community Development Director/Assistant City Manager Chirpich explained that in 2022, the City enacted their first Fair Housing Policy which is available on the website and explained that it reenforces many of the statements made in the Proclamation. He noted that there is a resources page on-line where residents can find information if they are concerned that their rights have been violated. He shared examples of the City’s long- standing commitment to supporting affordable and fair housing such as, The Legends of Columbia Heights and Grand Central Flats. He explained that the City knows that there is more than can be done and noted that the Council had charged staff with increasing their efforts around fair housing and equity. Mayor Márquez Simula stated that the City also wants to make sure that properties are safe and have increased the budget to ensure that more inspectors can be hired through the Fire Department, but also through Community Development. Interim City Manager Hansen noted that item is on tonight’s agenda in order to get that process moving forward. CONSENT AGENDA Councilmember James asked staff to elaborate and give more details on item 4, LELS Memorandum of Agreement. Interim City Manager Hansen reviewed the items on the Consent Agenda and gave more detail on item 4. He explained that item 4 was an MOU with two of the unions within the Police Department that provides additional compensation to these units in an effort to get in front of what they will be seeing in 2024 and 2025 and particularly focuses on retention of the current police staffing. He explained that the funding would be through funding the Police Department had gotten through the 2023 legislative cycle so part of that would be used for funding this for 2024. Councilmember James thanked Interim City Manager Hansen for the additional detail related to item 4. She noted that she was very excited that the City had received this one-time funding from the State and believes this action is a wonderful way for the City to utilize those funds to assist in keeping the officers that they have. She stated that the City has other funds that they are allocating for this effort, City of Columbia Heights MINUTES April 08, 2024 City Council Meeting Page 3 but this is the first move they are making to work towards retaining and keeping their officers and sergeants. Motion by Councilmember Jacobs, seconded by Councilmember Spriggs, to approve the Consent Agenda as presented. All Ayes, Motion Carried 5-0. 1. Approve the March 25, 2024 City Council Meeting Minutes. MOTION: Move to approve the March 25, 2024 City Council Meeting minutes. 2. Approve the April 1, 2024 City Council Work Session Meeting Minutes. MOTION: Move to approve the April 1, 2024 City Council Work Session Meeting minutes. 3. Accept 1st Quarter 2024 Library Board Minutes. MOTION: Move to Accept the Library Board minutes from the 1st Quarter of 2024: January, February, March. 4. LELS Memorandum’s of Agreement. MOTION: Move to approve the LELS 342 and LELS 311 attached Memorandums of Agreement with the 2024 funding for the agreements to come from the Public Safety Aid funds. 5. Approval of Application for Columbia Heights Athletic Boosters to Conduct Off-Site Charitable Gambling at Murzyn Hall, 530 Mill St NE, on May 5, 2024. MOTION: Move to approve the Off-Site Gambling application for the Columbia Heights Athletic Boosters to conduct a bingo event at Murzyn Hall, 530 Mill Street NE, on May 5, 2024, and to direct the Interim City Manager to sign the Off-Site Gambling Permit Application verifying the City’s approval. 6. Resolution 2024-29 Approving Plans and Specifications And Ordering Advertisement For Bids For 2024 Concrete Alley Construction, Project 2406. MOTION: Move to waive the reading of Resolution 2024-29, there being ample copies available to the public. MOTION: Move to adopt Resolution 2024-29 approving Plans and Specifications and ordering Advertisement for Bids for 2024 Concrete Alley Construction, City Project 2406. 7. Resolution 2024-30 Declaring the Intent to Bond for 2024 Alley Construction, City Project 2406. MOTION: Move to waive the reading of Resolution 2024-30, there being ample copies available to the public. MOTION: Move to adopt Resolution 2024-30 being a resolution approving the declaration for the official intent of the City of Columbia Heights to bond for 2024 Alley Construction, City Project 2406. 8. Approval of Resolution 2024-31 Requesting Funds from the Anoka County HRA. MOTION: Move to waive the reading of Resolution No. 2024-31, there being ample copies available to the public. City of Columbia Heights MINUTES April 08, 2024 City Council Meeting Page 4 MOTION: Move to adopt Resolution No. 2024-31, a resolution requesting funds from the Anoka County Housing and Redevelopment Authority to support economic development activities within the City of Columbia Heights. 9. Rental Occupancy Licenses for Approval. MOTION: Move to approve the items listed for rental housing license applications for April 8, 2024, in that they have met the requirements of the Property Maintenance Code. 10. 