## CITY COUNCIL ## MEETING ## City Hall Council Chambers June 22, 2026 ## AGENDA 1. Call to Order - 7:00 p.m. Attendees please turn off cell phones and pagers during the meeting. A copy of the full meeting packet is available in the binder at the entrance to the Council Chambers. ## 2. Roll Call 3. Pledge of Allegiance ## 4. Informal Open Forum This is an opportunity for the public to address the City Council on items that are not on the agenda. It is limited to 15 minutes. It may not be used to make personal attacks, air personal grievances, make political endorsements, or for political campaign purposes. Council Members will not enter into a dialogue with the presenter. Questions from the Council will be for clarification purposes only. It will not be used as a time for problem-solving or reacting to the comments made but for hearing the presenter for informational purposes only. The first call will be for those that have notified the Clerk that they would like to speak during the open forum and then ask if anyone connected to this meeting would like to speak. When called upon, please indicate your name and then proceed. Please be sure to state your name before speaking. ## a. Meeting Decorum 5. Invocation - Lawrence-Anderson ## 6. Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda These items are considered to be routine by the City Council and will be enacted by one motion. There isn't a separate discussion for these items unless a Councilmember so requests, then it is moved to the end of the Council Consideration Items. a. Approval of Minutes - Motion to approve the following minutes: • June 8, 2026, Study Session • June 8, 2026, Regular Session b. Approval of Licenses -Motion to accept licenses as presented. c. Resolution Accepting Grant Funding from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Justice Programs for the Pathways to Policing Program and ## Authorizing Execution of Grant Agreement Page 1 of 83 - Motion to approve a Resolution Accepting Grant Funding from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Justice Programs for the Pathways to ## Policing Program and Authorizing Execution of Grant Agreement d. Resolution Accepting the Most Qualified Proposal and Awarding a Contract for the West Fire Station Rooftop Solar Project for the MN Department of ## Commerce’s Solar on Public Buildings Program - Motion to approve the resolution accepting the most qualified proposal and awarding a contract to TruNorth Solar for the West Fire Station Rooftop Solar project for the MN Department of Commerce’s Solar on Public Buildings program e. ## Resolution Approving Plans and Specifications and Authorizing Advertisement ## for Bids, Improvement Project No. 2026-10, 2026 Pond Maintenance - Motion to approve the attached resolution approving plans and specifications and authorizing advertisement for bids, Improvement Project 2026-10, 2026 ## Pond Maintenance f. Resolution Appointing Election Judges for the 2026 Primary Election on August 11, 2026 - Motion to approve the Resolution Appointing Election Judges for the 2026 Primary Election on August 11, 2026 ## g. Ordinance Amending Ordinance No. 2024-05 Regarding Council Salaries for 2027-2028 (First Reading) - Motion to approve the first reading of an Ordinance Amending Ordinance No. 2024-05 Regarding Council Salaries for 2027-2028, and setting a public hearing for July 27, 2026 h. Resolution Authorizing the Execution of a Joint Powers Agreement Between the City of Brooklyn Center and the City of B Brooklyn Park for a Combined ## SWAT and Crisis Negotiation Team - Motion to Approve a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager and Chief of Police to execute a Joint Powers Agreement with the City of Brooklyn Park establishing a combined Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) and Crisis Negotiation Team and authorizing any non-substantive revisions approved by the City Attorney necessary to finalize the agreement 7. Presentations/Proclamations/Recognitions/Donations ## 8. Public Hearings ## 9. Planning Commission Items ## 10. Council Consideration Items ## 11. Council Report Page 2 of 83 12. Adjournment Page 3 of 83 ## COUNCIL MEETING DECORUM FOR THE PUBLIC To ensure meetings are conducted in a professional and courteous manner which enables the orderly conduct of business, all persons in attendance or who participate in such meetings shall conduct themselves in a manner that does not interfere with the ability of others to observe and, when allowed, to participate without disruption or fear of intimidation. A. Decorum. Persons who attend meetings must avoid conduct that disrupts, interferes with, or disturbs the orderly conduct of the meeting or the ability of other attendees to observe and participate as appropriate. To that end, persons who attend meetings are subject to the following: (1) Members of the public may only speak during meetings when allowed under Council Rules and only after being recognized by the presiding officer. The City Council has established time limits for the acceptance of public comments or testimony. (2) Public comments or testimony must be addressed to the presiding officer and not to other Council Members, staff, or others in attendance. (3) All elected officials shall be referred to by their proper title and surname. (4) Public comments should avoid personal accusations, profanity, or other improper content for a public meeting. (5) Intimidating behaviors, threats of hostility, or actual violence are disallowed. B. The presiding officer shall request any person(s) who disrupt, interfere with or disturb the orderly conduct of a meeting to cease the conduct and, as necessary, shall issue an oral warning to the individual(s) found to be in violation. If the individual(s) persists in disrupting, interfering with, or disturbing the meeting, the presiding officer may have the individual(s) removed or, under appropriate circumstances, temporarily clear the gallery. If for any reason the presiding officer fails to take such action, a majority vote may be substituted for action by the presiding officer to maintain order and decorum over the proceedings. C. The Council Chambers capacity is 76 persons per fire code. Page 4 of 83 ## Council Regular Meeting ## DATE: 6/22/2026 ## TO: City Council ## FROM: ## THROUGH: ## BY: Kat Ellgren, Deputy City Clerk ## SUBJECT: Approval of Minutes ## Requested Council Action: - Motion to approve the following minutes: • June 8, 2026, Study Session • June 8, 2026, Regular Session ## Background: ## Budget Issues: ## Inclusive Community Engagement: ## Antiracist/Equity Policy Effect: ## Strategic Priorities and Values: ## ATTACHMENTS: ## 1. 2026.06.08 SS DRAFT ## 2. 2026.06.08 CC DRAFT Page 5 of 83 06/08/26 -1- DRAFT ## MINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL ## OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER IN THE COUNTY ## OF HENNEPIN AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA ## STUDY SESSION ## JUNE 8, 2026 ## CITY HALL – COUNCIL CHAMBERS ## CALL TO ORDER The Brooklyn Center City Council met in Study Session called to order by Mayor Pro Tem Teneshia Kragness at 6:00 p.m. ## ROLL CALL Mayor Pro Tem Teneshia Kragness, and Councilmembers Dan Jerzak, Kris Lawrence-Anderson, and Laurie Ann Moore. Also present were Interim City Manager Daren Nyquist, Interim Deputy City Manager & Public Works Director Liz Heyman, Planning Manager Ginny McIntosh, Police Chief Garett Flesland, City Clerk Shannon Pettit, and City Attorney Siobhan Tolar. Mayor April Graves was absent and excused. ## CITY COUNCIL MISCELLANEOUS DISCUSSION ITEMS Mayor Pro Tem Kragness noted that Mayor Graves was running late but would arrive shortly. Councilmember Jerzak stated he wanted to thank Staff for getting the Cultural Arts in Commission and all the terms in the Friday update. He noted that the Hennepin County Library is seeking applications for the Library Youth Advisory Committee and suggested to Staff that it could be posted on the City's website in case some youth would like to participate. The Riverview Neighborhood Potluck Picnic will be on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at the Riverwood Neighborhood Association. He asked if he could continue with a correction in minutes or if he should wait until the EDA session. Mayor Pro Tem Kragness stated Councilmember Jerzak could address his correction now. Councilmember Moore asked if it was a correction in the EDA minutes. Councilmember Jerzak stated that there were corrections to the EDA minutes. Councilmember Moore noted that his correction should wait. Councilmember Moore stated that, at this time, and it may be the Mayor’s preference, as well as the City Manager’s, to list all proclamations and read those at every meeting, and it was discussed that it was all or nothing, and one that was not added was PTSD Awareness month. She noted that the City has lost in the last few weeks, First responders, including both Fire and Police, to PTSD Page 6 of 83 06/08/26 -2- DRAFT and, in some cases, suicide. She reiterated that it is an all-or-nothing proposition on the proclamations and wanted to at least acknowledge that PTSD Awareness Month is June. Councilmember Moore continued that the Council received an invitation for the neighborhood meeting on June 30, which she has not discussed with the City Manager, but there were discussions regarding how the Council was going to restructure neighborhood meetings. She added that June 30 is three weeks away and there has been a very poor turnout in these neighborhood meetings for the past several years. She stated the Interim City Manager probably got input from Staff because it had been discussed previously, but she is concerned with the June 30 date of the first one, and the next one is in September, and the location is also at the Brooklyn Center Middle School, which is a change as well. She noted she does not know how the other Councilmembers feel, but it is not very far off in terms of timing, and she knows Staff has tried to do a lot of marketing and public relations around these meetings, which have sadly been to no avail in terms of any actual resident participation. She asked the Council to potentially postpone the neighborhood and just have the one in September. She asked if Mayor Pro Tem Kragness wanted to wait to discuss that. Mayor Pro Tem Kragness told Councilmember Moore to keep going with her items. Councilmember Moore continued that she received a phone call from Myrna Kragness-Kauth, regarding the Heritage Center. She noted that she had discussed with the Interim City Manager whether or not the City could sell the property and the land. The City bought it from the University of Minnesota, and the Interim City Manager is actually researching all of that, along with his Staff in his free time. She added that she did respond to Myrna Kragness-Kauth that when the City bought the farm, the Heritage Center was not on it, so that was a separate discussion that the Council would be seeking, in terms of its continued management of that Special Revenue Fund and whether or not someone else could manage it better than the City, with better outcomes. She noted that the Council will get that information today with the presentation, but she wanted to provide that update and suggest discussing further as an agenda item. Mayor Pro Tem Kragness added that in January, at the first meeting, the Council got the list of all the proclamations that they would be doing. The Council can go through those, and if anyone notices anything that is missing, it can be added. The ones on the list are the ones that the Staff is putting together, and more can be added, but we should make sure that the Council is following that list from January. Interim City Manager Daren Nyquist stated that the thought was that there is a general list that has been agreed upon by the Council, month by month or meeting by meeting, if there is some things that pop up that could see Council consensus at the Study Session, if there is something that the Council sees maybe for the month prior or the next meeting to raise it during the Study Session and Staff can add that to the meeting or not. So that was the path forward for those things. He noted that a few years ago, there was one proclamation for them all for the entire year. For now, there is a list of agreed-upon events, and then that can be brought up individually as a Council if Councilmembers feel the need. Page 7 of 83 06/08/26 -3- DRAFT Councilmember Moore noted that she is quite aware of the list of the Council’s that was approved, and there are other focus points in making sure the Council has this all-inclusive list every month or every two weeks in a month to recite proclamations. Other cities just acknowledge that this is “X” month, this is “X” month, and the whole proclamation is not read. She noted that the Council’s time, and she is not discounting the importance of the City recognizing, but there are other priorities to focus on in terms of the Council’s time. Councilmember Lawrence Anderson noted that Organ Donation Month is recognized in April, and it has impacted her immediate family twice. The Council has recognized it in the past, but she has dropped the ball on it, and that was in April. Councilmember Jerzak added that every once in a while, Councilmembers may be approached about a specific proclamation. The Council has a policy on how to specifically deal with that and how to get approval of it, to move it forward, and that should not be interfered with. Specifically, if somebody approaches a Councilmember, they go through all of the approvals, and want to remind the Council of that specific policy. That includes special events, or a dog rescue, or something like that, and he does not want to discourage individuals from approaching the Council with those, but there is a specific policy regarding how that goes forward. ## CITY MANAGER MISCELLANEOUS DISCUSSION ITEMS ## BUDGET CALENDAR UPDATE Mr. Nyquist stated that he wanted to have a conversation about the budget calendar update and put that in front of the Council to talk about, because Staff is approaching the time to start working on this in a serious manner. There are some things that the Staff and the Finance team feel that once this schedule is proposed, it puts the Staff in the best place to get the budget done in a timely way, limits the stress of a compressed timeline, and, given the situation in the organization, it allows the Council to have some good conversations. He noted there has been discussion with the Council previously to add extra meeting dates to this calendar, and this is the global calendar of the things that need to be done to get everything submitted to Hennepin County, and then start the new year with the agreed-upon budget. In this calendar, if the Council feels the need to add extra dates to this, they can, and the Council should have that conversation now to see if one or two more dates should be added, or if not, then Staff will stick with the proposed calendar. He added that the big dates to think about are September 30 and then December 28, and anything critical that needs to happen before September 30. If it is going to be an in-depth conversation, the December 28 date is more or less the administrative things that Staff need to accomplish. If the Council is going to add extra dates, it should be in the next few weeks, but that conversation with Council needs to happen now, and the Council should discuss how they feel about the budget timelines they have seen in the meetings, or if Council needs to add more meetings or time to discussions. Mr. Nyquist noted that after this meeting, he will send out an invitation to the Finance Commission and invite them in for an hour-long meeting to talk about the process this year, because it can be slightly different. Council does not need to be present for that, but is welcome to come if any Page 8 of 83 06/08/26 -4- DRAFT Councilmembers want to sit in on that or watch it remotely, as well as it will be more of an informal sort of meeting with that group to get them comfortable with the process, talk about this year, so no decisions will be made. The meeting will be more of a meet and greet, where Staff will discuss the calendar and the goals for this year, and will happen next week. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson asked if the Council was going to see budgets from each Department, as they have had in the past. There used to be Police and Fire, and all the Departments would present their budgets. Mr. Nyquist replied that that is the more granular budget calendar that the Council will see shortly, and this is more the big ticks that need to be decided between this June and July. In September, the bulk of the Department-by-Department meetings will be seen, and the Council will have to go through all of those funds. The Council will go through all the Departments, go through all the Special Revenue Funds, and will have that conversation along with the Finance Commission. He asked if the Council will need to plan more time to have those kinds of conversations, or not, given the situation. Councilmembers have talked about having extra meetings with more time to talk about the line items or the Department budgets, so it needs to be discussed if the Council wants to expand the budget calendar. Mayor Pro Tem Kragness noted that she goes through the budget line by line, and pointed out that Staff could point out differences, highlight them if there has been a change, so the Council's eyes can go straight to those changes versus going through every line that is always the same, and that would slow down the questions. Councilmember Jerzak asked what the status of the hire for the Finance Director is, and noted that the fact that the Finance Commission contributes, and if the Finance Director is part of the Ehlers group, that would be unfair. Even if there is a person that the City has tendered an offer to for the position, it is going to be a tough journey. Mr. Nyquist explained that it is going to be a little bit of a tag team approach this year, and it is not going to be a bad situation for a new Finance Director coming in the middle of the budget; they will get trial by fire early, and he stated he can say that from experience, it is not a bad thing, and people learn quickly. The plan would be that Dan Tienter from Ehler’s would be the primary leader of the budget process, and the new Finance Director would shadow that person. We have that person starting as Finance Director in mid-July, so they will be coming in at the very beginning, but still late enough when the process is already starting. He added that Dan Teinter from Ehler’s will be the primary contact for the Finance Commission and facilitator of those conversations. Mayor Pro Tem Kragness added that she is the liaison for the Finance Commission and will assist if they have questions as well. Councilmember Moore asked why Mr. Nyquist has not picked the June 22 or July 13 date. She asked if there was any reason why the Council would not pick both those dates, including August 10 and August 24, and then make sure that they are posted for the public. If there is a need to Page 9 of 83 06/08/26 -5- DRAFT cancel it, then it can be cancelled, but we would much rather err on the side of having enough meetings for scrutiny and adopting a proposed and final budget for the City and a property tax levy. She noted that June 22 would work, but does not know if that is too soon, July 13, July 10, July 17, and then maybe another day, that is August 17. That is just a proposition to have it on the calendar, and if it needs to be cancelled, it can be, but the Council will have enough questions that it will not need to be cancelled. Mr. Nyquist stated that the July 13 date is the one that is going to hold for the City now. There may be an extra day in there on June 22 that can be added. It is easier to cancel than to add because of the posting rules around that, so if the Council makes a decision to post, that needs to be done so many days prior. It is probably easier to get something on the calendar sooner than to cancel if the Council does not need it. Councilmember Moore stated the Council needs to decide today to add July 13, 10, and 24. At the July 14 meeting, the Council will vote on a proposed property tax levy, so it would seem that if the Council does want to add another date, then it should be decided tonight. Mr. Nyquist agreed and explained that the September 30 date is a preliminary levy. So that is the cap because Hennepin County needs to have that number in to do their truth-in-taxation notices to residents. So that is the reason for that, and it is not the final adopted levy; it is the preliminary. These meetings will be at 5:30 p.m. and will be happening on the day of the City Council meetings, and the Staff is trying to time the meetings so that everyone does not have to hop in and out of their evening schedules, and make the time together as efficient as possible. The finance meetings do need to start at 5:30 p.m., just to fit them into the schedule. Councilmember Moore stated that, while she did not want to pressure her colleagues to select a date immediately, the Council could review their calendars before the next meeting on June 22, given that the first Finance meeting is scheduled for July 13. She suggested considering August 17 or another potential date and noted that the meeting would not need to be held on a Monday if it was not scheduled in conjunction with a Council meeting. Mr. Nyquist noted that the agreement or consensus was just to add a date or two, and that would be good enough, and he will have to go back and check with the Department Directors themselves to make sure dates do not conflict with any major Staff vacations. So if there was a consensus to add more time, or a number of extra meetings is good enough, he will come back with some dates. Mayor Pro Tem Kragness noted that in the past, the meeting was typically toward the end, right before submitting something, because it was Council-requested changes, and then Staff was going back and working some numbers. If there was a date to be added, it would be more beneficial to have it closer to the end. Mayor Graves arrived at 6:15 p.m. Councilmember Moore suggested adding a meeting on September 14. Mayor Pro Tem Kragness Page 10 of 83 06/08/26 -6- DRAFT agreed. Councilmember Jerzak added that the Council has to allow Staff ample time to prepare, too, because these things just do not suddenly appear, and the Council needs to be cognizant of those limited resources. Mayor Pro Tem Kragness noted that this is why Mr. Nyquist is suggesting the Council pick a date now, or at least sooner than later. Councilmember Moore added that the Interim City Manager said he needed to check Director schedules and will get back to the Council on possible dates. Mr. Nyquist stated he was looking for consensus on adding more time and would find the date. Mayor Pro Tem Kragness noted that Mr. Nyquist was trying to figure out