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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-30-2025 Joint City Council and School Board Work Session Minutes JOINT CITY COUNCIL & SCHOOL BOARD MEETING Mayor Amáda Márquez Simula Councilmembers Connie Buesgens Rachel James Justice Spriggs Laurel Deneen City Manager Aaron Chirpich Public Schools—Community Room 1440 49th Ave NE Monday, June 30, 2025 6:00 PM MINUTES WELCOME/CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL School Board Chair Granlund called the Joint School Board and Council Work Session at 6:03pm. School Board Members present: Member Granlund, Houle, Medearis, Palmer, Pettway, Smith School Administration present: Lindsay Bennett, Bryan Hennekens, Bondo Nyembwe, Zena Stenvik City Council Members present: Mayor Márquez Simula, Councilmember Buesgens (arrived at 6:15pm) and Deneen City Councilmembers absent: Councilmember James and Spriggs City Staff present: Aaron Chirpich, David Cullen, Renee Dougherty, Sara Ion, Matt Markham, Beth Posel, Will Rottler, Keith Windschitl CITY DEPARTMENT COLLABORATIONS & UPDATES A. Police Department Updates and Collaborations. Matt Markham, Chief of Police, gave an update on the status of staffing and introduced Captain Beth Posel. He highlighted the recent updates to the Axon contract, and that there will be the ability to do live translation with the new body worn cameras the department will be deploying. Chief Markham highlighted the programs that the police department has collaborated with the school district on over the past school year. Member Houle thanked Chief Markham for the programs that the police department is doing with the schools. She inquired about the sexual predator that has moved into the community recently. She wanted to know how this is communicated with the community. Chief Markham stated that the process is guided by State statute. He also added that there will be information presented to the Council at a future work session about the process and statutes. Superintendent Stenvik also added that the district uses the Raptor School Visitor Tracking System and staff have been trained on how to handle concerns related to individuals who should not be on school ground. City of Columbia Heights MINUTES June 30, 2025 Joint City Council & School Board Meeting Page 2 Member Palmer stated that she loved the collaboration that exists with the City. She stated that she feels that everything we do shows that “Heights has heart” Mayor Márquez Simula indicated that she is looking forward to future presentation from the Police Department on the process in a community when a registered sex offender notification occurs. She also asked for additional information related to languages spoken and cultural connections within the Police Department staff. Chief Markham stated that Columbia Heights is one of the most diverse departments in Minnesota. The department has always made it a priority to hire people that represent the community. Diversity draws diversity, and people recognize when they are treated fairly. B. Transportation Projects / Updates on Safe Routes to School. David Cullen, Public Works Superintendent, gave an overview of the completion of the Safe Streets for All program, as well as the City Wide Safety Action Plan being open for comment. He added that there will be a demonstration project on 49th that will allow for narrowing at street crossings, and the City has been working with the District. This may be implemented this Fall or Spring 2026 depending on workload. There is also a project to review additional safe routes for schools going forward. He asked for feedback on specific concerns that the Board might have, Member Houle inquired about the improvements that would occur on 49th related to traffic calming measures. She also wants to make sure that the feedback is not vulnerable to people from outside of the city giving incorrect or misleading information. Superintendent Cullen elaborated on some of the upcoming updates, and that there is link on the City website that has more information. He additionally clarified that Bolton and Menk is completing their feedback period and that the period will close on July 9th. Communications and Engagement Coordinator Will Rottler gave information related to the communication that has occurred related to these projects as well as where to find the link on the City Website. He also clarified that there will be additional requests for information that will be made in the July electronic newsletter. Superintendent Stenvik confirmed for the board that she has been a part of the conversations that have occurred related to these efforts. Board Member Petway asked how long the trial would last regarding the updates on the 49th Avenue projects. Superintendent Cullen clarified that the trial run would need to meet all the standards in the Citywide action plan. Councilmember Deneen inquired about the status of the projects and when the plan would be implemented. City of Columbia Heights MINUTES June 30, 2025 Joint City Council & School Board Meeting Page 3 City Manager Chirpich clarified that there are many steps that need to happen prior to the final approval of the plan by the Council and then to set a timeline for all the transportation safety initiatives that will occur with Safe Street / Complete Street plans and opportunity for applying for grants. Member Medaris stated that she has been concerned with the traffic on 49th for a long period of time, and she hopes that there is communication with all the stakeholders related to the upcoming projects C. Economic Development / Updates on Pending Redevelopment Projects. Mitch Forney, Community Development Director, gave a brief overview of the redevelopment / development projects that will be occurring in the City focusing on the Rainbow Site as well as the Medtronic Site. Additionally, he gave an update on the former Crestview property at 44th and Reservoir, where the developer will be doing multifamily units and townhomes. Member Granlund asked for clarification about what “market rate” means. Director Forney indicated that there is a difference between workforce housing / market rate housing and affordable housing. Member Houle inquired if the City will be responsible for the infrastructure improvements related to the Medtronic site. Director Forney outlined that the developer would oversee addressing the concerns related to water run-off and there would be City-based improvements that need to be made for infrastructure related to the lift station. Member Petway asked for additional clarification on where Columbia Heights stops and Fridley begins related to the Medtronic