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 $1,046,817.78. PUBLIC HEARINGS 11. First reading of Ordinance 1695, Creating a Time of Sale requirement Within the City of Columbia Heights. Director Chirpich explained the municipalities in Minnesota are authorized under State Statute to create city-based inspection requirements for residential properties before sale. These inspections are generally referred to as “Truth in Housing Inspections,” “Point of Sale Inspections,” or “Time of Sale Inspections”. The inspections are based upon individual criteria for minimum housing codes that are selected by each city. He explained that the establishment of a Time of Sale program seeks to improve the aging housing stock found throughout Columbia Heights and would create an inspection process for all residential properties in the City that are between one and three units, not multi-family, that would have the City inspect the properties during the sale process or a change in ownership, transfer, or conveyance. He noted that a secondary outcome of this would be that the City would be able to identify and correct more unpermitted and unlicensed work that has taken place by having this additional touch point with those properties. Director Chirpich explained this program would also require a sewer inspection which means they would have to hire a qualified contractor to televise their sewer line and generate a report on any deficiencies. He noted that over the last few years, the City has worked hard to limit the inflow and infiltration issues that seep into the system and this would be a way to help get a handle on this and understanding some possible problem areas. He briefly reviewed the exemptions in the ordinance such as, new construction, sale or transfer to a public body, sale or conveyance of a property via sheriff’s sale/bankruptcy/court order, sale or transfer of title for the purpose of demolition, properties owned or sold by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the sale of multi-family properties with four or more units. He explained that the inspection and certification would be good for a period of one year. Community Development Coordinator Forney gave a presentation that outlined an overview of various Time of Sale example scenarios and how this could be used for City of Columbia Heights MINUTES April 08, 2024 City Council Meeting Page 5 various properties throughout the City. He noted that if this ordinance is passed, the effective date should be May 22, 2024. He explained that Councilmember James had reached out to staff regarding the fee schedule and how this inspection fee would be calculated. He stated that staff will be bringing an amendment to the fee schedule at the April 22, 2024 City Council meeting and noted that staff was looking at setting the fee at $160. He explained that staff had reached out to key stakeholders such as Minneapolis and St. Paul area realtors as well as the Minnesota Realtor Association. Councilmember Jacobs asked how the issues in the photos from the presentation were discovered. Building Official Smith explained that one of the homes depicted was a rental property that the Police called him in to come take a look at, another was a ‘flip’ that had gone off the rails, another one he was present for attic insulation and the homeowners were not aware that the roof had been shored up. Councilmember Jacobs asked if a fair number of them were discovered at the time of sale or when the property was changing hands. Building Official Smith stated that they have discovered many of them when they are posted on the MLS. He noted that when one of the most prolific house flippers was caught, he admitted to having done 14 homes in the City and they caught him through the MLS listing. Councilmember Jacobs stated that staff had touched on the sewer issues and excess water going into the sewer system. She asked if there was any other way that the City has the ability to track that issue. Interim City Manager Hansen explained that the I & I issue is long-standing and noted that, in the past, the way they built the sewer systems were not water or air tight, so in communities with any level of groundwater that will often enter the sanitary sewer system. He stated that they do not want that in the system, because the City has to pay for it, so if there is a way to keep that water out of the system, they want to try to achieve that. He noted that much of the City’s work and effort has taken place on the public side, with things like lining and replacement. Councilmember Jacobs asked if this was only happening on the public side of things because the City did not have access to the private side until the opportunity arises. Interim City Manager Hansen confirmed that this was correct because the City has not access to get that information but has limited access when they do the annual televising of the sanitary sewer by flipping the cameras and looking up them up, but cannot get up them because they do not have the proper equipment. He explained that they can essentially see about two feet up so they can at least see if the connection to the sanitary sewer main is contributing to it. He noted that they are City of Columbia Heights MINUTES April 08, 2024 City Council Meeting Page 6 able to garner some information by