if the Council needed a date and is hearing that the Council wants at least one more. The Council all confirmed that is correct. ## SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS WITH CITY COUNCIL PROVIDE INPUT Mr. Nyquist explained that this item would have to be punted to the next meeting, as Police Chief Flesland had a personal thing come up that took him out of this conversation. So the Staff will bring this conversation back to the next Study Session. As a reminder, this is a conversation with Council about how the Council would like to be updated on emergency situations in the City. Mayor Graves reminded everyone that she will not be at the next Council meeting. Councilmember Jerzak asked if she would prefer to hear this presentation. Mayor Graves stated she would be fine as long as it is just a consensus Work Session discussion, she does not think she needs to be there, and will look at the minutes and then provide any additional input of her own. Councilmember Jerzak pointed out that the reason he asked is that both he and Mayor Graves were pretty adamant about this topic. Mayor Graves agreed. Councilmember Jerzak noted that perhaps Mayor Graves could have her one-to-one talk with Mr. Nyquist about it, because it is important. Mayor Graves noted it is important, but so is the reason she is missing the meeting. ## METROPOLITAN COUNCIL PRELIMINARY POPULATION AND HOUSEHOLD ## ESTIMATES Mr. Nyquist introduced Planning Manager Ginny McIntosh to present the Metropolitan Council’s Page 11 of 83 06/08/26 -7- DRAFT preliminary population estimates. He added that this is important as the Staff gets into budget season, and there is some good information for us to know, as it relates to growth in the City, which has an effect on the tax base. Ms. McIntosh explained that the City just received its formal letter from the Metropolitan Council with the preliminary population and household estimates. Just to set the tone, Minnesota statute, subsection 4.73,24 requires Community Development researchers to prepare an annual population and household estimate for all cities, townships, and counties in the seven-county Twin Cities region. Ultimately, what these estimates do is inform funding decisions for state programs like local government aid, state aid for local transportation, and the region’s Fiscal Disparities program. It also provides local governments and stakeholders with timely estimated counts of people, households, and housing units for smaller geographic regions or areas, and allows researchers to highlight recent and relevant population and development trends in the Twin Cities region to policymakers. These estimates are reviewed by local governments before they are revised and ultimately certified by the Metropolitan Council. There is a one-year lag with these estimates, so the most recent data was published in July of 2025 for populations and households in 2024. These estimates do not include building permits that were issued in 2025. This is because it is unlikely that the work would have been completed by the estimated date of April 1, and data inputs are refreshed each year, so the estimate should not be compared directly with the 2024 estimates sent last year. She noted that the 2020 census provided a more comparable reference point in these cases. Ms. McIntosh continued that for Brooklyn Center, based on the estimates as they stand, there are 12,070 housing units, 11,855 households, and an average household size of 2.9 persons per household, which comes in at 34,122 people. The information has separated 525 people living in group quarters facilities. She noted that she would walk through some of the infographics and charts that the Metropolitan Council provided. In comparison between the 2020 census and the 2025 estimate, there are 2.9 persons per household. The new 2025 estimate shows an increase in the population, with 34,122 being the estimate for the City’s population. For further breakdown, the report does get into the housing units and types. Brooklyn Center has a large number of single- family detached homes as the predominant housing type, and the City has added some obviously since 2020. Based on that number in the data, that was due to the Center Development at East Brook a few years back. The report also shows some modest growth with the multifamily homes, with 245 that were added since 2020, and were likely due to real estate equities. Ms. McIntosh noted there are other changes since 2020 that she needed to dive into a little bit more. The 127 multi-family units mentioned might also have been real estate equities, and in that case, Staff will need to go back to the Metropolitan Council and have them add in Langston Commons. The report is also not showing any Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), but the City has had some homeowners come through with ADUs. Those have been internal ADUs, and there has been no standalone ADU use, but there has been some. Mayor Graves asked what she meant. Ms. McIntosh explained that the City has different types of accessory dwelling units, or ADUs. There are internal ADUs and detached. Detached ADUs are Page 12 of 83 06/08/26 -8- DRAFT going to be a completely standalone accessory structure. The City has not had any of those. Mayor Graves asked what Ms. McIntosh meant by detached. Ms. McIntosh noted a detached ADU could be a garage conversion, which would be a standalone ADU, and the primary reason for not doing those is cost. A standalone structure has to run separate utilities, so it is not usually what people want to do; a lot of them have been basement ADUs, for instance. Councilmember Jerzak asked if the City has any tiny houses or requests for them. Ms. McIntosh responded that, currently, no, but there has been some interest. The interest that the City has been to either bring in a small mobile home on the chassis and leave it there, or even for a tiny home to just bring it in that is sitting on a chassis. That is something that she and the Staff have had to try and work through because, for permanent structures and dwelling units, they need to be on permanent foundations. Staff is also working through manufactured homes, how the City could modify them with plumbing that is not connected the way it needs to be, and is exposed. She noted that it has been a struggle for Staff to work through, but there have been a couple who have wanted to bring in an existing manufactured home like a trailer, and there has been maybe one inquiry for a tiny house, but nothing has gone forward. Councilmember Jerzak stated that he thought the UDO addressed, for example, if a resident had a mother-in-law suite or something that they wanted to put in up to one year, there were advantages if the resident could do that, but it was temporary. He asked how that got worked out. Ms. McIntosh asked if he was referring to the temporary accessory structure. Councilmember Jerzak confirmed that that is what he was talking about. Ms. McIntosh continued that that was attached to a health care provision and noted that the City had a time limitation on it, and that was before the adopted UDO. Councilmember Jerzak stated that she answered his question, but he just did not know what happened to it. He noted the reason he brought it up is that, on occasion, he generally sees churches that try to advance that, and was wondering in case somebody asked. Ms. McIntosh pointed out that the situation is almost under a separate category, and those are called sanctuary villages. So if a religious entity wanted to come through with a sanctuary village, and there is one in Saint Paul, for instance, the City would have to consider that, and there are state statute provisions for that, but only for religious assembly. Ms. McIntosh continued that she would further break down the estimated occupancy rates, households, and persons per household, which is just more data on data. She added that she would explain the breakdown of these estimates and how they are developed. The Metropolitan Council actually uses a housing stock-based model to estimate their households and population, and ultimately finds it easier to track how many housing units there are and how many people live in them than it is to try to find every birth, death, and household that is moving in and out of that area. The 2020 census provides a count of all the housing units, which forms a baseline for these estimates, and from there, the Metropolitan Council uses three main steps to produce those estimates. The Metropolitan Council takes residential building permit data from the local governments. This means that whenever the City has a permit come through Hennepin County’s Page 13 of 83 06/08/26 -9- DRAFT assessors, the Metropolitan Council will log them. There may be adjustments to housing valuation if there is a renovation happening, and occupancy rates are customized for each of these housing types to estimate the number of households, and then the average household size is taken based on the housing type to estimate how many people are in those households. Residents living in facilities are not counted as part of the housing stock, and that is the group quarter designation, but it does help generate the total estimated population count. Mayor Graves noted the Metropolitan Council takes the average household size, customizes each housing type to estimate the number of people within households, and if that is customized specifically to Brooklyn Center, or if that is a customized housing type, no matter where it is. Ms. McIntosh noted that she assumed they are using historic Brooklyn Center data. In the chart, there are different numbers associated with the housing for persons per household. So single- family detached, townhouses, and then duplexes and triplexes had a higher person per household count. When the chart gets into ADUs, which the City does not have any, so that should not really factor in, but then the multifamily did have a lower number per household, so that would have brought that number down. Mayor Graves stated that the number seemed a little low. Ms. McIntosh added that it actually surprised her as well, and she thought it would be at least three. She continued that this data helps form decisions with local government aid, the Disparities Program, and also plays into the Comprehensive Plan. The Metropolitan Council is a regional planning agency that is charged with planning and coordinating growth and development in the seven-county Metro region. State law requires the Metropolitan Council to create regional plans and policies that ultimately guide the City’s growth and manage regional systems for transportation, aviation, water resources, and regional parks. That same law applies to the City or local governments, which is why the City needs to update the Comprehensive Plan every ten years. The Comprehensive Plan planning cycle begins with a release of data from the US census, which in the City’s case would have been 2020, and that also serves as the starting point for the Metropolitan Council to develop its forecasts for regional and local changes. Ms. McIntosh continued that from there, that is where the City ends up with the Metropolitan Councils' Imagine 2050 plan, which was just released last year. The Imagine 2050 Plan is a guiding document for the City, and is a regional development guide and long-range plan that was adopted in early February 2025. It has five policy plans embedded within it for the City’s land use, water, regional parks, trails, transportation, and housing, and these plans serve as a guide for Staff to start working on Comprehensive Plans. The Metropolitan Council generates a minimum checklist of everything each city needs to provide in its Comprehensive Plans. Brooklyn Center needs to meet those minimums, which is why there is a timeline now to get Brooklyn Center’s Comprehensive Plan in by 2028. On the schedule tonight, the Staff are applying for a grant to the Metropolitan Council, and have started working with a consultant, and will take all the information into account regarding the estimates for households and population, because the Metropolitan Council lays out for the Staff how many housing units to anticipate and where to put them. Every city has goals that they are supposed to achieve, and this time around, it will be affordable housing for Brooklyn Center. Page 14 of 83 06/08/26 -10- DRAFT Ms. McIntosh continued that the City has a very low necessity for affordable housing. There are 52 units between the 80 percent and the 30 percent AMI range. Other cities have way higher counts, but the Metropolitan Council does look at it on a case-by-case basis. The biggest next step right now is that since the City has received these household and population estimates, the Metropolitan Council is requesting that Staff submit any comments or changes to them by June 24th, and then these estimates will become final in July. Mayor Graves asked Ms. McIntosh to repeat what she said about counts. Ms. McIntosh asked which part, because there are a couple of counts. Mayor Graves noted that Ms. McIntosh stated something about Brooklyn Center’s units versus other units. Ms. McIntosh explained that each city receives its own checklist. Coon Rapids is going to have its own checklist. Brooklyn Center is going to have its own checklist. Every township or city in the seven-county Metro is going to have its own checklist. Within each checklist, there will be certain goals that the Metropolitan Council is looking to see. Depending on each city, some might have higher requirements, or lesser requirements. In this particular case, housing counts, and affordable housing counts as an example, because those are in the housing plan, there will be a number of anticipated population growth. If Brooklyn Center has an anticipated population growth of so many people, Staff need a plan for it, and within the City’s own comprehensive plan, Staff need to know where to put that density to achieve that number, which really means where the City is putting its people. The same thing goes for affordable housing. The Metropolitan Council lays out a chart, which is included in the memo, that breaks down how many housing units at this AMI level area median income, and that is where to set the goal unless Staff thinks otherwise. Mayor Graves noted that Staff can recognize that the Metropolitan Council does create those lists and expectations for each city. But many cities do not follow through on what they are supposed to do. Affordable housing is very important, but the City is at 80 percent naturally occurring affordable housing. Ms. McIntosh added that it is probably closer to 90 percent. Mayor Graves agreed and stated that affordable housing is above 80 percent in Brooklyn Center, and one of the things that she has been questioning and advocating for is more accountability for the share of affordable housing to not just be in Brooklyn Center. Mayor Graves noted that the City has even been part of a lawsuit a few years back, specific to this issue, and does not know whether it saw any traction or whether there are any more levels of accountability or pressure applied to other cities to help provide affordable housing. The reality is that it is a regional issue, and one City, especially a City that is already struggling with not the strongest tax base, should not be bearing the brunt of all of that by itself. She reiterated that she is not against affordable housing, and the City is protecting the naturally occurring affordable housing to the best of its ability. She noted a question she would like to send back to the Metropolitan Council is where the accountability is to make sure that the cities that are supposed to be providing help are also providing help, and that that is not falling more heavily on certain cities than others, and there needs be questions around their estimate of household size, and if there is a way to vet that with a different measurement someplace else to see if it is really accurate because that does affect funding that the City would receive, so that number needs to be correct. Page 15 of 83 06/08/26 -11- DRAFT Ms. McIntosh noted that the number does play into the City’s growth, so it is a factor. She added that, as an example, because it was the easiest one to pull from for affordable housing, for instance, in that chart, Brooklyn Center was actually one of the lowest numbers for units that were in need of affordable housing. Brooklyn Center came in at 52; there were other cities that had hundreds. Mayor Graves pointed out that other cities probably have not been doing affordable housing. Ms. McIntosh agreed, but to the point of the follow-through, what would the Metropolitan Council be using to make sure that people are actually holding up their end. Mayor Graves asked if other cities still get the same amount of money as they normally would and what the incentive is for them to follow through. That would be some feedback that should be sent back to the Metropolitan Council. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson noted that she could not agree more, and was in that meeting, and Brooklyn Center has a high concentration of low-income housing, and asked what Maple Grove is doing for affordable housing. Mayor Graves stated that if there is no accountability, and Not In My Backyard (NIMBY) is still very real, and that is how the cities see it, showing up in places that do not have those lower counts. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson noted that for the Maple Groves and the Rogers, and she does not know what the Council could possibly do about that, but it comes down to the carrot and the stick, and cities do not get the money if they do not do what they are supposed to do. Councilmember Jerzak stated it might be apples and oranges, but he does recall a state statute that a lot of the developers in the more wealthy communities could write a check, and then that goes into offset costs, so for them, it is the cost of doing business, and Brooklyn Center can not compete against that, so it becomes disproportionate to the City. He stated he really appreciates Ms. McIntosh’s presentation. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson added that the concentration of poverty is what is happening, and that is her concern. Councilmember Moore asked Miss McIntosh if she could confirm, based on the 2025 estimate, that the population is 34,122 and not 33,597 when reporting the numbers. That number would indicate that the City had a loss of residents from 33,782, which is on the City’s sign. She stated maybe the Mayor already clarified that, but it would seem that the 34,122 is what the Metropolitan Council is going on. Ms. McIntosh agreed and stated that is a question she had too, because the Metropolitan Council separates out the group quarters or group living facilities, which she assumed are group homes for the most part or communal living. The Metropolitan Council is counting it for population, but is not counting it in the housing unit count for some reason. Councilmember Moore stated that Staff should provide that feedback as well. In terms of the Page 16 of 83 06/08/26 -12- DRAFT Metropolitan Council, they are, in fact, appointed by the Governor and are not elected officials. They make decisions on a variety of projects around, and everything the Council has said in terms of comments should definitely be included in terms of some of the disparities around affordable housing, assuring that the City is not going to get cut somehow from our LGA and other grants and whatnot for the City. Just as the Mayor pointed out, Brooklyn Center has been on the short end of the stick when it comes to funding from the Metropolitan Council and a variety of other county and state resources. Mayor Graves asked if Ms. McIntosh is going to provide that feedback to them from the Council. Ms. McIntosh stated that she can reach out to the Metropolitan Council because comments are due, but she does not know how quickly they will respond. Mayor Graves added that she wanted to make sure that it gets submitted by the deadline, and that Ms. McIntosh would submit them, and is not waiting for the Council to submit them. Ms. McInotsh noted that the Council is welcome to submit their own comments, but she will take the comments that have been provided and will listen to the meeting again and then pull those together in an email back to the Metropolitan Council. Mayor Graves thanked Ms. McIntosh for doing that. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson asked if Ms. McInotsh could copy the Council on any correspondence with the Metropolitan Council. Ms. McIntosh confirmed that she would. Councilmember Moore asked if the Council could get the link to provide feedback directly, as it is not provided in the packet. Mayor Graves stated she thought she had an email as well that was sent to her, and she forwarded it to the City Manager, so the City Manager can forward it to Councilmember Moore, and the link should be in the email. ## EARLY VOTING LAW CHANGE OPTIONS Mr. Nyquist explained that this conversation is a fast and furious conversation happening across cities right now, coming from some legislative changes this year that are opening up the possibility for cities to rethink their preliminary voting deadlines. He introduced City Clerk Shannon Pettit to lead the Council through this conversation and explained what that means. He noted that from what he understands, this could have been an administrative decision, but given the election year, it was really important to get Council conversation and feedback on what direction the City wants to take. This is a heavy topic, and he apologized for the quick turnaround, but there is a timeline the City is on based on the memo coming out of the state. Ms. Pettit will show the Council some good data on previous voting history and the options on the table for the City. Ms. Pettit explained that in the Council’s packet, there was a Q&A that was done at one of the local recent Hennepin County-led election trainings that had some statistics in it, as well as some statistics from the past few Brooklyn Center elections that show the number of early voters. This used to be called direct balloting, and the percentages of how many voters came in for those Page 17 of 83 06/08/26 -13- DRAFT elections during those different time frames. Typically, there is early voting for 46 days before every election. The law just changed, which allows the City to change that to 18 days, which is what is considered the early voting period. So the full 46 days, that first portion of it, voters can come in and have to complete an absentee ballot application as well as complete the absentee ballot and envelope. Residents will be able to cast their vote, put it in the envelope, and submit it that way. During the last 18 days, voters will be allowed to put their ballot directly into the machine, and that is why the numbers are so different. That is a lot of voters, and the Council should notice that it is anywhere between 75 and 80 percent of voters that come in those last 18 days versus about 20 to 25 percent that come in the first 28 days. She stated that she wanted to pose this to the Council because obviously, Staff has talked, there are some pros and cons to both, and basically, looking for some feedback from the Council if there is a preference. She added that she is happy to go over some of the pros and cons, and what the Staff is looking for. Councilmember Jerzak stated his preference to the benefit of the Staff is to go to the 18 days for several reasons; one is that it is really not stopping anybody from voting absentee or taking advantage. Particularly when he used to issue correction orders, people would want an extension that gives reason to procrastinate. He stated he really would support this not only for the Staffing reduction, but it is very hard, and the City has a small Staff, and if there is a consensus, the only thing that he would ask is when the Council would make a motion to send it to the regular Council meeting to vote on it so that a resolution occurs, so Hennepin County can accept that. This issue was quite litigated at the state level before it got to the Council, so he is comfortable with that. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson stated she supports the 18 days as well. Mayor Graves stated she does not support the 18 days; it seems like more of the things being seen at the national level are reducing time frames and taking away people's ability to go and vote. She stated she understands the pros of a reduction in some of the expenses and is sympathetic to that, but the other side is potentially losing voters, and that does not gel with her at all, and she would be in support of option one, no change. This would also still be in alignment with neighboring cities. Councilmember Moore asked Ms. Pettit to confirm that, in terms of response to the Mayor’s concern, which all the Council should have, whether this would be limiting access to the voting booth, if this change to 18 days limits time for folks at all to get to the voting booth in terms of the time frame, because she had mentioned 20 percent. Ms. Pettit responded that if the City were to reduce it to 18 days, the 46 days would still exist at Hennepin County for that entire time frame, whether the City is doing it or not. Hennepin County will also be administering early voting, and folks will still be able to request a ballot to be mailed to them as well. So there are still options available to voters. Councilmember Kragness stated that when she is looking at the numbers, they are pretty similar to Hennepin County’s. Brooklyn Center is showing 22 percent voting from the first 28 days and 78 percent voting during the last 28 days; however, even though there are 80 percent that vote Page 18 of 83 06/08/26 -14- DRAFT early, if the City were to go to just 18 days, it would lose and only capture roughly three out of four of the early voters. Even though it is a small number, the City is not capturing the full number. Looking through these recommendations by Staff, it did not list voter access as a con, which tells her that Staff believes that residents would still have access to vote other ways as well. She added that giving people as much time to vote as possible is what she is more in favor of. Councilmember Moore pointed out that she is actually in favor of option two, the 18 days, as long as the City tries to make sense of the muck, in terms of the well-debated topic at the legislature, there are still options. Hennepin County still has the option, as well as the request for ballots. Unless a person is a newer voter, they pretty much have their way of voting. She added that she can not remember what the cost is for Staffing during an election, but this will be a savings, and while she is just as concerned about access as well, for the voters who vote both in primaries and general elections, they will find a way to vote. Councilmember Jerzak asked if the Council needs to make a formal motion. Mayor Graves stated she did not think so, as Staff was looking for consensus, and they heard consensus from ## Councilmember Jerzak, Councilmember Moore, and Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson that the City would like to reduce early voting from 36 days to 18 days. Councilmember Jerzak asked if it needs to be brought to the Regular session. Mayor Graves stated it was on the work session, and the City Manager also said that it was really an administrative decision, but out of courtesy to the Council, they brought it up for discussion. Mr. Nyquist stated that is how he understood it, but it would not hurt to have a formal resolution if the City gets into that territory to submit it to Hennepin County. He noted he would ask the City Clerk if other cities have done formal resolutions, or not, and in context with other City Clerks around the area. Ms. Pettit explained that there has not been a consistent process across the board. Some cities have just been notified, and there is a large group of cities that are missing from the list of those that have notified Hennepin County. That is because those cities are going to their council, so there is not a consistent way of notifying Hennepin County, and they do not require resolution, but she is happy to put one together if the Council would like. Mayor Graves stated that the only reason she would be interested in a resolution is to make sure that there is a record of the decision, and would request that the Council give time to public comment, to get some feedback from the residents on their feelings. She asked if the Staff had done any vetting with any Commissions or community groups or anything like that. Ms. Pettit stated that the Staff has not, however, the deadline to notify Hennepin County by state law is June 12. Mayor Graves noted that that does not leave a whole lot of time to do anything. Mr. Nyquist stated that, from his understanding, this change went live on May 18. Mayor Graves noted that this adds to her concern about the fast pace to hurry up and decide about Page 19 of 83 06/08/26 -15- DRAFT reducing the number of days that people can do early voting and make that decision in less than 30 days. That does not feel good at all, and not being able to get any input from the community about it. Councilmember Moore stated she would have to agree, and with that clarity and the fact that the Council was not notified timely by the county, she follows a lot of the legislature, but there is a process in place. She added that the City has the same number of Staff that they have always had doing this, and would now agree to keeping it the same, that way residents would know what to expect and would go with option one. She stated she had to change her choice based on continuing to ask questions because she is all about access to the voting booth, as that has been stripped away from individuals in this country. Councilmember Lawrence Anderson added that she likes the idea, but the pace is too rapid. She noted that for the next election, she would like to see that, as a Council, they can make a decision and give ample time and warning on the City’s website and newsletter. Due to the short time, she is going to concede and say that in this election, they should leave the status quo and revisit it for the next election. Councilmember Jerzak stated that based on new information, he concurred. Mayor Graves noted that the Council cannot wait until two years from today to take up this discussion again, and she is grateful that her fellow Councilmembers agreed that it was just too fast to turn around. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson stated that the City can start the education process on the website and through the newsletter. The next election is in two years, so this will be the time frame so that nobody is surprised and the Council is being transparent. Mayor Graves added that it would be good to get some more community feedback in that process. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson suggested putting a survey on the website. Councilmember Moore noted that it is an election year, so no one knows what the legislature's going to look like next year and what they will decide to keep and not keep and debate and so on. She added that the Staff has done an excellent job trying to keep on the pulse of the state, the county, and so on, and as that information becomes available, the Interim City Manager or Staff can bring it to the Council. Mayor Graves noted that there is not a formal process for notifying the county; it just sounds messy, and the City does not want a mess right before an election. ## ADJOURNMENT Page 20 of 83 06/08/26 -16- DRAFT Councilmember Moore moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded to adjourn the Study Session at 6:57 p.m. Motion passed unanimously. Page 21 of 83 ## 06/08/26 -1- DRAFT ## 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 ## JUNE 8, 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 7:01 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, Interim Deputy City and Public Works Director Liz Heyman, Parks and Recreation Director Cordell Wiseman, Centerbrook Golf Course General Manager Mark Markowski, Heritage Center General Manager Tami Buetow-Staples, City Clerk Shannon Pettit, and City Attorney Siobhan Tolar. ## 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. ## 4. INFORMAL OPEN FORUM Mayor April Graves opened the meeting for the purpose of Informal Open Forum and reviewed the Rules of Decorum. Julie B. stated she wanted to thank the City Clerk Shannon Pettit, regarding actionable items that she took on behalf of the community, to ensure that voting polls were moved back across the interstate so that the voters who were previously disenfranchised by the move to the polls to the Heritage Center, now have more equitable access to voting. She noted that she brought it to Ms. Pettit’s attention right away. When she was put in that position, there was no clarity around why it had been moved in the first place, so Ms. Pettit, along with herself and some others, worked to ensure access and make sure that there was a new site located. Julie B. added that she wanted to thank Ms. Pettit for the work that she has done, taking on some of the Commission work, along with Mr. Nyquist. That work started a couple of years ago when she and Naheed K. had made requests around ensuring more equitable access to Commissions, ensuring that the application was not as confusing for people who were trying to apply, and ensuring it was more equitable. She noted she appreciated that Ms. Pettit picked that up after the previous City Clerk left. Julie B. continued that she was glad that the Council all decided to keep things as they are with early voting, particularly after the presentation to a lot of individuals in the City who are more Page 22 of 83 ## 06/08/26 -2- DRAFT likely to be disenfranchised in a number of ways. Ensuring that those individuals have the most robust access and a window to be able to have their voices heard is really important. She noted she was happy that Councilmembers were able to change their minds after hearing more information about it. She stated on behalf of the community, and she does represent more than five and has a lot of relationships and community that are behind the scenes and under the radar, and there has been a lot of conversation around what is happening on other levels. Kevin S. from the Evergreen neighborhood thanked Mayor Graves for the healing effects she has had over the last four years, getting the City through what he sees as the roughest time, not only in Brooklyn Center, but in Minnesota as a whole, and thanked Mayor Graves for all she has done. He noted that since it is not on the main agenda, he does not know why the Council did not go for option three for voting. There are ten people running for City Council, and many of them have no name recognition, and a gentleman here, too, who is running for Mayor. Mayor Graves stated that Kevin S. cannot say anybody’s names. Kevin S. stated he is not promoting anybody in particular, but wanted to make that clear, and 46 days from when the City allowed people to sign up, and August 11 is the primary day, which is a pretty tight turnaround, and all those ten people do not get a chance to present to as many people. He noted that 46 days is fine before the big election because there is more time from now until then. He stated he thinks the Council really missed the ball on that, and 46 days is extreme and unfair to the ten people, especially as first timers in politics. Councilmember Moore moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded to close the Informal Open Forum. Motion passed unanimously. ## 5. INVOCATION Councilmember Jerzak recited a quote from Marie Von Ebner-Eisenbach, "Whenever two good people argue over principles, they are both right." He stated he had to think about this quote because each person has their own principles, and you cannot attack someone for their own principles. Councilmember Jerzak also quoted former President Jimmy Carter, "There should be an honest attempt at reconciliation of differences before resorting to combat." Mayor Graves noted that saying is always appropriate. ## 6. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA. Councilmember Moore moved and Councilmember Jerzak 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. May 26, 2026 – Study Session Page 23 of 83 ## 06/08/26 -3- DRAFT 2. May 26, 2026 – Regular Session 6b. LICENSES ## AMUSEMENT DEVICES Metro Coin of Minnesota Empire Foods 1200 Shingle Creek Crossing ## Sun Foods 6350 Brooklyn Boulevard ## MECHANICAL ## A-Abc Appliance & Heating Inc. 8818 7 th ## Avenue North ## Golden Valley 55427 Air Comfort Htg & A/C 19170 Jasper Street Northwest Anoka 55303 ## BKMC 411 25 th ## Avenue North Minneapolis 55411 ## BWS Plumbing Heating and Air 6321 Bury Drive ## Eden Prairie 55346 ## Commercial Plumbing & Heating, Inc. 24428 Greenway Avenue ## Forest Lake 55025 ## GV Heating & Air Inc. 5128 West Broadway Crystal 55429 MN Heating and Cooling LLC 410 Pleasant Crest Circle Annandale 55376 Optimal Heating and Cooling LLC 5912 Washburn Avenue North ## Brooklyn Center 55430 ## Plumb Right Corp 6900 Winnetka Circle ## Brooklyn Park 55428 ## Top Tier Heating and Air Conditioning 13645 Hidden Creek Drive Andover 55304 ## Travis Glanzer HVAC 2470 Island Drive ## Spring Park 55384 ## SIGN HANGER’S Archetype Signmakers, Inc 9611 James Avenue South Page 24 of 83 ## 06/08/26 -4- DRAFT Bloomington 55431 ## RENTAL INITIAL (TYPE II – two-year license) ## 5706 Logan Avenue North Walter Moreno/Alma Moreno INITIAL (TYPE I – three-year license) 5116 Ewing Avenue North J Sedlezky & A Faschingbauer RENEWAL (TYPE III – one-year license) ## 3808 France Place Ih2 Property Illinois Lp RENEWAL (TYPE II – two-year license) 5301 France Avenue North Juniper Land Trust Llc 6913 Toledo Avenue North Fred Hanus LLC RENEWAL (TYPE I – three-year license) 5301 France Avenue North MB & P’s Nightingale ## 501 Bellvue Lane Zoe & Bret Hildreth 1300 72 nd ## Avenue North Scott & Marinela Selseth 5712 Northport Drive R & C Scherbing Fam RV Lv Tr ## 5724 Logan Avenue North Konstantin Ginzburg 6536 Chowen Avenue North Bridge SFR IV Borrower I LLC 7137 Grimes Avenue North Shawn Banks & Djuana J Banks 6c. RESOLUTION APPROVING PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS AND ## AUTHORIZING ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS, IMPROVEMENT ## PROJECT NO. 2026-19, LIFT STATION NO. 3 RECONSTRUCTION 6d. RESOLUTION IDENTIFYING THE NEED FOR THE METROPOLITAN ## COUNCIL PLANNING ASSISTANCE GRANT AND AUTHORIZING AN ## APPLICATION FOR GRANT FUNDS FOR THE CITY OF BROOKLYN ## CENTER'S 2050 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 6e. RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE NOMINATION OF CENSUS ## TRACTS TO BE DESIGNATED UNDER FEDERAL OPPORTUNITY ## ZONE 2.0 PROGRAM Page 25 of 83 ## 06/08/26 -5- DRAFT ## 7. PRESENTATIONS/PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS/DONATIONS 7a. PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING JUNE 6, 2026, AS SWEDISH NATIONAL ## DAY Mayor Graves read aloud a proclamation recognizing June 6, 2026, as Swedish National Day in the City of Brooklyn Center. Councilmember Kragness moved and Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson seconded to accept a proclamation recognizing June 6, 2026, as Swedish National Day. Motion passed unanimously. 7b. PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING AND ACKNOWLEDGING JUNE 19, 2026, ## AS JUNETEENTH FREEDOM DAY Mayor Graves read aloud a proclamation recognizing and acknowledging June 19, 2026, as Juneteenth Freedom Day in the City of Brooklyn Center. Councilmember Kragness moved and Councilmember Moore seconded to accept the proclamation recognizing and acknowledging June 19, 2026, as Juneteenth Freedom Day in the City of Brooklyn Center. Motion passed unanimously. ## 7c. PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING JUNE 2026 AS LGBTQIA+ MONTH Mayor Graves read aloud a proclamation recognizing June 2026 as LGBTQIA+ Pride Month in the City of Brooklyn Center. Councilmember Jerzak moved and Mayor Graves seconded to accept a proclamation recognizing and proclaiming June 2026 as LGBTQIA+ Pride Month. Motion passed unanimously. 7d. PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING JUNE 2026 AS CARIBBEAN AMERICAN ## HERITAGE MONTH Mayor Graves read aloud a proclamation recognizing June 2026 as Caribbean American Heritage Month in the City of Brooklyn Center. Councilmember Moore moved and Councilmember Jerzak seconded to accept a proclamation recognizing June 2026 as Caribbean American Heritage Month. Motion passed unanimously. Page 26 of 83 ## 06/08/26 -6- DRAFT ## 7e. BROOKLYN BRIDGE ALLIANCE FOR YOUTH PRESENTATION Rebecca Gilgen, Executive Director of Brooklyn Bridge Alliance for Youth, apologized for her sore throat after coaching a 12U baseball team over the weekend, which eliminated her voice. She added that it is really beautiful to see the unity in honoring all the different parts of the community, and the Council will hear from her presentation today about how united and supportive the young people of the Brooklyn Bridge Alliance for Youth are in the community. Ms. Gilgen noted that the Brooklyn Bridge Alliance for Youth (BBAY) was established in 2013, and prior to that, the two cities of Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park came together to address the increase in juvenile crime in that out-of-school time period. It was through the Police Executive Forum Research that was done in 2011 and 2012 that led to the creation of the alliance. The organization has developed since that time, and really sees itself as a backbone organization. The organization coordinates efforts between the joint powers and public partners to build a community-wide system of high-quality opportunities so that young people graduate, find those pathways to college careers, and ensure that they are safe. The organization’s number one goal is to increase its partners' ability to respond to the emerging needs that young people have, and to increase young people's participation in leading and getting paid for their work in leading that community change, as well as developing the skills that they need in life. The third goal is to increase their partners' ability to eliminate disparities. That means increasing high school graduation rates for students who historically have not had fair or equal graduation rates. Partners include the cities of Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Hennepin County, the four school districts that serve these two cities, Osseo, Anoka, Brooklyn Center, and Robbinsdale, and the organization’s two college partners, North Hennepin and Hennepin Tech. This joint powers binds them under one singular purpose to advance positive youth development together. The organization staff creates a strategic plan every couple of years, and to advance that, this year’s priorities in 2026 were to partner with young people to take action and help the adult partners build their own capacity to advance this work. She stated she would now focus on the Youth to Youth Survey, which is really the heart and soul of where to begin. Ms. Gilgen explained that every two years, the organization leads a statistically significant sample, a survey of young people in the community, to understand what their needs are, but also what their aspirations are. It is not enough just to think about the problems that youth face, but it is also really important to concentrate on what the youth are saying they need to be successful in life. Some themes from the last survey in 2024 included the youth's goals and dreams in life, mental health, relationships, safety, technology, and interests. She added that the organization hires and trains a group of young people in developing surveys, making sure that it is a reliable, valid survey, and the organization gives that survey to other young people, and this data shapes all of the organization’s planning efforts. She added that in the Council’s packet, there are a couple of different slides on the data and information from the last survey, something that really jumped out in 2020 and 2022, mental health was pronounced the greatest issue facing young people. Coming out of COVID-19 and in 2024, the number one issue for 14 through 17-year-olds was financial stability. She asked Council to dial that in for a second, and think about whether any of the Councilmembers were thinking about having enough money for their needs and wants, or for Page 27 of 83 ## 06/08/26 -7- DRAFT owning a home at 17. The young people today are really dialed in to what it means to have this economy affecting them and their families, and are very much focused on going to college and all the things that they need to do in high school to get to college. She added that young people in the community are tremendous, and are not just thinking about simple things; they are thinking about the things that matter to themselves and their families. It is the organization’s role, and as the adults around them, to build this ecosystem of support so that they can get the things that they need. Ms. Gilgen noted that this survey is coming up, and BBAY is actually hiring, and the BrookLynk interns started this week, and the crew will be coming on and creating this survey. She stated she would love to ask the Council what they want to know from young people this summer, and will come back to that at the end of the presentation, things that they are curious about young people and their experiences, and what the Council might want to know from them. Ms. Gilgen explained that a cornerstone of their work is engaging youth and adults in the community. One of the priority initiatives is the Reimagine Black Youth Mental Health Initiative, and this was started in 2023 with a federal grant from the Office of Minority Health. BBAY has successfully