site. Director Forney elaborated that the Medtronic site is on the edge of Columbia Heights where it meets Fridley at 53rd. Member Medaris asked about what portions of the project will move forward first. She was concerned about the impact on enrollment to the district. City Manager Chirpich indicated that the two main L-shaped buildings would take 18 to 24 months, and the full development could occur over 5 years. D. Recreation and Library Events and Collaborations. Renee Dougherty, Library Director gave a brief overview of the current collaborations with the school district and the library. She focused on the great collaboration with the current Youth Librarian and the School District, as well as the early childhood program. City of Columbia Heights MINUTES June 30, 2025 Joint City Council & School Board Meeting Page 4 Member Medaris highlighted the partnership with the Multilingual Family night and signing up students for library cards and what a benefit this has been. Keith Windschitl, Recreation Director gave a brief overview of the current collaborations with the School District and Recreation Department. Member Granlund thanked the recreation department for all the work they do “dovetailing” the activities that are offered between the school and recreation department. Councilmember Buesgens added that she is excited about there being permanent soccer fields in the City coming up in 2026. School Board member Medaris stated that she was grateful for the connections and communication that occurred between the School and Recreation Department. She is glad that there is a good partnership with students being hired by the City to help with summer programing. E. Communications and Engagement Updates and Collaborations. Will Rottler, Communications and Engagement Coordinator gave an overview of the updates that have been made to the recreation brochure and the staffing that will increase Spanish language participation. He asked for referrals for the Youth Commission members to the City’s Board and Commissions. Medaris inquired about the deadline for application to the Youth Commission. Rottler elaborated that there is a rolling application period to prioritize placement of Youth Commission Members on the City Boards and Commissions. F. Election Precinct Collaborations. City Clerk Sara Ion introduced the need for continued collaboration for the 2026 election and beyond related to voting precincts at School District locations. There was a focus on what a critical asset these public facilities are to the community, particularly concerning the visibility and accessibility that Highland Elementary and Valley View Elementary offer as current voting precincts. Superintendent Stenvik relayed that she has continued concerns related to security at the elementary schools and that is why the School District has designated that the special election precincts are a dual location in the Highschool Gym. Clerk Ion acknowledged the concerns related to security at every precinct and that there is a high priority placed on everyone’s safety on election day. Additionally, she added that there are additional security measures in place at the elementary school voting precincts such as additional election judges. She also stated that she was not aware of any security related election concerns occurring in Columbia Heights. City of Columbia Heights MINUTES June 30, 2025 Joint City Council & School Board Meeting Page 5 Member Houle asked for information related to how election judges who she perceived to be mainly senior citizens can assist with securing a precinct location. Clerk Ion stated that the designation that all election judges are senior citizens is inaccurate and does not represent the diversity of age in election judges in Columbia Heights. Superintendent Stenvik clarified that in addition to the election judges there are also school security in place, and in the previous election years they have scheduled a day off for students on election day. She and Member Granlund stated that there was a concern at Highland Elementary in the past. Clerk Ion stated that she would prepare additional information for the City Council to review related to the location of 2026 polling places, taking into consideration the need to be mindful of legislative district constraints as well as facility location within a precinct and voter capacity recommendations. COLUMBIA HEIGHTS SCHOOL DISTRICT UPDATES Superintendent Stenvik reviewed some of the successful collaborations with the City that have occurred over the past year with the School District. She then introduced Assistant Superintendent Nyembwe and Director of Finance and Operation Hennekens to give a brief overview of key projects they have been working on. Superintendent Nyembwe highlighted the Attendance Project that the school district is implementing. There are five main categories that the school district is implementing related to increasing attendance from 68% in 2024 to 80% in 2026. Mayor Márquez Simula stated that she was impressed with the efforts that have been made to increase attendance and that she appreciated the efforts related to humanization and education. Councilmember Buesgens added that she thought that this was a great effort and appreciated all the tactics that the district is using. Director Hennekens highlighted the Indoor Air Project that the district is undertaking. He gave an overview of the facilities at Valley View Elementary and the focus on replacing older ventilation in and the ability to utilize geothermal heating to modernize the building. He specified that the school will bond for funding related to these updates, and there will be a tax impact to the community. Councilmember Buesgens stated that she is excited about the geothermal project and the impact that there will be on sustainability and reducing expenses. Councilmember Buesgens would like to know the results of the test well. OTHER Councilmember Buesgens would like to encourage the student council to utilize the council chamber space at City Hall. She feels that it will encourage youth involvement. There could also be a tour of city hall tour to introduce them to government employment. City of Columbia Heights MINUTES June 30, 2025 Joint City Council & School Board Meeting Page 6 Additionally, Councilmember Buesgens inquired if deportation concerns have impacted the school district. Superintendent Stenvik indicated that this has been stressful on families however there has not been a large impact on attendance. ADJOURNMENT Member Granlund adjourned the meeting at 8:41pm. Respectfully Submitted, ______________________________________ Sara Ion, City Clerk/Council Secretary