looking at it this way but the best way would be to televise the entire line. He pointed out that, by ordinance, regarding the City’s sanitary sewer system, the property owner, in all cases, is responsible from the main into building or structure. Councilmember Jacobs explained that she just wanted to make sure that everyone understood that this was not the easy way out and is something that the City needs to assertively go after. Councilmember Buesgens asked how homeowners would find out about this once in goes into effect at the end of May. She shared an example of a ‘for sale by owner’ situation that would not be connected with a realtor. Community Development Coordinator Forney explained that in congruence with reaching out to the realtors, they will also attempt to post this as many places as possible including Facebook and the newsletter in order to get this information out to the public. He noted that the new inspector will also keep an eye on the MLS listings as well and notice any property owner who has not applied for that inspection. Councilmember Buesgens stated that she believed that FSBO was not listed on MLS and asked if there was another route for that communication. Director Chirpich stated that they will dial up their newsletter article for the spring, but noted that there will be gaps that they will have to work through. He noted that if someone happens to slip through the process, the City will work with them to get to compliance just like they would for any violation and inform them about the requirement. Councilmember Buesgens stated that staff had mentioned discussion of this had begun ten years ago and she has heard it started earlier than that and believes that at the time the Council Chambers and the hallway was full of DIY individuals who protested so much that the Council, at the time, backed down and did not move forward with this change. She expressed appreciation for a resident, Frost Simula, who sat with her two years before she was elected to the Council and had brought this to the Council’s attention about ten years ago and is happy that they added it to their goal setting discussions last spring. She stated that related to sewer inspections, you can say that the fines are being paid by the City, but it is actually the taxpayers. She noted that the last figure she heard was around $100,000 and understands that it can be painful when a homeowner finds out that they have clay tiles that are leaking and need to be fixed, but it will help everybody in the City and will reduce the amount they need to pay in fines to the Met Council. Mayor Márquez Simula agreed with Councilmember Buesgens and noted that there is also the environmental impact to consider as well because it is bad for the environment in addition to the fines that need to be paid because of it. She asked if City of Columbia Heights MINUTES April 08, 2024 City Council Meeting Page 7 this would be something that would go towards a Green Step City programming by reducing their I&I. Councilmember Spriggs noted that he had some comments that he would save until the second reading of the ordinance. He thanked the Community Development staff for their work on this ordinance. He reference Section B, item 4, the 365 day exemption if the purpose is for demolition and asked what would happen if someone applied for that but did not demolish the structure. Director Chirpich explained that they would then be subject to the program and would have to go through the inspection process in order to get a Certificate of Occupancy. Councilmember Spriggs asked if staff had any idea of how many properties in the City there are that are one to three units that would be subject to this program. Director Chirpich noted that they had that information at their last presentation and can look it up again. Councilmember Spriggs suggested that they bring that information to the next meeting so people are aware of the numbers. Mayor Márquez Simula opened the public hearing. Frost Simula, thanked the Council for considering this program and especially Building Official Smith for the work he has done to find these properties and make sure they are carefully looked after. He noted that, as shared by Councilmember Buesgens, he had brought up this issue to the Council ten years ago. He noted that tonight’s discussion has centered around the effect of these properties on the City’s housing stock, but he wanted to also add perspective from the homebuyers’ perspective there may be a question of why there should be a City inspection rather than just having a real estate home inspection. He explained that there is a large difference between the two inspection types and explained some of the differences. He noted that a real estate home inspector is really to help a home buyer feel good about their purchase and the Building Official is actually looking at building codes and are familiar with the building history and can actually make sure that the building is safe. He stated that when a new homebuyer ends up taking on a property that has issues, those problems cannot be put back onto the individuals who created the problem so they essentially become a victim of this kind of property flip. He