transitioned this grant from federal funding to local and state funding to help sustain this work. This is really thinking differently about mental health, thinking about how to shift the narrative, about how to engage youth on the topic of mental health, strengthening the ecosystem of support for young people, and changing the conditions that are causing them harm. BBAY staff spent the first several years really engaging hundreds and hundreds of black youth in the community, and the number one thing black youth said they needed for their mental health and well-being was safety, not more counseling, but safety from harm online, safety from guns and community, and safety from racism in schools. She noted that this should really give all adults pause to think about the ecosystem, and the hours around young people, and how that is impacting them. As BBAY has been leading this work, she stated she wanted to thank both the Councilmembers and Mayor Graves for being present at the different events that were held. Ms. Gilgen noted that BBAY holds summits a couple of times a year to engage young people, and young people have told them that one of the ways that they feel so supported is when adults show up to their events and are just with them alongside their experiences. She stated she had to thank the Brooklyn Center Recreation Department for allowing BBAY to use the space at the Recreation Center for several of their events and for their youth service, and give a shout-out to Chris and Cordell here today for their support in this work. She added that BBAY just recently held a summit on May 8th, and is turning towards the second issue of keeping black youth safe at all times and exploring gun violence. She noted that she has seen these intersections of gun violence in this conversation around young people's experience of violence, and spent the day with over 120 youth and adults in the community exploring this. She added that the purpose of this summit was for youth and adults to share their experiences related to violence, envision the changes that they wanted to see, participate in healing activities, and get collective support. She noted that mental health is not simply the absence of mental illness, but the presence of well-being, community, and connection. There was a lot of opportunity at the summit to explore that with young people, including playing basketball, being with a service animal that can help with mental health, candle making, being in a relationship, and dancing with each other, which can create healing. One of Page 28 of 83 ## 06/08/26 -8- DRAFT the themes that emerged in the art at the summit around this topic of where safety exists, healing begins, and staff learn a lot from young people as they do this engagement. Ms. Gilgen pointed out that one of the key pieces staff have been looking at and gathered was having young people identify the protective factors and the risk factors that are the highest priorities. Those answers will be gathered more over the next three months, and other data will help BBAY shape the new strategic plan that is coming at the end of this year. She added that one piece that staff wanted to look more deeply into, apart from mental health, was tobacco use, alcohol use, and cannabis use. She noted that BBAY staff asked Hennepin County to pull together some information just to look at the relationship between economic hardship, safety, and experiences of gun violence. She added that per the chart shown to the Council, 4.9 percent of youth are using tobacco, and when looking at young people who have experienced economic hardship, 23 percent or higher, which is almost five times the rate, do not feel safe going to school, and do not feel safe at school or in their neighborhoods. She noted that there is an intersection of risk if a youth is experiencing a lack of safety or violence in any way; their exposure to tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs is much higher, and the risk of use is much higher. She added that this is just the beginning point, as the Reimagine Youth interns are looking at several policies related to this, reviewing data from the Minnesota Student Survey, proximity to tobacco, and policies that other cities are considering, in order to prepare some recommendations for policy, program, and process actions that can protect youth. She noted that BBAY is hoping to have an opportunity to bring that to their City partners, as well as schools, and alliance partners in the fall. Ms. Gilgen explained that the state of Minnesota, in 2023, for the first time in over 20 years, made a significant investment in after-school programming. BBAY was poised in partnership with the four school districts to apply for this grant, and this was huge for the community. The after-school Community Learning grant was a three-year grant and may be the biggest infusion of out-of-school time funding that has come to Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park. The grant is about $530,000 a year for after-school programming. She noted that it is really important to assess the impacts of these programs on high school graduation, show the results, and make sure that everyone is supporting these kinds of investments in young people. Mayor Graves asked if that funding has been reduced a lot, and noted in the last 5 to 10 years after school funding for after school programming has been reduced significantly. Ms. Gilgen agreed and noted that since the recession in 2009, where it was almost axed completely of the budget, and most of the funding for youth has been in juvenile corrections or prevention programming, and while there has been some funding, mostly in the philanthropic sector, but this s a big state investment, and BBAY really wants to see the state continue this, especially when there is a surge in cannabis use and recreational use. She stated that young people need to be actively involved and engaged in healthy environments to prevent use. Ms. Gilgen continued that there are three after-school programs that are built into this ACLG program, really built off of what staff learned in the Youth to Youth Survey, and identifying students who are really at risk for not graduating. The issues that students talked about were not feeling connected and safe and belonging at school, which was why those proclamations that the Page 29 of 83 ## 06/08/26 -9- DRAFT Council all passed at the beginning of the meeting are affirmations that young people need and they receive when they participate in affinity groups, which are often unfunded by schools. These affinity groups are after-school clubs that help young people really connect with other people who look like them, and staff are able to support with culturally responsive tutoring that helps support academic success and confidence at school. She added that another program that BBAY has brought to scale is A Youth on Board. In 2019, in partnership with their cities, they were able to bring it to all four school sites. In this program, BBAY staff train and prepare young people to serve on Commissions. There are currently six youth seated on various Commissions and 92 young people at four high schools engaged across the four sites in leadership development. Mayor Graves noted she is very anxious to get youth on the City’s Commissions, which has not happened yet. There was work being done by City Staff to get some clarity on what the City already had, but she hoped that the Council would continue to advocate and be open to having more youth voices in those leadership positions. Ms. Gilgen added that one step BBAY is hoping to kick off in that direction was an event in April, where BBAY had a chance to go to Hennepin County for a Youth Day at the county and a youth day at the Capitol. For the Youth Day at the county, Commissioner Lundy let the young people come up to the county board room and see the secret tunnel and do all the things back there, and ask questions regarding the county budget, and how it supports young people. BBAY also uses this day to take an opportunity to really talk about the employment benefits of working at Hennepin County and that pathway into public service. She noted that Brooklyn Center has experienced young residents who can serve on Commissions and can run for City Council or become City Staff or vice versa. All of this is related to how BBAY can cultivate civic engagement, and ownership of the City deepens for everyone as the safety of everyone is in committed and passionate people in all aspects of City governance. , Ms. Gilgen noted that BBAY is working on a Youth Day at Brooklyn Center with Mr. Nyquist and Ms. Pettit, with more on that to come. Mayor Graves asked if she could share something. Ms. Gilgen stated she could. Mayor Graves noted that she saw one of the students, who may have just graduated and goes to Park Center, at a meeting of the Park Center or Osseo School Board. She stated the student was advocating for ongoing support for the Indian Education Program. Mayor Graves noted that her daughter was speaking at the event, and this student was also speaking, and she ran into her again with Youth On Board, doing some tree planting at Centennial Park, and again at the summit. Mayor Graves added that the youth are doing their thing, and the more that they are finding those spaces where they feel like they have a voice, feel seen, valued, and welcomed, the more they will show up for the community. Mayor Graves added that over the course of ten days, she saw that particular student everywhere. Ms. Gilgen noted that the student mentioned may be a Mayor in training. She noted that a part of the after-school Community Learning Grant offers a free six-week summer program, and summer is a time gap for young people, and it can be difficult for parents to find childcare for kids between the ages of 13 and 15. The summer programming is free for rising ninth to 12th grade and bridges Page 30 of 83 ## 06/08/26 -10- DRAFT the gap between when kids are done with school-aged care, but before being eligible for employment opportunities. This program is on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, full of activities that include career and learning opportunities to explore North Hennepin Community College, and other different things for young people to be engaged in. She noted that this is really a free opportunity for BBAY to help build relationships with young people and then segue them into programming when they get back to school in the fall. Ms. Gilgen continued that the other very important part of their work, aside from engaging youth, is engaging adults. She noted she talked about the ecosystem, and that BBAY sees itself as a strategic partner to the City of Brooklyn Center, and has been since they began. This shaped the initial thinking of collecting information and launching BrookLynk and working with the Community Development Departments to embed that in the City. BBAY identified the gap in accessing recreational programs, and worked to develop Rec On The Go, and evaluate those programs to make sure they work and are a good investment of taxpayer dollars, but also get the safety and health outcomes for residents. She added that these are some of the ways that BBAY works in partnership with the adults and their joint powers partners: coordination and engagement, research, and innovation. Ms. Gilgen added that she wanted to acknowledge some projects that BBAY has done in partnership with the City of Brooklyn Center over the last two years. She noted that one project was to expand equitable access to recreation and parks in 2020. She added that some of the Council may be familiar with SHIP, which involved Hennepin County shifting some priorities to look at systemic barriers facing residents in accessing health services that are available. In partnership with BBAY, the shared goal was to increase access to recreation, health, wellness, and programs and services. She commended the Parks and Recreation Department for participating deeply in that work, where BBAY created a community advisory group of residents and Recreation Staff to survey the public, and did qualitative interviews with residents about their experiences. Recreation Staff collected that data and showed exceptional partnership in that work. The majority of the interview findings of residents had positive experiences, especially at cultural events that the City invested in, which reflects back to residents wanting to be included in events that the City hosts. She noted that residents expressed wanting additional programming for teens, adult skill building, and more sports. She added that sports have grown astronomically in the City, and the need for additional sports programming for young people at all levels is constant and pervasive. Since BBAY has begun its work in the Youth to Youth Survey, sports have always been at the top of the list of things that young people need. There are some barriers to the involvement of residents that include transportation, language, awareness, and representation. Residents recommended continuing the cultural events, serving families, more outreach, and representation among BBAY staff. She noted that the Recreation Department received this data and created an action plan for this year around how they could accomplish goals and increase cultural representation within Staff programming and events, while shifting offerings to reach those they do not already serve and intentionally marketing opportunities for participation in new ways. Ms. Gilgen explained that the other program, which at the beginning of the SHIP project did not exist, was launched by one of the Staff at the Recreation Department, and was the Reciprocal Learning Model. The data and information from BBAY showed that drowning rates for black Page 31 of 83 ## 06/08/26 -11- DRAFT individuals under 30 are one and a half times higher than for white peers, and black lifeguards make up roughly five percent of the workforce in this area. At the time at the pool, it was zero. Recreation Staff took up this project to figure out how to tackle this and knew that young people wanted to participate in the program, and they iterated a couple of different ways of trying to include young people in the certification process that did not work, so they launched a partnership to do after school lifeguard classes at the school at Brooklyn Center High School, trained the youth, and then get them over to the pool. The Parks and Recreation Department launched this, and within one year, had 17 youth who had been taught since the fall of 2020. Last year's numbers include 29 youth enrolled in the certification program. Three youth were hired into aquatics roles, and 24 percent of staff identified as Black or African American, which is a huge pivot point. Ms. Gilgen continued that after reading the data, iterating, and getting results immediately, that is when community members went to the pool and saw inclusion. She noted that the program needs to be acknowledged for that success and for the work accomplished by the Recreation Department Staff. Ms. Gilgen added that there is a goal in sharing the community safety and well-being, as mentioned numerous times, the Juneteenth celebration, the Community Health Fair, are vital opportunities for BBAY to partner with multiple nonprofits and people who offer resources to residents and other city partners, but to bring resources to the community and bring the community together. She added that at the end of the summer, she would present the Youth to Youth Survey findings, but the shared goal is to respond to what young people are telling adults that they need and find ways to do that in partnership, and to leverage resources to do so. She added that BBAY youth would present the Youth to Youth survey results if the Council desired. Ms. Gilgen explained that BBAY would continue to strengthen youth leadership and capacity building by employing 25 young people as partners in the work. Currently, BBAY has a staff of nine, but employs 25 youth to help deliver peer tutors, outreach ambassadors, and all aspects of this work. She noted that this is an important way to use public money to help young people towards financial stability. Ms. Gilgen noted that BBAY would continue to leverage state resources and philanthropic resources as much as possible with its local funding, and its joint powers agreement needs to be renewed. So BBAY will be back in Brooklyn Center, hopefully to have their joint powers approved by City Council as they move into 2027, and to then shape a new strategic plan together if that is ahead for the joint powers agreement and for the young people in the community. Ms. Gilgen thanked the Council for the opportunity to be there tonight. She asked what the Council would like to know from young people or what they are curious about, about young people’s experiences. Councilmember Kragness thanked Ms. Gilgen for the presentation. She noted that as adults, they make decisions for youth without first getting their perspective, and stated she would like to ask the youth what opportunities the City is missing. She added that Ms. Gilgen had mentioned the athletics, the safety, and feeling connected, and wondered how to make them feel safer and more connected. She added that things have changed since she was a youth; the safety was to be home before the streetlights came on. She stated she wanted to know what young people are concerned about right now, and as adults, how to help them be hopeful about their future. Page 32 of 83 ## 06/08/26 -12- DRAFT Councilmember Jerzak noted that he and Ms. Gilgen go back a long way to the birthplace of BrookLynk days. He stated his question would be what gives young people hope, because without hope, it is really difficult. On page 49 of 69, the slide key findings on key themes, and the reason is that this was based on his extensive experiences with BrookLynk, and under mental health, was listed as having time for myself. He noted that one of the keys there that he has found is being very careful in defining what the difference is between alone time and being lonely, or being alone and depression, because they were bullied. If youth do not feel accepted, have financial pressures at home, and those types of things, adults need to engage with them and identify those things because they are so important. In his experience, oftentimes, youth felt it was very overwhelming until they were able to talk about it, and it did not necessarily change that circumstance, but he wanted to bring that up. He noted his other question is bullying seems to become a way of life, and it comes in way different forms, and he does not want to necessarily go into long range, but hoped that BBAY is addressing that, especially with social media, because it is so prevalent and is more frequent, and in his experience youth do not want to ask for help or they do not want to say anything and are embarrassed. He added that he really hoped that there would be some concentration on that. Ms. Gilgen explained that in the Reimagined Black Youth Mental Health Initiative, the three priorities under safety include safety from bullying online. She noted that in 2025, BBAY staff worked with young people to develop a curriculum called the Digital Wellbeing Safety Online curriculum in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Health that focuses on the implementation of this, and teaching young people about positive use of social media. She noted that all of the school districts had to have a cell phone policy, but most districts chose to put the phones away. Legislation was to address phone use and mental health. She noted that BBAY staff recognized that young people need to know how to use phones safely and in a way that benefits them instead of keeping them up late at night, which is also the result of sleeplessness. She added that education needs to happen about what to do when bullying online happens and how to address the bystander effect. Several sessions in the Digital Wellbeing Curriculum do help young people address and learn how to de-escalate situations that are online before they escalate into situations in the hallways, which is another pattern seen in terms of young people not reporting incidences of hate in school and community. She reiterated that phone use and bullying are all related, and noted that Councilmember Jerzak is right on target with the social media aspect. Ms. Gilgen added that young people at the last Reimagined summit identified and affirmed that social media is the biggest risk factor in their worlds, and would be discussed more with the Council, along with the survey results this fall. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson thanked Ms. Gilgen for all the work that she is doing with the youth and expressed her appreciation for Ms. Gilgen and all the programming that she does. She asked if the Council would entertain having the youth do a joint Council meeting again. Mayor Graves noted that she is open to that. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson stated that it was enjoyable to have the youth next to Councilmembers and to get their perspectives and show them what it is like on the dais. Page 33 of 83 ## 06/08/26 -13- DRAFT Mayor Graves noted that Youth and City Government Day was a regular thing, but the Council has not done it in some time. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson stated that the Council needs to bring it back. Ms. Gilgen noted that BBAY looks forward to working with both Mr. Nyquist and Ms. Pettit on figuring out the logistics and timing of that event. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson noted the event should start early enough that youth can sit down, have a meal with the Council, and join a meeting because having that personal connection with the youth and explaining what the Council does was really enjoyable. Councilmember Moore thanked Ms. Gilgen for the presentation and thanked her colleagues, Councilmember Jerzak and Mayor Graves, for their ongoing encouragement and participation in all of the activities when it comes to the City's youth. She stated her question for young people is who they are going to call when they need a safe ride. She noted that in some cases, youth could call a sponsor, but may not have those contacts in their phone. She asked who the youth have in their primary contacts in the event they needed help. Ms. Gilgen stated that is a practical and very good question, and is one of the reasons she switched to a digital business card, so her contact information is in youth’s phones. She noted that Councilmember Moore raised a very good point in terms of how to help young people talk about resourcing themselves and finding a good support system. She added that one of the goals of all of the programming at BBAY is to connect youth to the Council, leaders, and other City Staff who run programs to make sure that there is a relationship that young people have with the community, and not just one individual. Mayor Graves thanked Ms. Gilgen and stated that they will have more time to discuss things when meeting for other board meetings and to encourage each other. She stated she appreciates Ms. Gilgen not only for the work that she does for young people, but also for her presence in the community. She stated she wished she could duplicate the work of BBAY and expand it to cover the whole City, because the work that is being done with young people and adults is needed now more. The City is seeing real positive, tangible outcomes and programs that happen because of BBAY. She stated she knows it is still a struggle to get funding, and the Council is doing a small part in helping advocate for that, but there is also room for improvement on that. She noted she would continue to advocate for BBAY. Mayor Graves continued that she will be the Mayor for the next six months, but will not be leaving Brooklyn Center after that, so her question is how she could specifically support youth in their goals or the issues that youth find the most relevant to them. Whether those issues may be financial, such as buying a home, or how to get a job, or mental health. She stated she would like to know how the Council, leadership, and she personally could be more supportive of young people, beyond the roles and the ways that they already are. Page 34 of 83 ## 06/08/26 -14- DRAFT Ms. Gilgen stated she would love to come back in September with the youth who led the Youth to Youth Survey and have them bring that information and some of their direct recommendations. She noted that she was really inspired by a conversation she recently had about safety with Chief Flesland and Chief Burley from Brooklyn Park, who were talking about how to support young people. She added that Chief Flesland and Chief Burley both recognized that there have been fundamental shifts in the City since 2013, with BrookLynk, and economic development. The youth workforce was not in the cities in 2016; now, the cities are leveraging nearly $1 million for young people. She added that City Staff cannot lose their momentum, because trends in juvenile crime are declining. She noted that young people and the conditions that they are facing are what they are, but adults can show up in support, and the youth recognize that. The City can continue to invest and see progress with the youth, and keep going together. Ms. Gilgen continued that, most importantly, strength is in all of their partnerships and focusing on what kids are telling adults they need in order to succeed. She added that BBAY stays out of the political arena and stays grounded in what young people need to continue to move forward. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson asked if Staff could plan the Youth and Government Day, the day BBAY is coming to present. Mayor Graves stated she did not know if that would work logistically, but would discuss it later with City Staff. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson stated the youth could join the Council for a meal, join the meeting, and present. Councilmember Jerzak stated he wanted to make a comment about who the youth are going to call and suggested the youth do not have to have a reason to call. He noted that youth are not a burden, stated he thinks a lot of times kids feel that way, particularly when there is a disconnect with adults, but talking is how relationships are built, and it is important to emphasize that. Councilmember Kragness stated that she used to volunteer for a crisis line for years and took calls at all hours, but a lot of the time, youth called just to have someone to talk to. Councilmember Moore moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded to accept the presentation. Motion passed unanimously. ## 7f. CENTERBROOK 2025 END OF YEAR BUDGET UPDATE Mr. Nyquist introduced Parks and Recreation Director Cordell Wiseman to come up and introduce individual Staff to lead them through both items. He stated he would also introduce Jason Aarsvald, who is on hand to answer any financial-related matters, since Ehler's put the numbers together. Mr. Wiseman stated General Manager Mark Markowski would give an update on the 2025 budget year-end and the projections for 2026. He noted that because the Heritage Center had just opened the door for business, there would not be a lot of data. He thanked Centerbrook’s General Manager Page 35 of 83 ## 06/08/26 -15- DRAFT and Golf Superintendent Steve Markowski for his hard work, as well as the Finance Department and Ehler’s for looking at the budget and getting them a budget to know where Centerbrook stands, and how to move forward. Mr. Wiseman introduced Mr. Markowski to present more information on the golf course. Mr. Markowski noted that the golf course opened in April and May, so he does not have the financial numbers for 2026, but for 2025, Ehler's leadership helped the golf course get things in order and answered a lot of the questions that had previously come up with different numbers from different sources. Mr. Markowski stated that the golf course is continually and slowly increasing revenues every single year, and there are some things that take time to get going. He noted that he has limited resources available, but is getting more, and continues to watch the bottom line while keeping expenses down. The budgeted expenses for 2025 were $530,000 and came in at $450,000, and those are important because the money that is generated can be a burden on the taxpayers, and he does not want to be a burden on the taxpayers. He explained that golf is a lifetime sport and an amenity that many communities do not have the ability to offer, and he wants to excel at offering that, so Brooklyn Center residents can be proud of the golf course. He stated he is going to continue to emphasize the City’s youth and work on all the programs that will be beneficial when it comes to the income before capital outlay and depreciation. He stated he does not have all the numbers for that, but Ehler’s did come up with those figures. He added that non-operating expenses had a big increase from 2024 to 2025, and he is working to get the breakdown on those expenses included, so he can give more detailed information to the Council and explore ways to find more savings. He noted that the bottom line shows net income from 2024 to 2025 was a net loss, but it was less than what the budget anticipated. Mr. Markowski explained that over the course of 10 years, they would like to build a golf course fund so it can be sustainable and not a burden on the taxpayers. He added that Ehler’s could answer any questions on the additional information provided. Mr. Wiseman noted that Ehlers presented information on the golf course in their ten-year budget report for the Council. He reiterated that there is a target market for the golf course for the City, and revenue is trending in the right direction. Councilmember Kragness stated she liked the way Mr. Markowski said he could find ways to save, which is always good, but she should change his perspective on saying the golf course is a burden on taxpayers and should acknowledge that this is an asset for the community. Mr. Markowski responded that her comment was duly noted. Councilmember Jerzak added that it was his understanding that there would be a study done or that it would be completed. Mr. Wiseman stated that it is correct, and right now he is working with Public Works on starting the process of the study on the golf course. Page 36 of 83 ## 06/08/26 -16- DRAFT Councilmember Jerzak stated he was hoping that the study would address whether there are any continued conversations with First Tee and Three Rivers. He stated he knows Three Rivers does not want to buy the property, but there may be other roles they could play with trails or other options, while addressing what capital improvement projects need to be done, such as the bridge repair, and the cost associated with it. He added that he would also like to know what the status of the simulators is, or if there are any other sources to increase revenues. He noted that there were discussions about possibly doing weddings there, but did not know if that ever came to fruition; that could be addressed in the study as well. Councilmember Jerzak continued that the average transfer into the golf course is now projected at $231,000 per year until 2031, which is one levy point. He noted that if that money was coming out of the General Fund, then those funds are not available for other services. He stated he would be very interested in a breakdown of who is using the golf course, and if it is residents or not, or if there are leagues returning from local high schools. He noted that he would like to see some type of distribution, and those questions are addressed. Councilmember Jerzak added that the golf course is an asset, and the City needs to find a way for it to work, but there are other ways to leverage it in more concrete ways to reduce subsidies. He added that the University of Minnesota is currently in trouble for selling its golf course for $30 million to a developer, and a lot of other cities have struggled with their golf courses. He complimented the Staff for doing what they can to hold it together, as it is not an easy task. Councilmember Moore stated she concurred with Councilmember Jerzak on all of his points and noted that the $231,000 is one percent of the levy and the Council is looking at a lot of competing priorities for the City and its residents. She added that the Council is waiting on a final status of simulators that were apparently purchased, but are not in use, which may be a revenue stream. She noted that she had had conversations with Mr. Nyquist, asking what was going on with the simulators, as that was not something that she ever thought would be purchased. She stated she has asked how the simulators were purchased and why they are not being used, which are legitimate questions, and assumed that all her colleagues would like the answers to those questions. She continued that Councilmember Jerzak pointed out the University of Minnesota golf course in Falcon Heights was sold, but Centerbrook Golf Course is not in an area that can be redeveloped due to the water table. She stated she also concurred with the questions about First Tee partnerships and Three Rivers, as options that the Council needs to consider going into budget meetings. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson thanked Staff for the presentation and asked what kind of advertising Staff is doing because she lived in Brooklyn Center for 20 years before she knew there was a local golf course. Mr. Markowski stated that Staff advertises across social media because they found out newspapers are no longer relevant. He noted that First Tee is working with Staff in-house on advertising, and now has 11 high schools participating in their program. He stated that he has to keep the advertising budget low, but leagues and competition numbers are up. He has focused on advertising locally, and every dollar spent goes back into the golf course. He noted that he can Page 37 of 83 ## 06/08/26 -17- DRAFT reach more people by word of mouth, and his motto is, once he gets the customer there, they stay there. It has been the long-standing tradition that the course’s conditions, Staff, and customer service are the number one priority. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson asked if Staff could use the City’s website to promote the golf course because it is nearing golf season. She asked if the City's website could be changed with a visual of the golf course with dates and times of its opening. Mr. Nyquist stated that Staff could probably do a few things, but he is not sure if Mr. Markowski has talked with communications at all, but that partnership could be created. He noted that the golf course is pretty much an island because it operates seasonally and does not have full Staffing. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson suggested some more synergy between City Hall and the golf course to see how City Staff can help support the golf course. She noted that it is an amenity in the City, but the Council does have a fiscal responsibility. She stated she is glad to see things are trending up and hopes that Staff can seek out whatever help they need from administration to support them. Mr. Markowski stated he and Staff would continue to reach out. Mayor Graves thanked Mr. Markowski for the presentation, suggesting that City Staff help advertise the Juneteenth golf tournament, and the Council could use their own communication Staff to promote the tournament. The promotion could include live shots of people enjoying the golf course on Juneteenth. She added that the Northwest Tourism Bureau is in the process of working on a storytelling project, and if there are some regular golfers or specific people who frequent the golf course, they could connect with staff at the Northwest Tourism Bureau through Mr. Wiseman. Those stories could be highlighted on the City’s website, Northwest Tourism’s website, and social media. She added that those are some ideas that could have a big impact. Mayor Graves continued for clarity that Mr. Wiseman was working to find another way to fund the simulators because the Council did not give approval for that funding. She noted that maybe she was misremembering that fact, but thought Mr. Wiseman was seeking additional funding and hoped that moving forward, he would be able to find another way. Mr. Nyquist stated that Mr. Wiseman was seeking that funding and was able to secure it. The Council will see the deal shortly that Mr. Wiseman and the City Attorney have been working on to get the simulators donated for profit sharing, so the golf course does not have any monetary output there. It has taken time to get that deal on paper due to the legal work that is being done in other areas, but it will hopefully come to fruition soon. Mayor Graves stated she wanted to acknowledge the work that Mr. Wiseman did, and for taking the initiative to secure additional funding to bring that investment to the golf course, even after the Council denied his request. She thanked Mr. Markowski for his continued work bringing in people to the golf course, while making it welcoming and accessible to young people. She noted that she Page 38 of 83 ## 06/08/26 -18- DRAFT recently ran into some elderly black men who regularly go to the golf course as a group, so it is true that once Mr. Markowski gets them there, they stay there. Councilmember Jerzak asked if Mayor Gaves would consider giving a shout-out on her Mayor’s Minutes for CCX media for the golf course. Mayor Graves stated she would and needs to schedule that interview, and will mention the way that Parks and Recreation recently got as well. Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded to accept the presentation. Motion passed unanimously. ## 7g. HERITAGE CENTER 2025 END OF YEAR BUDGET UPDATE Mr. Wiseman stated that the Staff would provide an update on the Heritage Center. He noted this presentation will include the budget update for 2025 and where it stands for 2026. He introduced General Manager Tami Buetow-Staples, who would provide that update. Ms. Buetow-Staples thanked the Council for the opportunity to present the Heritage Center budget. She noted she would highlight the venue specifications, review the 2025 financial results, and provide an early look into 2026. She explained the Heritage Center’s main key specifications show that the Heritage Center offers a 40,000 square foot conference event space with seven to 11 unique event spaces that can be customized for each client. Every conference, wedding, or special event has a unique need, and Staff can work with the client to meet those needs. The Heritage Center has a full-service Staff that can execute everything from the first initial inquiry to the final move out of the space. She explained that a lot of clients like that the Heritage Center offers full service from point A to point Z. Ms. Buetow-Staples noted that the 2025 end-of-year financials from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025, provided by Ehler's, show the 2025 actuals against the 2024 and 2025 budgeted numbers, with an increase in revenues of 8.6 percent. Ms. Buetow-Staples stated that for operating expenses, the Heritage Center did spend more due to rising costs in utilities and food, but Staff managed to stay below the budgeted 2025 numbers, which shows a decrease in operating expenses of 8.4 percent. Ms. Buetow-Staples explained that the bottom line for net income and loss was a 68.5 percent reduction in losses in 2025 versus 2024. She added that 2025 was a strong year operationally for the Heritage Center. She noted that the Staff is cautious with revenue and expenses, and last year the Council suggested increasing room rent and menu pricing, which has helped increase revenue. For 2026, for the first three months from January 1 to March 31, there is a slight difference between 2026 and 2025, and that was due to a last-minute cancellation of an event in February, for Homeland Security and Emergency Management. That event was scheduled as a week-long event and was cancelled due to ICE operations. That event would have put the Heritage Center ahead of where they were this time last year. She stated the same event is scheduled for next year, and the Staff is really excited to have Page 39 of 83 ## 06/08/26 -19- DRAFT them back. She noted that the months of April and May are always very busy at the Heritage Center, and in 2025, there were 40 events in those two months alone. In 2026, there were also 40 events scheduled at the Heritage Center; the revenue will be higher due to those room rent increases and menu changes. Ms. Buetow-Staples added a recap of the financial management plan that Ehler’s had presented, which showed that the Heritage Center is trending in the right direction and is hoping to continue that. She asked if the Council had any questions. Councilmember Moore thanked Ms. Buetow-Staples for the presentation. She stated that she follows the Heritage Center on social media and loves the marketing displayed there for their events, including an event called Music on the Farm on June 24. She asked if that would include tours of the Heritage Center. Ms. Buetow-Staples confirmed that it would include tours. Councilmember Moore continued that she has heard that a lot of improvements have been made to the facility with new landscaping, paint, and other upgrades. She commended Ms. Buetow- Staples for the work that she has done, both in improvements and public relations, and while the fund still has a negative balance, the Heritage Center is a well-known, historic place in the City. She stated that she has been vocal in the past, that she is not in favor of a ten-year, $1.6 million loan for the facility. She recognized that the Heritage Center is moving in the right direction, and the Council will look at options as they go forward, because there are no more funds in the reserves. She reiterated that the work that Ms. Buetow-Staples, Staff, and MinTahoe have done for the facility to try to pull it out of debt, even pre-COVID, is quite admirable. Councilmember Kragness thanked Ms. Buetow-Staples for the presentation and stated that even with this reduction in losses, which is a major improvement, some of the numbers presented are misleading. She pointed out on slide page 67, there is a listed decrease in operating expenses of 8.4 percent, which is not correct, because there was a reduction of 8.8 percent in the budget, but the operating expenses went up 16.6 percent from 2024. The actual numbers were 2.1, and in 2025, that number was 2.4, so it went up. She stated she just wanted to make sure no one was being misled by the numbers, even though the total amount was a reduction. Ms. Buetow-Staples apologized and stated that it was her error on the actual decrease. Councilmember Kragness noted it was still under budget and there was a decrease in operating expenses. Councilmember Jerzak stated that the numbers speak for themselves and are trending in the right direction. He noted that there are things out of Staff’s control, such as food costs and event cancellations. He noted that he was looking forward to hearing more when the study comes out, and looked forward to a report from MinTahoe to update the Council on how that contract is working. He noted that Staff needs to approach this very comprehensively, while being transparent, because the City cannot continue to lose money. There are no more reserves that can come out of the General Fund. He noted that, as a Council, they will have to look at reducing contributions to the General Fund to begin with, and this will have to be included. He noted that Page 40 of 83 ## 06/08/26 -20- DRAFT the projected total for the Heritage Center is $947,695, and with no reserves left, the City would not be able to afford any major capital improvements. He stated he looks forward to positive ways to make a profit faster, so the Heritage Center is not a direct draw and will not call the facility a burden, but at some point, a loss is a loss. He recognized that the fundamentals of the market have changed, and no one is pointing any fingers, but this problem was inherited, and these losses are not new. He added that he appreciates the work and acknowledged that the Council will see more during budget meetings, but appreciates the efforts to try and limit costs and increase revenues where possible. He added that he recognizes that the Heritage Center cannot just keep raising prices, because there is a limit to what corporations and weddings are willing to pay, but that said, he firmly believes that the City should not be subsidizing private citizens with tax revenue for corporate events or weddings, and is pretty adamant about that. Mayor Graves thanked Ms. Buetow-Staples for continuing to look for ways to save money as well as increase revenue, and for taking care of a historic asset in the City. She stated she knows that the Staff there does a good job because the same clients come back year after year. Mayor Graves stated that the losses sustained by the Heritage Center due to Operation Metro Surge should be added to the list and submitted with a total cost, and that may not have been caught before, but it should be. Mr. Nyquist noted that he just found out about that particular one last week. Mayor Graves thanked Ms. Buetow-Staples again for the presentation and for her work, and noted that the Council appreciates her. Ms. Buetow-Staples thanked the Council and invited them to the Music on the Farm event and noted that it is going to be a great evening for all of the community on June 24, from 6:00 p.m.to 9:00 p.m. Mayor Graves noted that she would try to plug it into the next Mayor's Minutes. Councilmember Lawrence-Anderson requested a calendar invite or email for the event. Councilmember Kragness asked if it was on June 24. Mayor Graves confirmed the event was on June 24. Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Moore seconded to accept the presentation. Motion passed unanimously. ## 8. PUBLIC HEARINGS ## 9. PLANNING COMMISSION ITEMS ## 10. COUNCIL CONSIDERATION ITEMS Page 41 of 83 ## 06/08/26 -21- DRAFT Councilmember Moore noted that she had a question during the Study Session before Mayor Graves arrived. She made an error by not having it go to Council Consideration Items because she did not ask the Mayor Pro Tem. She noted she asked Mayor pro Tem Kragness, regarding the neighborhood meeting that is scheduled for June 30, and made an error because it is at Brooklyn Center Community School, and brought up that the Council is just learning about this event and just got the invite. The Council has had little to no resident participation in previous neighborhood meetings, and this is only three weeks out. She noted it is probably too late to add, but wanted to bring it up now. She asked how, in three weeks Staff are supposed to pull together PR, marketing, and solicitation to get residents there for a June 30 meeting at Brooklyn Center Community School. Mayor Graves noted that Councilmember Moore raised some interesting points, and Staff definitely want to do better marketing before that. But she definitely wants to do better marketing before that, but she does not want to go into that conversation because it was not added to the agenda. Councilmember Moore stated that that is what she thought and apologized for that. ## 11. COUNCIL REPORT. Mayor Graves reported on her attendance at the following events and provided information on the following upcoming events: • Shared that she attended the Northwest Tourism Board meeting. • Shared that she attended her one-on-one meeting with the Interim City Manager and the Interim Deputy City Manager at a park. • Shared that she met with a community member who serves on the Commission, and had conversations with local elected officials and other positions. • Shared that on Saturday, they were behind schedule, so she only spoke for 10 minutes, for a group that is putting together a black legislative agenda on the radio show with Alfred Flowers. • Shared that she spent the afternoon with a group of 15 or 20 newly elected officials who are also first generation citizens and it was organized by Nadia Muhammad, Mayor of Saint Louis Park, and she was joined by the mayor of Golden Valley and the Mayor of Columbia Heights, where they all talked with them about their experience during Operation Metro Surge, as well as the coalition for Safer Cities that was formed initially with about five or six Mayors and it eventually grew beyond 20, and is now around 30 cities. They will continue having meetings with those Mayors and City Managers, and another one is coming up in a few weeks, where she will provide the Council with an update. The point of this lunch meeting was to help share insights and solutions of those who were experiencing immigration surges in their cities. • Shared that she attended the Miss Juneteenth state pageant for the second year in a row and was joined by Mayor Hartman from Golden Valley for that event. • Shared for context that the Sole Care of Souls is a service to care for people's feet, which is important as people age. • Shared that the Juneteenth golf tournament is on June 19, at 6:00 p.m., and the actual Page 42 of 83 ## 06/08/26 -22- DRAFT Juneteenth celebration is on June 20. • Shared that she will not be able to attend the Juneteenth event because she is getting married that weekend. Councilmember Moore reported on her attendance at the following events and provided information on the following upcoming events: • Shared that she attended the inaugural Sole Care of Souls on June 3, which happens every first and third Wednesday at LCM Church from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and LCM has a meal from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and all are welcome for healing. She added that it is not podiatry and is sponsored by Good in the Hood. • Shared that a few residents reached out regarding the camera at 57 th and Brooklyn Boulevard. She noted that she contacted City Staff, who stated that it was a county road, so she reached out to Commissioner Lundy, who addressed it to individuals to let them know the camera is not working there. • Shared that the City’s website has a calendar for all the June events, but the Parks and Recreation social media page goes above and beyond, and lists a variety of activities happening in the City, Brooklyn Center Fire, and the Police, both have their own Facebook pages and share their events as well. • Shared that the Neighborhood meeting on June 30 should be cancelled at Brooklyn Center Community Schools at 6:30 p.m., which Mr. Nyquist can talk to Staff about. Councilmember Jerzak reported on his attendance at the following events and provided information on the following upcoming events: • Shared that he did attend the Sole Care for Souls, and noted that if someone is diabetic, it can be very critical. The staff there are not Podiatrists but can help and point out issues, particularly for those who do not have insurance. • Shared that he attended his one-on-one meetings with Mr. Nyquist and various other community members. Councilmember Kragness reported on her attendance at the following events and provided information on the following upcoming events: • Shared that she attended her one-on-one meetings and met with a lot of community members. ## 12. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Graves moved and Councilmember Kragness seconded the adjournment of the City Council meeting at 8:39 pm. Motion passed unanimously. Page 43 of 83 ## Council Regular Meeting ## DATE: 6/22/2026 ## TO: City Council ## FROM: ## THROUGH: ## BY: Kat Ellgren, Deputy City Clerk ## SUBJECT: Approval of Licenses ## Requested Council Action: -Motion to accept licenses as presented. ## Background: The following businesses/persons have applied for City licenses as noted. Each business/person has fulfilled the requirements of the City Ordinance governing respective licenses, submitted appropriate applications, and paid proper fees. Applicants for rental dwelling licenses are in compliance with Chapter 12 of the City Code of Ordinances unless comments are noted below the property address on the attached rental report. ## Garbage Haulers Allied Waste 8661 Rendova St NE Circle Pines, MN 55014 Walters 2830 101st Ave NE Blaine, MN 55449Mechanical APP Professional Plumbing 1220 Vernon St., Big Lake 55309 Certified Mechanical 1001 N 7th St., Lake City 55041 CoolSys Light Commercial Solutions LLC 21486 Humboldt Court, Suite 100, Lakeville 55044 ## Budget Issues: ## Inclusive Community Engagement: ## Antiracist/Equity Policy Effect: ## Strategic Priorities and Values: ## ATTACHMENTS: ## None Page 44 of 83 ## Council Regular Meeting ## DATE: 6/22/2026 ## TO: City Council ## FROM: Garett Flesland, Chief of Police ## THROUGH: Daren Nyquist, Interim City Manager ## BY: Garett Flesland, Chief of Police ## SUBJECT: Resolution Accepting Grant Funding from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Justice Programs for the Pathways to Policing ## Program and Authorizing Execution of Grant Agreement ## Requested Council Action: - Motion to approve a Resolution Accepting Grant Funding from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Justice Programs for the Pathways to Policing ## Program and Authorizing Execution of Grant Agreement ## Background: The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Justice Programs has awarded the Brooklyn Center Police Department a Pathways to Policing Grant in the amount of $75,000. The grant is intended to support programs that create pathways into law enforcement careers for individuals who may not have traditionally pursued or had access to the profession. The Brooklyn Center Police Department applied for and was awarded funding to support up to three candidates enrolled in a Minnesota POST Board-certified Professional Peace Officer Education (PPOE) program. Grant funds may be used for eligible expenses, including candidate wages, fringe benefits, tuition, uniforms, and background investigations. The Pathways to Policing Program is very similar to the Intensive Comprehensive Peace Officer Education and Training (ICPOET) program that the department has successfully implemented. The department’s fifth ICPOET candidate is currently in school, and the first four ICPOET candidates are now serving the City as patrol officers. This experience has demonstrated that structured financial support, mentorship, and agency connection during training can be an effective way to recruit, develop, and retain non-traditional police officer candidates. Although the ICPOET grant did not include a formal matching requirement and the Pathways to Policing grant does, the City did incur costs during the ICPOET program in order to fully support the five ICPOET candidates through school and training. In that regard, the two programs are operationally very similar. The matching requirement for the Pathways to Policing Program does not significantly change the City’s approach to this relatively new and innovative method of supporting non-traditional applicants pursuing careers in policing. Page 45 of 83 Upon successful completion of educational and licensing requirements, Pathways to Policing participants are eligible for appointment as sworn police officers with the Brooklyn Center Police Department. ## Budget Issues: The grant award provides $75,000 in reimbursement funding and requires a one-to-one local match of $75,000. The local match will consist of expenditures associated with candidate wages, benefits, tuition, uniforms, background investigations, and related program costs. While this grant includes a formal match requirement, the department’s experience with the ICPOET program showed that the City incurred similar support costs even under a grant structure that did not require a formal match. As a result, the Pathways to Policing grant provides an opportunity to offset eligible costs associated with a recruitment and training model the department has already successfully used. Total program expenditures are anticipated to be approximately $150,000, with the grant reimbursing up to 50 percent of eligible costs. ## Inclusive Community Engagement: The Pathways to Policing Program is designed to expand access to careers in policing by reducing financial, educational, and informational barriers that may prevent qualified individuals from pursuing the profession. Recruitment efforts will include outreach through community organizations, educational institutions, culturally specific organizations, and other community partnerships to broaden awareness of career opportunities in policing. ## Antiracist/Equity Policy Effect: The program supports the City’s equity goals by creating additional pathways into public safety careers for individuals from underrepresented and non-traditional backgrounds. By reducing barriers to entry and investing in candidate development, the program helps broaden recruitment opportunities and supports efforts to build a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community served. ## Strategic Priorities and Values: ## ATTACHMENTS: ## 1. DRAFT PTP Resolution ## 2. PTP Award Page 46 of 83 Member introduced the following resolution and moved its adoption: ## RESOLUTION NO. 2026- ## RESOLUTION ACCEPTING GRANT FUNDING FROM THE MINNESOTA ## DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS ## FOR THE PATHWAYS TO POLICING PROGRAM AND AUTHORIZING ## EXECUTION OF GRANT AGREEMENT WHEREAS, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Justice Programs has awarded grant funding to the City of Brooklyn Center Police Department through the Pathways to Policing Program to support the recruitment, training, and development of up to three Pathways to Policing candidates, thereby enhancing law enforcement capacity within the community; and WHEREAS, the City of Brooklyn Center acknowledges the importance of this grant in addressing ongoing recruitment challenges, creating opportunities for qualified community members to pursue careers in law enforcement, reducing barriers to entry into the profession, and fostering a workforce reflective of the community served; and WHEREAS, the Brooklyn Center Police Department, under the leadership of Chief of Police Garett Flesland, intends to implement this funding to support personnel wages, fringe benefits, academic tuition, uniforms, background investigations, and other essential training resources for Pathways to Policing candidates; and WHEREAS, the City certifies that it will comply with all applicable laws and regulations as stated in the grant agreement; and WHEREAS, the grant award amount is $75,000 with a required local match of $75,000, covering salaries, fringe benefits, tuition, uniforms, background investigations, and other eligible program expenses as detailed in the grant budget. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that, after appropriate examination and due consideration, the governing body of the City: 1. Acceptance of Grant Funding: The City Council formally accepts the grant funding awarded by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Justice Programs for the Pathways to Policing Program in the amount of $75,000. 2. Authorization to Execute Agreement: The City Council authorizes Interim City Manager Daren Nyquist and Chief of Police Garett Flesland to execute any agreements, amendments, or other necessary documents related to the Pathways to Policing grant funding on behalf of the City. ## Date Mayor ## ATTEST: ## Assistant City Manager/City Clerk Page 47 of 83 The motion for the adoption of the foregoing resolution was duly seconded by member and upon vote being taken thereon, the following voted in favor thereof: and the following voted against the same: whereupon said resolution was declared duly passed and adopted. Page 48 of 83 ## Minnesota Department of Public Safety ("State") ## Minnesota Office of Justice Programs ## 445 Minnesota Street, Suite 2300 ## Saint Paul, Minnesota 55101 ## Grant Program: 2026 Pathways to Policing Grant ## Grant Contract Agreement No.: A-PTP-2026-BRKCTRCI- 017 ## Grantee: ## Brooklyn Center, City of ## 6645 Humboldt Ave N ## Brooklyn Center, Minnesota 55430 ## Grant Contract Agreement Term: ## Effective Date: 6/1/2026 ## Expiration Date: 6/30/2027 ## Grantee's Authorized Representative: ## Brooklyn Center, City of ## Attn: Dan Lindstrom, Detective ## 6645 Humboldt Ave N ## Brooklyn Center, Minnesota 55430 Phone: (763) 503-3212 Email: dlindstrom@brooklyncentermn.gov ## Grant Contract Agreement Amount: ## Original Agreement Amount$ 75,000.00 ## Grant Matching Requirement: ## Original Agreement Match Amount$ 75,000.00 ## State's Authorized Representative: ## Minnesota Office of Justice Programs ## Attn: Kristin Lail, Grants Administrator ## 445 Minnesota Street, Suite 2300 ## Saint Paul, Minnesota 55101 Phone: (651) 230-3358 Email: kristin.lail@state.mn.us ## Federal Funding CFDA/ALN: N/A ## FAIN: N/A ## State Funding: Minnesota Session Laws of 2025, Chapter 35, Article 2, Section 3, Subdivision 7 Special Conditions: Attached and incorporated into this grant contract agreement. See Exhibit B. Under Minn. Stat. § 299A.01, Subd 2 (4) the State is empowered to enter into this grant contract agreement. Term:  Per Minn. Stat.§16B.98, Subd. 5, the Grantee must not begin work until this grant contract agreement is fully executed and the State's Authorized Representative has notified the Grantee that work may commence. Per Minn.Stat.§16B.98 Subd. 7, no payments will be made to the Grantee until this grant contract agreement is fully executed. Once this grant contract agreement is fully executed, the Grantee may claim reimbursement for expenditures incurred pursuant to the Payment clause of this grant contract agreement. Reimbursements will only be made for those expenditures made according to the terms of this grant contract agreement. Expiration date is the date shown above or until all obligations have been satisfactorily fulfilled, whichever occurs first. The Grantee, who is not a state employee, will:  Perform and accomplish such purposes and activities as specified herein and in the Grantee's approved 2026 Pathways to Policing Grant Application ("Application") which is incorporated by reference into this grant contract agreement and on file with the State at 445 Minnesota Street, Suite 2300, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 55101. The Grantee shall also comply with all requirements referenced in the 2026 Pathways to Policing Grant Guidelines and Application which includes the Terms and Conditions and Grant Program Guidelines (https://mndps.intelligrants.com), which are incorporated by reference into this grant contract agreement. Budget Revisions:  The breakdown of costs of the Grantee's Budget is contained in Exhibit A, which is attached and incorporated into this grant contract agreement. As stated in the Grantee's Application and Grant Program Guidelines, the Grantee will submit a written change request for any substitution of budget items or any deviation and in accordance with the Grant Program Guidelines. Requests must be approved prior to any expenditure by the Grantee. Matching Requirements:  (If applicable.) As stated in the Grantee's Application, the Grantee certifies that the matching requirement will be met by the Grantee. Payment:  As stated in the Grantee's Application and Grant Program Guidance, the State will promptly pay the Grantee after the Grantee presents an invoice for the services actually performed and the State's Authorized Representative accepts the invoiced services and in accordance with the Grant Program Guidelines. Payment will not be made if the Grantee has not satisfied reporting requirements. ## DPS Grant Contract Agreement Non-State (rev. March 2024) Page 1 of 3Grant Contract Agreement Page 49 of 83 Certification Regarding Lobbying:  (If applicable.) Grantees receiving federal funds over $100,000.00 must complete and return the Certification Regarding Lobbying form provided by the State to the Grantee. ## DPS Grant Contract Agreement Non-State (rev. March 2024) Page 2 of 3Grant Contract Agreement Page 50 of 83 ## 1. ENCUMBRANCE VERIFICATION3. STATE AGENCY ## Grant Contract Agreement No./P.O. No.: A-PTP-2026-BRKCTRCI-017 / 3-112141 ## NHTSA Project Number (indicate N/A if not applicable): N/A ## 2. GRANTEE ## Signed: ## Print Name: ## Title: ## Date: The Grantee certifies that the appropriate person(s) have executed the grant contract agreement on behalf of the Grantee as required by applicable articles, bylaws, resolutions, or ordinances. ## Signed: ## Print Name: ## Title: ## Date: ## Signed: ## Print Name: ## Title: ## Date: Individual certifies that funds have been encumbered as required by Minn. Stat. § 16A.15. ## Signed: (with delegated authority) ## Title: Signed: ## Date: Date: ## DPS Grant Contract Agreement Non-State (rev. March 2024) Page 3 of 3Grant Contract Agreement Page 51 of 83 ## Budget Summary ## Budget Category: Equipment ## Line Item DescriptionStateMatch ## Background Investigation Candidate #3$1,000.00$1,000.00 Uniforms for Candidate #1$1,000.00$1,000.00 Uniforms for Candidate #2$1,000.00$1,000.00 ## Category Total$3,000.00$3,000.00 ## Budget Category: Salaries ## Line Item DescriptionStateMatch Salary for Candidate #1$12,000.00$12,000.00 Salary for Candidate #2$12,000.00$12,000.00 Salary for Candidate #3$12,000.00$12,000.00 ## Category Total$36,000.00$36,000.00 ## Budget Category: Travel and Training ## Line Item DescriptionStateMatch Tuition for Candidate #1$7,000.00$7,000.00 Tuition for Candidate #2$7,000.00$7,000.00 Tuition for Candidate #3$7,000.00$7,000.00 ## Category Total$21,000.00$21,000.00 ## Budget Category: Fringe Benefits ## Line Item DescriptionStateMatch Fringe benefits for Candidate #1$4,000.00$4,000.00 Fringe benefits for Candidate #2$4,000.00$4,000.00 Fringe benefits for Candidate #3$4,000.00$4,000.00 ## Category Total$12,000.00$12,000.00 ## Budget Category: Contractual Services ## Line Item DescriptionStateMatch ## Background Investigation$1,000.00$1,000.00 ## Background Investigation$1,000.00$1,000.00 background Investigation$1,000.00$1,000.00 ## Category Total$3,000.00$3,000.00 ## Budget Total$75,000.00$75,000.00 ## DPS Grant Contract Agreement Non-State (rev. March 2024) ## Exhibit AGrant Contract Agreement Page 52 of 83 ## Special Conditions $37,500.00 is available from June 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. $37,500.00 is available from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. ## DPS Grant Contract Agreement Non-State (rev. March 2024) ## Exhibit BGrant Contract Agreement Page 53 of 83 ## Council Regular Meeting ## DATE: 6/22/2026 ## TO: City Council ## FROM: Lydia Ener, City Engineer ## THROUGH: Elizabeth Heyman, Director of Public Works ## BY: Lydia Ener, City Engineer ## SUBJECT: Resolution Accepting the Most Qualified Proposal and Awarding a Contract for the West Fire Station Rooftop Solar Project for the MN ## Department of Commerce’s Solar on Public Buildings Program ## Requested Council Action: - Motion to approve the resolution accepting the most qualified proposal and awarding a contract to TruNorth Solar for the West Fire Station Rooftop Solar project for the MN ## Department of Commerce’s Solar on Public Buildings program ## Background: Proposals for the West Fire Station Rooftop Solar project were received and scored on June 12, 2026. The bidding results are tabulated below: ## Bidder Total Project Cost Cost/Watt DC TruNorth Solar $133,899.00 $2.44 ## Cedar Creek Energy $144,500.00 $2.66 Of the two (2) bids received, the most qualified bidder TruNorth Solar of Roseville, Minnesota submitted a bid of $133,899.00. TruNorth Solar has the experience, equipment, and capacity to qualify as the most responsible bidder for the project. ## Budget Issues: The West Fire Solar Rooftop Solar project is proposed to be funded through a combination of state grant funds and federal direct pay. The Solar on Public Buildings grant provided by the MN Department of Commerce is proposed to cover $93,729.30, or 70% of the total project cost. Federal Direct Pay is proposed to cover $40,169.70, or the remaining 30%. The total estimated budget including construction, contingencies, administration, engineering, and legal is $133,899.00, and it is anticipated that the entirety of the project cost will be supported by these outside funding sources. ## Inclusive Community Engagement: ## Antiracist/Equity Policy Effect: ## Strategic Priorities and Values: Page 54 of 83 ## ATTACHMENTS: ## 1. West Fire Solar - Bid Award - Res Page 55 of 83 Member introduced the following resolution and moved its adoption: ## RESOLUTION NO. _______________ ## RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE MOST QUALIFIED PROPOSAL AND ## AWARDING A CONTRACT FOR THE WEST FIRE STATION ROOFTOP ## SOLAR PROJECT FOR THE MN DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE’S SOLAR ## ON PUBLIC BULDINGS PROGRAM WHEREAS, pursuant to a Request for Proposals associated with the West Fire Station Rooftop Solar project, two proposals were received, opened, and scored on the 12 th day of June, 2026. Said proposed project costs as follows: Bidder Total Project Cost Cost/Watt DC TruNorth Solar $133,899.00 $2.44 Cedar Creek Energy $144,500.00 $2.66 WHEREAS, it appears that TruNorth Solar of Roseville, Minnesota is the lowest responsible bidder. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of ## Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, that 1. The Mayor and City Manager are hereby authorized and directed to enter into a contract with TruNorth Solar of Roseville, Minnesota in the name of the City of Brooklyn Center for the West Fire Station Rooftop Solar project, according to the plans and specifications outlined in the project proposal and in alignment with the Solar on Public Buildings grant program. 2. The estimated project costs and revenues for the project are as follows, ## COSTS ESTIMATE Overall Contract $ 133,899.00 ## REVENUES ESTIMATE Solar on Public Buildings Grant $ 93,726.30 Federal Direct Pay $ 40,167.70 Total $ 133,899.00 June 22, 2026 ## Date Mayor Page 56 of 83 ## RESOLUTION NO. _______________ ## ATTEST: ## City Clerk The motion for the adoption of the foregoing resolution was duly seconded by member and upon vote being taken thereon, the following voted in favor thereof: and the following voted against the same: whereupon said resolution was declared duly passed and adopted. Page 57 of 83 ## Council Regular Meeting ## DATE: 6/22/2026 ## TO: City Council ## FROM: Lydia Ener, City Engineer ## THROUGH: Elizabeth Heyman, Director of Public Works ## BY: Lydia Ener, City Engineer ## SUBJECT: ## Resolution Approving Plans and Specifications and Authorizing ## Advertisement for Bids, Improvement Project No. 2026-10, 2026 Pond ## Maintenance ## Requested Council Action: - Motion to approve the attached resolution approving plans and specifications and authorizing advertisement for bids, Improvement Project 2026-10, 2026 Pond ## Maintenance ## Background: In 2015, the City hired WSB and Associates to conduct and maintain an ongoing condition assessment of the City-maintained storm sewer system and storm water management ponds located throughout the City. The assessment process resulted in a list of improvements to address problems with erosion, sediment accumulation, inlet and outlet blockages and other miscellaneous maintenance issues. The ponds included in the 2026 Pond Maintenance project were identified using the City’s Storm Water Asset Management Plan (SWAMP) program developed by WSB and Associates. This project is a priority for the City to remove accumulated sediment from basins, to restore them at or near original condition, to improve habitat and water quality, and to meet the requirements of the City’s MS4 permit. Construction plans, specifications, and contract documents have been prepared for the project. The overall scope of the project remains consistent with improvements outlined in the feasibility study. Staff is prepared to begin the project bidding process upon authorization from the City Council. The bidding process would involve the advertisement of the project in the City’s official newspaper and in Finance and Commerce. Sealed bids will be collected through in- person bidding, opened at the scheduled bid opening date, and tabulated by the City Clerk and City Engineer. Staff anticipates that the bid results will be presented to the City Council for consideration in July 2026. ## Budget Issues: The total project cost is estimated to be $315,396.00. Funding sources for the project are budgeted from sources as described in Capital Improvement Program. ## Inclusive Community Engagement: Page 58 of 83 ## Antiracist/Equity Policy Effect: ## Strategic Priorities and Values: ## ATTACHMENTS: ## 1. Pond 2026_Approve Plans and Specs Res Page 59 of 83 Member introduced the following resolution and moved its adoption: ## RESOLUTION NO. _______________ ## RESOLUTION APPROVING PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS AND ## AUTHORIZING ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS, IMPROVEMENT PROJECT ## NO. 2026-10, 2026 Pond Maintenance WHEREAS, the City of Brooklyn Center’s 2025 Capital Improvement Program contains the 2026 Pond Maintenance project; and WHEREAS, said plans and specifications have been prepared under the direction of the City Engineer. WHEREAS, this project is a priority for the City to remove accumulated sediment from basins, to restore them at or near original condition, to improve habitat and water quality, and to meet the requirements of the City’s MS4 permit. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of ## Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, that: 1. The plans and specifications for Improvement Project No. 2026-10, 2026 Pond Maintenance are hereby approved, ordered, and filed with the City Clerk. 2. The City Clerk shall prepare and cause to be inserted in the official newspaper and in Finance and Commerce an advertisement for bids for the making of such improvements in accordance with the approved plans and specifications. The advertisement shall be published in accordance with Minnesota Statutes, shall specify the work to be done, and state the time and location at which bids will be opened by the City Clerk and City Manager or their designees. Any bidder whose responsibility is questioned during consideration of the bid will be given an opportunity to address the City Council on the issue of responsibility. No bids will be considered unless sealed and filed with the City Clerk and accompanied by a cash deposit, cashier’s check, bid bond, or certified check payable to the City of Brooklyn Center for five percent of the amount of such bid. ## Date Mayor ## ATTEST: ## City Clerk The motion for the adoption of the foregoing resolution was duly seconded by member and upon vote being taken thereon, the following voted in favor thereof: and the following voted against the same: Page 60 of 83 ## RESOLUTION NO. _______________ whereupon said resolution was declared duly passed and adopted. Page 61 of 83 ## Council Regular Meeting ## DATE: 6/22/2026 ## TO: City Council ## FROM: Shannon Pettit, City Clerk ## THROUGH: ## BY: Shannon Pettit, City Clerk SUBJECT: Resolution Appointing Election Judges for the 2026 Primary Election on August 11, 2026 ## Requested Council Action: - Motion to approve the Resolution Appointing Election Judges for the 2026 Primary Election on August 11, 2026 ## Background: Minnesota Statutes, Section 204B.21, subdivision 2, requires election judges to be appointed by the governing body at least 25 days before the election at which the election judges will serve. ## Budget Issues: ## Inclusive Community Engagement: ## Antiracist/Equity Policy Effect: ## Strategic Priorities and Values: ## ATTACHMENTS: 1. Resolution_2026_Election_Judge_Appointment_Primary_ (1) ## 2. Exhibit A Page 62 of 83 Member introduced the following resolution and moved its adoption: ## RESOLUTION NO. 2026- ## RESOLUTION APPOINTING ELECTION JUDGES FOR THE 2026 ## PRIMARY ELECTION ON AUGUST 11, 2026 WHEREAS, the Primary Election is August 11, 2026; and WHEREAS, Minn. Stat. 204B.21, subd. 2, requires that persons serving as election judges be appointed by the Council at least 25 days before the election at which the election judges will serve. BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Brooklyn Center that the individuals named on the attached Exhibit A and on file in the office of the City Clerk are appointed to perform the duties of election judge and/or be appointed as the Brooklyn Center Absentee Ballot Board election judges. BE IT RESOLVED the City Council also appoints other individuals and all members appointed to the Hennepin County Absentee Ballot Board as authorized under Minn. Stat. 204B.21, subd. 2, under the direction of the City Clerk, to serve as members of the Brooklyn Center Absentee Ballot Board. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Clerk is with this, authorized to make any substitutions or additions as deemed necessary. July 22, 2026 ## Date Mayor ## ATTEST: ## City Clerk The motion for the adoption of the foregoing resolution was duly seconded by member and upon vote being taken thereon, the following voted in favor thereof: and the following voted against the same: whereupon said resolution was declared duly passed and adopted. Page 63 of 83 ## Exhibit A ## Philip HenrichsPatty Mesenbrink ## Chris ChubbDiane Olson ## Emma DaviesDonald Ainsworth ## Jon DeRosierKirk Johnson ## Michael Donnell yTaylor Jones ## Tob ## y PhillipsZoe Streckfuss ## Beverl ## y TruranWendi Einberger McDonough ## Stephen DossettMar jorie Adkisson ## Quincia Holmes-MorrisJean Carlson ## Jennifer MartinYvonne Turne r ## Randall MeyerDianna Ainsworth ## Ian TuffsWilliam Donkers ## Brandi KukowskiTimoth y MacMurdo ## L ## ynn BennethumPaulette Shibley ## Kathryn PimlottMelanie Smuk ## Holl ## y SaathoffDianne Star ## Thomas WeaverBeverl y Stethem ## Carol BulchuckPaula Varhol ## Starlette Cummin gsEmma Landt ## Rebecca PhillipsDar yl Bittmann ## Emil ## y RudeMargaret Carr ## Deborah SmithMelod y Hanna ## Isabelle Sullivan-PettitDeborah Mitl yng ## Karli WilliamsBruce Pelkey ## Jeremy LalimDale Perreault ## Todd MudekCath y Danek ## Mar ## y CaryThomas Hyer ## Mar ## y GersetichMarie Phillips ## Sherr ## y HigginsJustin Rudnick ## Taofeek Ishola ## Anastasia Beam ## Joel PickettSidney Honeycutt ## Tan ## ya PrebleJoshua Maxwell ## Kevin ScherberSamuel Barker ## Charles Hurle ySarah Wilks ## Stephanie SholdSara Brooks ## C ## ynthia MajorsDon Bumgarner ## Ga ## yle MerrittCarolyn Green ## Devon ReedCharlene Johnson Page 64 of 83 ## Council Regular Meeting ## DATE: 6/22/2026 ## TO: City Council ## FROM: ## THROUGH: ## BY: Shannon Pettit, City Clerk ## SUBJECT: Ordinance Amending Ordinance No. 2024-05 Regarding Council Salaries for 2027-2028 (First Reading) ## Requested Council Action: - Motion to approve the first reading of an Ordinance Amending Ordinance No. 2024-05 Regarding Council Salaries for 2027-2028, and setting a public hearing for July 27, 2026 ## Background: Every two years, the Financial Commission is required by the City Council Code of Policies to review the salaries for the Mayor and City Council and recommend any changes that may seem appropriate. The Financial Commission has reviewed the salaries in comparison to a specified group of comparison cities as outlined by policy. ## Budget Issues: ## Inclusive Community Engagement: ## Antiracist/Equity Policy Effect: ## Strategic Priorities and Values: ## ATTACHMENTS: 1. MN_Statute_415.11 (1) 2. Excerpt_from_City_Council_Code_of_Policies (1) 3. 2027-2028 Mayor and Council Salaries 4. ORDINANCE_on_Council_Salaries_2027-2028_First_Reading Page 65 of 83 ## 415.11 SECOND TO FOURTH CLASS CITIES; GOVERNING BODY SALARIES.​ Subdivision 1.Set by ordinance.Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law, charter,​ or ordinance, the governing body of any statutory or home rule charter city of the second, third or fourth​ class may by ordinance fix their own salaries as members of such governing body, and the salary of the​ chief elected executive officer of such city, in such amount as they deem reasonable.​ Subd. 2.After next election.No change in salary shall take effect until after the next succeeding​ municipal election.​ Subd. 3.Temporary reductions.Notwithstanding subdivision 2 or a charter provision to the contrary,​ the governing body may enact an ordinance to take effect before the next succeeding municipal election that​ reduces the salaries of the members of the governing body. The ordinance shall be in effect for 12 months,​ unless another period of time is specified in the ordinance, after which the salary of the members reverts to​ the salary in effect immediately before the ordinance was enacted.​ History: Ex1967 c 42 s 1,2; 1976 c 44 s 34; 2009 c 152 s 17​ ## Official Publication of the State of Minnesota​ ## Revisor of Statutes​ ## 415.11​MINNESOTA STATUTES 2020​1​ Page 66 of 83 ## Excerpt from City Council Code of Policies 2.05 Policy and Procedure on Mayor and Council Member Total Compensation 1. Need for Policy The community is entitled to a clearly articulated, written description of the policy and procedure for establishing the total compensation of local elected officials. 2. Policy A. Service on the City Council is a civic obligation and an honor. The total compensation of the Mayor and Council Members should, therefore, not encourage candidacies based on monetary rather than public service objectives. However, the compensation of Brooklyn Center elected officials shall be fair and equitable in order to attract qualified candidates for local elective office. B. The propriety of the compensation levels of the Mayor and Council Members shall be evaluated through comparisons with compensation paid to similar officials within the seven-county metropolitan area. C. The compensation levels of elected officials should be regularly reviewed and adjusted to ensure compliance with the objectives of this policy and to avoid the need for drastic or sudden compensation adjustments. D. Compensation set pursuant to this policy and procedure shall be deemed to be the total compensation for elected officials of the City with the exception of expense reimbursement which shall be the same as provided all other City employees. 3. Procedure A. The City Manager shall biennially prepare a compensation report that contains an analysis of the compensation paid to elected officials of Minneapolis-St. Paul Area Metropolitan cities having a population within 10,000 of the City of Brooklyn Center that are generally fully developed {Such grouping shall include the cities of Richfield, Roseville, Maplewood, Fridley, Shoreview, White Bear Lake, Crystal, New Hope, and Golden Valley, in addition to the City of Brooklyn Center.} The report shall compute the average and median amounts paid to Mayors and Council Members and correlate survey results to the current compensation of Brooklyn Center elected City officials. The City Manager shall assemble such additional information on compensation of City elected officials as Page 67 of 83 may be requested to assist the Commission and Council in their review of elected official’s compensation. B. The City Manager shall submit the compensation report to the City Council and the Financial Commission prior to June 1, for information pertaining to the applicable calendar year. C. The Financial Commission shall biennially review the City Manager’s compensation report and discuss possible budgetary and public perception impacts of the indicated changes. Prior to July 1 of the same year, the Commission shall recommend to the City Council that the compensation of the Mayor and Council Members either remain the same or be changed to some specific amount in the manner prescribed by law. D. Consistent with the City Charter, Section 2.07, the Mayor and Council Members may, after conducting public hearings, set their compensation by ordinance. No change in compensation shall be in effect until January 1, following the next succeeding general election. 4. Authority The authority for establishing compensation for the Mayor and Council Members is found in Minnesota Statutes 415.11 and the City of Brooklyn Center Charter, Section 2.07. Page 68 of 83 ## Mayor and Council Salaries - Comparable Cities Brooklyn Center Proposed 2027 & 2028 2027 Proposed Mayor annual salary = $15,303 2027 Proposed Council Member annual salary = $11,493 2028 Proposed Mayor annual salary = $15,762 2028 Proposed Council Member annual salary = $11,838 Brooklyn Center - 2026 Mayor annual salary = $15,302 Council Member annual salary = $11,493 ## Crystal Mayor annual salary = $12,172.63 Council Member annual salary = $9,364.26 ## Maplewood Mayor annual salary = $17,430.40 Council Member annual salary = $15,350.40 ## New Hope Mayor annual salary = $16,025 Council Member annual salary = $11,695 Richfield – sent email Mayor annual salary = $14,339 Council Member annual salary = $11,128 ## Roseville Mayor annual salary = $10,620 Council Member annual salary = $8,220 ## Shoreview Mayor annual salary = $10,752 Council Member annual salary = $7,980 ## White Bear Lake Mayor annual salary = $9,600 Council Member annual salary = $7,500 ## Brooklyn Park Mayor annual salary = $21,995.88 Council Member annual salary = $12,578.04 Note: No response received from Fridley and Golden Valley as of 6/15/26 Page 69 of 83 Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held on July 27, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard at the City Hall, 6301 Shingle Creek Parkway, to consider An Ordinance Amending Ordinance 2016-08 Regarding Council Salaries for 2027-2028. Auxiliary aids for persons with disabilities are available upon request at least 96 hours in advance. Please contact the City Clerk at 763-569-3300 to make arrangements. ## CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER ## ORDINANCE NO. __________ ## AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 2024-05 REGARDING ## COUNCIL SALARIES FOR 2027-2028 ## THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER DOES ORDAIN ## AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. City of Brooklyn Center Ordinance No. 2024-05 which amended the amount of the annual compensation to be paid to the Mayor and Council Members to become effective January 1, 2027, is hereby amended. Section 2. Effective January 1, 2027, the annual salary for the Mayor shall be $14857 $15,303 and the annual salary for Council Members shall be $11,158 $11,493. Section 3. Effective January 1, 2028, the annual salary for the Mayor shall be $15,302 $15,762 and the annual salary for Council Members shall be $11,493 $11,838. Section 4. This ordinance shall be effective after adoption and thirty days following its legal publication. June 22, 2026 ______________ ## Date Mayor ## ATTEST: ## City Clerk Page 70 of 83 ## Council Regular Meeting ## DATE: 6/22/2026 ## TO: City Council ## FROM: Garett Flesland, Chief of Police ## THROUGH: Daren Nyquist, Interim City Manager ## BY: Garett Flesland, Chief of Police ## SUBJECT: Resolution Authorizing the Execution of a Joint Powers Agreement Between the City of Brooklyn Center and the City of B Brooklyn Park for a ## Combined SWAT and Crisis Negotiation Team ## Requested Council Action: - Motion to Approve a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager and Chief of Police to execute a Joint Powers Agreement with the City of Brooklyn Park establishing a combined Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) and Crisis Negotiation Team and authorizing any non-substantive revisions approved by the City Attorney necessary to finalize the agreement ## Background: The Brooklyn Center Police Department and Brooklyn Park Police Department have worked collaboratively to develop a Joint Powers Agreement establishing a combined SWAT and Crisis Negotiation Team. The agreement allows both agencies to pool specialized tactical and negotiation resources into a single integrated team while maintaining each city's responsibility for its own personnel, equipment, and employment decisions. Brooklyn Center currently maintains its own SWAT and crisis negotiation capabilities. This agreement formalizes a collaborative regional model that will improve the long-term sustainability, resiliency, and operational readiness of those specialized functions. By combining resources, both agencies will benefit from increased staffing depth, expanded training opportunities, enhanced operational capability, and improved ability to maintain specialized teams over time. The combined team is intended to improve officer safety, public safety, training consistency, and the efficient delivery of specialized law enforcement services to both communities. Brooklyn Park will serve as the host agency for administrative coordination, while both agencies will participate in oversight and governance through a Chief-Level Oversight structure. The agreement does not create a new governmental entity, does not establish a pooled budget, and does not require additional staffing. Each city remains responsible for its own personnel, equipment, and employment decisions. The agreement has been reviewed by legal counsel for both cities and is being presented for Council authorization. Page 71 of 83 ## Budget Issues: There is no direct budget impact associated with approval of this agreement. Each city remains responsible for the wages, benefits, equipment, insurance, and workers' compensation costs of its own employees. Operational expenses incurred during activations remain the responsibility of the jurisdiction in which the operation occurs unless otherwise agreed by the parties. The agreement does not establish a pooled budget or require additional staffing. ## Inclusive Community Engagement: While this agreement is operational in nature and does not directly involve public engagement activities, it is intended to improve the City's ability to respond safely and effectively to high-risk incidents and critical events, thereby enhancing public safety for all members of the community. ## Antiracist/Equity Policy Effect: The proposed agreement is operational and organizational in nature and is not anticipated to have a direct disparate impact on any protected class. By improving access to specialized tactical and crisis negotiation resources, the agreement supports equitable delivery of public safety services to all residents and visitors of Brooklyn Center. ## Strategic Priorities and Values: ## ATTACHMENTS: ## 1. SWAT Resolution 2. DOCSOPEN-#1088441-v5-BC_-_BP_SWAT_JPA Page 72 of 83 Member introduced the following resolution and moved its adoption: ## RESOLUTION NO. 2026- ## A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A JOINT POWERS ## AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER AND THE ## CITY OF BROOKLYN PARK FOR A COMBINED SPECIAL WEAPONS AND ## TACTICS (SWAT) AND CRISIS NEGOTIATION TEAM WHEREAS, the City of Brooklyn Center and the City of Brooklyn Park desire to enhance their ability to safely and effectively respond to critical incidents that exceed routine law enforcement capabilities; and WHEREAS, the Cities have negotiated a Joint Powers Agreement pursuant to Minnesota Statutes Section 471.59 establishing a combined Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) and Crisis ## Negotiation Team; and WHEREAS, the agreement provides for the sharing of specialized personnel, training, equipment, and resources while maintaining each city's responsibility for its own employees, equipment, and operational costs; and WHEREAS, the agreement is intended to improve operational readiness, resiliency, officer safety, public safety, and the efficient delivery of specialized law enforcement services to both communities; and WHEREAS, the Brooklyn Center Police Department and City Attorney have reviewed the proposed agreement and recommend approval. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, as follows: 1. The City Council approves the Joint Powers Agreement between the City of Brooklyn Center and the City of Brooklyn Park establishing a combined SWAT and Crisis Negotiation Team. 2. The City Manager and Chief of Police are authorized to execute the Joint Powers Agreement on behalf of the City of Brooklyn Center. 3. The City Manager and City Attorney are authorized to approve and execute any non- substantive revisions necessary to finalize the agreement, provided such revisions do not materially alter the rights or obligations of the City. ## Date Mayor ## ATTEST: ## City Clerk Page 73 of 83 The motion for the adoption of the foregoing resolution was duly seconded by member and upon vote being taken thereon, the following voted in favor thereof: and the following voted against the same: whereupon said resolution was declared duly passed and adopted. Page 74 of 83 1 ## BR291-428-1088441.v5 ## JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT ## BROOKLYN CENTER – BROOKLYN PARK ## COMBINED SWAT AND CRISIS NEGOTIATION TEAM This Joint Powers Agreement (“Agreement”) is made and entered into by and between the City of Brooklyn Center, [INSERT ADDRESS], on behalf of its police department, (“BCPD”) and the City of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota [INSERT ADDRESS], on behalf of its police department, (“BPPD”) and pursuant to the authority conferred upon them by Minn. Stat. § 471.59. The parties to this Agreement may also be referred to individually as “Party” and collectively as “Parties.” WHEREAS, the City of Brooklyn Center (“BC”) is a municipal corporation organized under the laws of the State of Minnesota and whereby its POLICE DEPARTMENT is empowered to provide law enforcement, and general and emergency services in a manner that supports and protects the physical, and mental health of individuals within its borders; and WHEREAS, the City of Brooklyn Park (“BP”) is a municipal corporation organized under the laws of the State of Minnesota and whereby its POLICE DEPARTMENT is empowered to provide law enforcement, and general and emergency services in a manner that supports and protects the physical, mental, and behavior health of individuals within its borders; and WHEREAS, the Parties desire to establish a single, integrated, multi-agency Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team, inclusive of Crisis Negotiation resources, hereinafter referred to as the SWAT Team, to coordinate efforts and enhance the Parties’ collective ability to safely and effectively respond to critical incidents that exceed routine law enforcement capabilities. NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises and benefits realized by each Party, the Parties agree as follows: ## I. AGREEMENT ## 1. SWAT TEAM DESIGN There shall be one team comprised of members from two agencies. The team shall emphasize officer safety, public safety, professionalism, and operational consistency. The Parties agree to combine specialized tactical resources to improve readiness, sustainability, and resiliency. ## 2. TEAM DESIGNATION AND HOST AGENCY Brooklyn Park Police Department (BPPD) shall serve as the host and coordinating agency for the Joint SWAT Team. In this role, Brooklyn Park shall be responsible for: • Administrative coordination of the SWAT Team. • Designation of the SWAT Team Commander and overall command structure. • Coordination of training schedules and operational readiness standards. This host-agency role is administrative and coordinative in nature and does not create a separate legal entity, governing board, or pooled budget. Page 75 of 83 2 The combined team shall operate under a single organizational identity as agreed upon by the Parties. ## 3. GOVERNANCE AND COMMAND STRUCTURE A. Chief-Level Oversight (CLO). The Chiefs of Police of Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park, or their designees, shall provide strategic and administrative oversight of the combined SWAT and Crisis Negotiation Team. This oversight is intended to ensure alignment with agency expectations, training priorities, and resource sustainability. Chief-level oversight shall not extend to real-time tactical decision-making during SWAT activations. B. Incident Command (IC). For each activation, the Incident Commander shall be designated by and remain with the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction where the operation occurs. The Incident Commander retains authority over overall incident objectives and the decision of whether to request or utilize SWAT or negotiation resources. C. Tactical Command. The SWAT Team Commander, or designee, shall retain exclusive authority over tactical decision-making, including methods, techniques, and deployment of team resources. Tactical command shall be subordinate to the Incident Commander only with respect to when and whether a tactical option is employed, not how it is executed. Nothing in this Agreement transfers ultimate incident authority from the Incident Commander to the SWAT Team Commander. ## 4. PERSONNEL A. SWAT Team Assignment. Each Party shall assign team members who shall operate within the SWAT chain of command during training and activations. Assignment to the SWAT Team does not entitle any member to additional compensation unless authorized by their employing agency or collective bargaining agreement. B. City Employment. All team members shall always remain employees of their respective employing agencies. Nothing in this Agreement creates an employer-employee relationship between a team member and the non-employing Party. Each Party retains exclusive authority over discipline, evaluation, and employment decisions involving its personnel. ## 5. JOINT SWAT TEAM LEADERSHIP A. Team Commander. The Chief of the Brooklyn Park Police Department (host agency), or his/her designee, shall appoint a Team Commander from the Brooklyn Park Police Department to lead the combined SWAT team. B. Assistant Commander. The Team Commander shall recommend to the CLO a team member to serve as Assistant Commander. The CLO will approve the selection. C. Team Leaders. The Team Commander and Assistant Commander shall recommend POST-licensed peace officers to serve as Joint SWAT Team Leaders. The recommendation will be approved by the CLO. Appointment as Team Leader pursuant to this Agreement shall not obligate any party to pay its employees so appointed supervisory or other premium pay except as provided by the collective bargaining agreement between the Party and its employees. Page 76 of 83 3 D. Team Leader; Both Agencies. Team Leader appointment may be made from any agency that is a Party to this agreement. Team Leaders assigned to the combined SWAT team will remain employees of the leaders’ own jurisdiction at all times and will not be employees of the Brooklyn Park Police Department. ## 6. TEAM MEMBERS A. Minimum Qualifications. The chief law enforcement officer of each Party approves POST-licensed peace officers from their law enforcement agency who meet the minimal qualifications as set by the Team Commander, to test for the Joint SWAT team. The testing process is to select the best peace officers for the position. B. After completion of the team member selection process, the Team Commander will recommend candidates to the CLO for approval. The CLO will approve members to be added to the team. C. Team Member Removal. Team members assigned to the combined SWAT team may be removed from the SWAT team by the Team Commander based on performance, safety, participation, policy, or standard operating procedure violation, regardless of the members’ own jurisdictions. The Team Commander will make the recommendation for removal to the CLO. The CLO will make the final determination on removal. ## 7. CRISIS NEGOTIATION TEAM (CNT) A. Crisis Negotiators from Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park shall be integrated into the Joint SWAT Team framework. B. The Crisis Negotiation Team operates in coordination with SWAT command and under the authority of the Incident Commander. Negotiators retain professional discretion in negotiation strategy while supporting overall incident objectives. C. Crisis Negotiators shall coordinate with SWAT command to ensure operational safety and integration while maintaining professional discretion in negotiation strategy. ## 8. POLICIES AND PROCEDURES A. Policies. Team members shall comply with their home agency policies during operations and training. In the event of a direct policy conflict, the home agency policy shall govern. B. Procedures. Operational guidelines and standard operating procedures for the Joint SWAT Team may be adopted jointly and should not supersede home agency policy. Such guidelines shall be approved by both Chiefs of Police or their designees. C. Conflicts in Policy. It is recognized that policy or procedure conflicts between Parties could be detrimental to the team members' ability to cooperate. If the Parties identify a policy or procedure conflict, the CLO will immediately confer and attempt to mediate the conflict. Page 77 of 83 4 ## 9. OPERATIONS A. Training. Training shall be coordinated by Brooklyn Park. All team members shall participate in and follow the established training schedule. Each Party should make reasonable efforts to ensure assigned personnel meet training and readiness standards. Failure to meet attendance standards may be grounds for recommendation of removal from the team. ## 10. DEPLOYMENT A. Definitions and Controlling Law. A party to this agreement may request assistance from the combined SWAT Team. A Party requesting assistance is the “requesting party” or “receiving party.” The members of the combined SWAT are the “responding parties.” Requests for assistance by Parties to this Agreement are governed by the terms of this Agreement. B. Direction and Control of Personnel and equipment provided pursuant to this Agreement shall remain the personnel and property of the Party providing the same. The Requesting Party will be in control and considered the incident commander of the scene. However tactical command will remain with the Joint SWAT Team Commander or their designee, in accordance with Sections 3, 4, and 5. Nothing in this provision shall limit the Team Commander's ability to establish Team Member protocol to take emergency action in response to immediate threats to an officer or public safety in accordance with the law. ## 11. AID TO NON-PARTIES A. Definitions and Controlling Law. A political subdivision that is not a Party to this Agreement may request assistance from combined SWAT. A non-party political subdivision that requests assistance is the "Requesting Political Subdivision" or "Receiving Political Subdivision" as that term is used in Minn. Stat. § 12.331. The member Parties of the combined SWAT are the "Sending Political Subdivision(s)" as that term is used in Minn. Stat. § 12.331. Requests for assistance by other political subdivisions are governed by Minn. Stat. § 12.331. B. Request for Assistance. Upon a request for assistance from a political subdivision that is not a Party to this Agreement, the combined SWAT may be deployed to such Requesting Political Subdivision. The decision to deploy to assist a “requesting political subdivision” may be made by the Team Commander; however, notification to the CLO should be made as soon as practicable. No Party or individual member of the combined SWAT shall incur any liability based upon a failure to provide assistance. C. Deployment. Upon deployment, the Requesting Political Subdivision will be in control of the scene. However tactical command will remain with the combined SWAT Commander or their designee. Nothing in this provision shall limit the Team Commander's ability to establish Team Member protocol to take emergency action in response to immediate threats to an officer or public safety in accordance with the law. D. Liability. Liability and responsibility for use of personnel, equipment, and supplies, resulting from the provision of assistance to a Receiving Political Subdivision shall be allocated in the same manner as provided by Minnesota Statutes §12.331, subd. 2, i.e., any Party to this agreement Page 78 of 83 5 assumes the same liability as a Sending Political Subdivision and the non-party assumes the same liability as a Receiving Political Subdivision. ## 12. UNIFORMS AND EQUIPMENT A. Equipment and uniform standards shall be established by SWAT command and agreed upon through the chief-level oversight structure. B. Each Party is responsible for issuing, maintaining, and replacing equipment assigned to its employees unless otherwise agreed. ## 13. COSTS AND EXPENSES A. Wages. Each Party shall be responsible for the wages, overtime, benefits, insurance, and workers’ compensation coverage of its own employees. B. Operation Expenses. Unless otherwise agreed in writing: Operational expenses incurred during an activation, including fuel, munitions, breaching materials, and similar consumables, shall be the responsibility of the agency in whose jurisdiction the operation occurs. In an effort to maintain operational readiness, each party will be expected to replace consumable equipment in a timely manner as set forth above. C. No Pooled Budget. No pooled budget or joint fiscal agent is created by this Agreement. The Parties agree to work together to maintain operational readiness based upon the above framework. ## 14. SEIZURES AND FORFEITURE Any seizures or forfeitures arising from an operation shall be handled by the agency initiating the underlying investigation. The SWAT Team shall not participate in or receive proceeds from administrative forfeitures. ## 15. MEMBERSHIP A. Initial membership. By executing this Agreement, municipalities noted above are the initial Members of the combined SWAT Team and are subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement. B. Additional Members. Any governmental unit may make application to become a member of the combined SWAT Team. In order to apply, a governmental unit must contact the CLOs or designees to communicate the governmental unit's intent to join. Applications will be considered in the sole discretion of the CLOs and according to terms and conditions of this Agreement. The terms and conditions of additional membership shall be documented in an amendment to this Agreement. ## II. GENERAL TERMS ## 1. LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION A. Liability. Each Party shall be liable for its own acts and the results thereof to the extent provided by law and, further, each Party shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless each other (including their present and former officials, officers, agents, employees, volunteers, and subcontractors), Page 79 of 83 6 from any liability, claims, causes of action, judgments, damages, losses, costs, or expenses, including reasonable attorney’s fees, resulting directly or indirectly from any act or omission of the indemnifying Party, anyone directly or indirectly employed by it, and/or anyone for whose acts and/or omissions it may be liable, in the performance or failure to perform its obligations under this Agreement. The provisions of applicable law, including but not limited to Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 466, shall apply to claims brought against either Party as a result of this Agreement or performance hereunder. B. Cooperative Activity. To the fullest extent permitted by law, action by the Parties to this Agreement is intended to be and shall be construed as a “cooperative activity” and it is the intent of the Parties that they shall be a deemed a “single governmental unit” for the purposes of liability, as set forth in Minnesota Statutes, section 471.59, subdivision 1a, provided further that for purposes of that statute, each Party to this Agreement expressly declines responsibility for the acts or omissions of the other Party to this Agreement except to the extent they have agreed in writing to be responsible for the acts or omissions of the other Party. The total liability for the Parties shall not be added together to exceed the limits on governmental liability for a single governmental unit. C. Notice of Claim. Each Party shall promptly notify the other Parties of any actual or suspected claim, action, cause of action, administrative action, criminal arrest, criminal charge, or litigation brought against the Party, its present and former officials, officers, agents, employees, volunteers, and subcontractors which arises out of services provided under this Agreement. D. Worker’s Compensation. Each Party waives any right to sue the other Party for workers’ compensation benefits paid to its own employees or for damage to its own equipment, even if such injury or damage was caused in whole or in part by the other Party. E. Property Damages. Property damage occurring during an operation shall be the responsibility of the owner of the Property, regardless of the jurisdiction in which the damage occurs. F. No Waiver. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as a waiver of any statutory immunity or limitation of liability available to either Party under Minnesota law. ## 2. INSURANCE Each Party warrants that it has a purchased insurance or utilizes a self-insurance program sufficient to meet its liability obligations and, at a minimum, to meet the maximum liability limits of Minnesota Statutes Chapter 466. This provision shall not be construed as a waiver of any immunity from liability under Chapter 466 or any other applicable law. ## 3. DISPUTE RESOLUTION In the event of a dispute between the Parties regarding the terms of this Agreement (including any attachments or exhibits,) conflicting policy and/or procedure, personnel issues, etc., the Party with the grievance must report it to the Offending Party in writing within ten (10) business days of discovery. At the time the Offending Party is made aware of an issue, the parties must attempt to resolve the issue immediately. If the issue cannot be resolved within thirty (30) business days, the issue will be elevated and reported to the CLO or designee of each agency of the Parties to resolve the dispute for mediation and resolution. In all cases, the relevant leaders will convene a meeting to hear and discuss the dispute. No later than ten (10) business days after the mediation, the decision makers will issue a decision on how the Parties will resolve the dispute. Page 80 of 83 7 ## 4. WITHDRAWAL AND TERMINATION Either Party may withdraw from this Agreement upon ninety (90) days written notice to the other Party. Withdrawal shall not affect obligations, indemnification responsibilities, or liabilities incurred prior to the effective date of withdrawal. ## 5. MODIFICATION, AND SEVERABILITY A. The entire understanding between the Parties is contained herein and supersedes all oral agreements and negotiations between the Parties relating to the subject matter. All items that are referenced or that are attached are incorporated and made a part of this Agreement. If there is any conflict between the terms of this Agreement and referenced or attached items, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail. B. Any alterations, variations or modifications of the provisions of this Agreement shall only be valid when they have been reduced to writing as an amendment to this Agreement signed by the Parties. Except as expressly provided, the substantive legal terms contained in this Agreement including but not limited to Indemnification; Liability and Notice; Modification and Severability; Default and Termination or Minnesota Law Governs may not be altered, varied, modified or waived by any change order, implementation plan, scope of work, development specification or other development process or document. C. If any provision of this Agreement is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will not be affected. ## 6. DATA PRACTICES The Parties must comply with the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, Minnesota Statutes Chapter 13 or any other applicable state statutes, any state rules adopted to implement the MGDPA and related statutes, as well as federal statutes and regulations, as they apply to all data created, collected, received, stored, used, maintained, or disseminated under this agreement. ## 7. INTERPRETATION OF AGREEMENT, VENUE. This Agreement shall be interpreted and construed according to the laws of the State of Minnesota. All litigation regarding this agreement shall be venued in the District Court of the County of Hennepin, Fourth Judicial District, State of Minnesota. ## 8. NOTICE Except as otherwise stated in this Agreement, any notice or demand to be given under this Agreement shall be delivered in person or deposited in United States Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested, and/or delivered by email. Any notices or other communications shall be addressed to the following individuals: ## Name: Chief of Police ## Agency: Brooklyn Center Police Department ## Address: ## Phone: ## Email: Page 81 of 83 8 ## Name: Chief of Police ## Agency: Brooklyn Park Police Department ## Address: ## Phone: ## Email: ## 9. SEVERABILITY The provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed severable. If any part of this Agreement is rendered void, invalid, or unenforceable, such rendering shall not affect the validity and enforceability of the remainder of this Agreement unless the part or parts which are void, invalid or otherwise unenforceable shall substantially impair the value of the entire Agreement with respect to either party. ## 10. ENTIRE AGREEMENT The terms and conditions of this Agreement referenced exhibits, and attachments shall constitute the entire Agreement between the parties and shall supersede all prior oral or written negotiations. ## 11. COUNTERPARTS The parties may sign this Agreement in counterparts, each of which constitutes an original, but all of which together constitute one instrument. ## 12. ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES The parties agree that the electronic signature of a party to this Agreement is as valid as an original signature of such party and is effective to bind such party to this Agreement. ## 13. EFFECTIVE DATE This Agreement shall become effective upon execution by authorized officials of both Parties. [Signature Page to Follow] Page 82 of 83 9 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this Agreement as of the date first above written. ## CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER, MINNESOTA Name: __________________________ ## By Its: ___________________________ Date: ____________________________ Name: __________________________ ## By Its: ___________________________ Date: ____________________________ ## CITY OF BROOKLYN PARK, MINNESOTA Name: __________________________ ## By Its: ___________________________ Date: ____________________________ Name: __________________________ ## By Its: ___________________________ Date: ____________________________ Page 83 of 83