reiterated his appreciation to the City for looking into this program and stated that he fully supported it. Director Chirpich explained that he had found some 2022 data from a staff report distributed at a work session and at that time, the City was selling, on average, 300 homes per year that would qualify for this program. Community Development Coordinator Forney stated that he found the staff data City of Columbia Heights MINUTES April 08, 2024 City Council Meeting Page 8 reports and from 2012 to 2022 and noted that the average closed sales of homes that would qualify for this program was 345 per year and noted that this did not include the off market sales. Motion by Councilmember Buesgens, seconded by Councilmember Jacobs, to close the hearing and waive the reading of Ordinance No. 1695, there being ample copies available to the public. All Ayes, Motion Carried 5-0. Motion by Councilmember Buesgens, seconded by Councilmember Jacobs, to set the second reading of Ordinance No. 1695, being an ordinance amending chapter 5a of the Columbia Heights City Code to establish the Certificate of Property Maintenance and its associated requirements, and also amending parallel references to reflect the section change, for April 22nd, 2024, at approximately 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. Councilmember James stated that she was excited about this ordinance and felt it will be helpful. She noted that the letter the City had received from the realtors was that this would put everything on the sellers to make the repair but she appreciated that this ordinances creates the opportunity for the sellers to sell it ‘as is’ and the buyers to decide to put the money in escrow, which gives them options and negotiating room. She stated that she also appreciated that there was only a one year time period. She noted that the City does have a lot of I & I problems and this would be a way to at least find out where they are, but does not mandate that they be fixed. She stated that residents can work on getting the insurance program that can be found through the City website so they can start paying a little bit every month and then when there is a need there are funds to help pay for those sewer lines. She stated that it may be difficult, initially, for sellers and buyers to get into the realm of this ordinance but felt that when the City looks back in 100 years, they will glad this was put into place. Mayor Márquez Simula stated that she is glad the City is having this conversation and part of their goals for the year. She expressed appreciation to staff for doing the work to bring this forward and all the work and research that they have undertaken. She thanked the City Council for the changes and improvements that have bene made to the budgeted to ensure that they have staff to make sure this can be taken care of in a safe manner. She stated that despite the frequent mindset of ‘buyer beware’, she wanted to remind people that these individuals are their neighbors and when someone moves in next door and says, “We never looked at the attic because we couldn’t find the door, but now we have and it looks like the roof is falling in.”, those are their neighbors and those buildings could be condemned if they aren’t safe. She stated that there may be some financial inconvenience to having some repairs done this is being created in order to have safety which is one of the most important things to remember. All Ayes, Motion Carried 5-0. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION City of Columbia Heights MINUTES April 08, 2024 City Council Meeting Page 9 Ordinances and Resolutions 12. Minor Subdivision (Lot Line Adjustment) 334 and 344 40th Avenue NE. Planner Boucher explained that Michael Gondek, owner of Gondek Properties LLC, has requested approval of a Minor Subdivision, per City Code Section 9.104 (k), for abutting parcels of land located at 334 and 344 40th Avenue NE. The applicant owns both properties and requests a lot line adjustment to fully locate the parking area onto the commercial property at 334 40th Avenue NE from the single-family lot at 344 40th Avenue NE. The proposed lot line adjustment will allow the commercial parking area to be fully located on the commercial parcel at 334 40th Avenue NE. He reviewed the existing and proposed conditions for the lots as well as the Findings of Fact for a Minor Subdivision. He explained that staff recommended approval and that this had also been reviewed by the Planning Commission who had unanimously voted to recommend approval. Councilmember Jacobs asked if the owner would consider marking a few spaces up towards 40th Avenue NE for the residence so they have parking available. She noted that she was fully in favor of this request, but noted that her only concern is that the cement pad to the west side of 344 was occupied by a trailer and asked if that was the portion that would be made available to the resident for backyard parking. Planner Boucher stated it was his understanding that the rear of the property would be used for parking and as part of the dedicated easement that the residential property will still be able to maintain its parking from the rear of the property along the alley as well as with the configuration of the easement for the commercial property. Councilmember Jacobs stated it is a distance from the alley to the house and thought that there was also an incline there so she felt it would be a bit problematic for them to reach that parking area from the house. She reiterated her suggestion that the applicant consider marking two spots up front, off 40th Avenue NE, and making them available to the resident rather than parking for the business. Michael Gondek responded from the audience. Mayor Márquez Simula asked Mr. Gondek to come to the podium so he could be heard. Mr. Gondek stated that the current carriage house space was being used as storage by the resident because it was not large enough to park in. He noted that his goal was to someday build a garage and the level be lowered down to meet the concrete pad Councilmember Jacobs asked if the concrete pad area was large enough for parking. Mr. Gondek confirmed that the concrete pad was large enough to park a vehicle on. City of Columbia Heights MINUTES April 08, 2024 City Council Meeting Page 10 Motion by Councilmember Spriggs, seconded by Councilmember Jacobs, to waive the reading of Resolution 2024-19, there being ample copies available to the public. All Ayes, Motion Carried 5-0. Motion by Councilmember Spriggs, seconded by Councilmember Jacobs, to adopt Resolution 2024-19, being a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Columbia Heights approving a Minor Subdivision for the properties located at 334 and 344 40th Avenue NE, within the City of Columbia Heights, Minnesota, subject to certain conditions stated in the resolution. All Ayes, Motion Carried 5-0. 13. Resolution 2024-028 to Accept MN Office of Justice Program Hiring Grants. Police Chief Austin explained that he would turn this item over to Captain Johnston because he had put a significant amount of work into these grants. Captain Johnston explained the State of Minnesota, through the Office of Justice Programs, initiated two police hiring grants to assist in recruiting, hiring, and educating future police officer candidates due to the current recruitment challenges in law enforcement. The Police Department applied for and has been awarded two of these grants. He explained that the Pathways to Policing grant is for a candidate that has no college degree to assist with wages and tuition to complete a law enforcement degree and be eligible to be licensed as a police officer. This candidate would be hired as a part-time CSO for the grant period. He explained that the second grant is the Intensive Comprehensive Police Officer Education and Training program grant which is designed to identify a candidate with a college degree in another discipline that is interested in becoming a police officer. This grant will cover the cost of wages and tuition to obtain the necessary requirements for police officer licensing. He noted that the total of the two grants is just under $100,000 and encouraged anyone they know who may be interested in becoming a police officer through these two programs to contact the Police Department. Mayor Márquez Simula thanked Captain Johnston for adding the title of ‘Grant Writer’ onto Captain and noted that she knows he has done a lot of work on this over the last few years. Councilmember Jacobs stated that she is very appreciative of this and realizes that the City has really had to climb outside the box and get creative and thanked staff for their work. Councilmember Buesgens stated this was very exciting news and thanked Captain Johnston for all his hard work to make this a reality. Mayor Márquez Simula explained that she is a member of the Regional Council of Mayors and today they had a Public Safety presentation, heard from numerous individuals, and it was nice to be able to report how well the Columbia Heights Police Department is doing because many cities cannot say the same. City of Columbia Heights MINUTES April 08, 2024 City Council Meeting Page 11 Motion by Councilmember Jacobs, seconded by Councilmember James, to waive the reading of Resolution 2024-028, there being ample copies available to the public. All Ayes, Motion Carried 5-0. Motion by Councilmember Jacobs, seconded by Councilmember James, to adopt Resolution 2024-028 being a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Columbia Heights accepting the Minnesota Office of Justice Program grants for police hiring in the total amount of $98,288 and authorize and direct the execution of the grant agreements. All Ayes, Motion Carried 5-0. CITY COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS Report of the City Council Councilmember Spriggs attended the Council Work Session, the EDA, and the recent discussions regarding the City Manager search. He noted that there are a lot of great candidates and he is excited to be moving forward with the candidates selected. He stated that he is a Liaison to the Library Board and reported that their data shows that visits to the library is up this year and noted that the Board approved library hours to be extended a few additional hours each week and will move from 47 hours/week up to 50 hours/week. He explained that there had been some staffing issues in the past that have been resolved with some recent hires. Councilmember Jacobs attended the information meeting on the proposed alley work and met with two different residents to discuss their concerns about things happening in the City. She noted that she had stopped into the new coffee shop on Central Avenue and also attended three different symposiums that covered THC in the Community, Government Integrity and the Hidden Agenda, and the Backside of High Density. She stated that she had also facilitated five resident reach outs. Councilmember James attended the EDA and Work Session meetings along with the alley improvement meeting. She stated that she has also been working on an upcoming volunteer event for Central Avenue clean-up on Earth Day weekend. She stated that she would invite residents to either clean-up their own blocks and storm drains or to join them for the City-wide effort by meeting at the library at 9:00 am Councilmember Buesgens congratulated Columbia Heights High School students who earned 22 awards at Minnesota Scholastic Arts and read aloud the names of the students who were awarded the Gold Key Award. She congratulated the six middle school students who earned the privilege of competing at State competition for Minnesota History Day and reviewed the topics that they have selected. She stated that she had attended the alley information meeting and the Planning Commission meeting. She noted that she had also attended the public improvement hearing for the five new alleys and also the meeting to review City Administration candidates. She stated that she had attended the Work Session at MnDOT and thanked everyone who signed the petition that asked them to put residents first and commuters second because they are hearing this feedback. She encouraged everyone to attend the hearings that will take place this City of Columbia Heights MINUTES April 08, 2024 City Council Meeting Page 12 summer and fall and give their input. She stated that MnDOT is dedicating $25,000,000 for the reconstruction of Central Avenue with a target date of 2028 which she founds very exciting. Councilmember Jacobs noted that Kiwanis is selling military banners to be hung along Central Avenue and encouraged anyone interested to get in touch with her. Mayor Márquez Simula noted that she and her husband are going to honor the service of her father-in-law with one of the banners. She stated that she had attended the Sister City meeting, a virtual Minnesota Capitol Mall visioning meeting, taught a painting class at the Senior Center, hosted a Be Smart event at the library related to gun safety, the Silverwood Three Rivers Park meeting in Golden Valley, a winter parking meeting with the Police Department, a private breakfast briefing with the Counsel General of China through Global Minnesota, and a board meeting for Art to Change the World. She noted that there is an art show coming up on April 16, 2024 at City Hall from 4:00 to 8:00 pm. She stated that she had also attended the EDA meeting and the Council Work Session in addition to numerous community members and businesses. She stated that the alley assessment hearing went well and had many people from the community in attendance. She noted that fixing the City’s alley is definitely a commitment to safety and while they understand the assessments for this work can be expensive, the Council looks at the greater whole for the City with the goal of the alleys being safe. She stated that she had also attended the City Manager search meeting last week as well as the Regional Council of Mayors meeting. Report of the City Manager Interim City Manager Hansen stated that there will be a bit more detail at the April 22, 2024 Council meeting regarding the exciting transformation of Central Avenue. He explained that staff is in the process of completing street sweeping and have completed the east side and will be moving to the west side of town. He stated that he expects the first round of sweeping to done in the next week or so and reminded the Council that in the spring and the fall they like to do two rounds of sweeping, if possible. He noted that City staff will be hosting the American Planning Association on April 15, 2024 and giving a tour of City Hall as well as the Ratio Apartments. He stated that for the Arbor Tree Sale they are completely sold out and reminded the Council that the City Service Expo will be held April 11, 2024 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. He stated that during Snow Blast the City had asked residents to go through a naming contest for one of their mini- trucks which has concluded and Matthew Johnston submitted the winning name of ‘Mini-towta’. He reviewed the upcoming plans for Music in the Park event dates in July and August. He stated that there is also an open house coming up for Anoka County Dispatch on April 16, 2024 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Councilmember Jacobs, seconded by Councilmember Spriggs, to adjourn. All Ayes, Motion Carried 5-0. Meeting adjourned at 7:30 pm. Respectfully Submitted, City of Columbia Heights MINUTES April 08, 2024 City Council Meeting Page 13 ______________________________________ Sara Ion, City Clerk/Council Secretary