[music] Welcome to Agenda Edina, a program summarizing the actions taken at city hall that affect you most. I'm your host, Dorothia Marty. In response to community concern and uncertainty surrounding US immigration and customs enforcement activity in Minnesota, Edina city manager Scott Neil has appointed a new staff task force to help guide the city's response. The 11 member task force includes employees from multiple city departments. Its role is to assess how Adina responds to immigration related issues affecting the community and to identify actions that are legally sound, operationally feasible and responsive to community needs. The task force will bring its findings and recommendations to the city manager, executive leadership team, and when appropriate, the city council. Any potential policy changes would follow established city processes and include council review. >> The the goal of this task force is really to vet ideas that we receive from the community both from from the community and from our council. Uh we want to take those ideas, we want to vet them with with our legal counsel. We want to see what we can do uh what we should do and what we could consider doing uh and what's enforceable and what's merely symbolic. So those are those are kind of the uh those are the parameters around what we're doing. >> The Dina City Council also reaffirmed its commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. >> All those in favor of adoption, readoption or affirmation of the uh Universal Declaration of Human Rights, say I. >> I. >> I. Opposed. >> Carried. >> Some of those individuals are US citizens. Many of them are here legally. Some of them are not. Um, but all of them are human beings. Um, so I I do appreciate member Jackson you bringing up these human rights and reaffirming them here tonight. >> During its last meeting in January, the council emphasized the city's core values of dignity, fairness, and respect for all people. Building on a statement issued in December, council members acknowledged the fear and concern expressed by residents about recent federal immigration enforcement activity and said they heard clearly about the personal impact on families along with the need for timely, transparent and accessible communication from the city. >> We I do really feel like Edina is a village. it, you know, feels that way and now we need to come together and we need to really be a conduit for communication all across the city and I feel so powerless and frustrated. Um, so I hear the the fear and concerns of our residents. Um, and I'm glad that so many suggestions have come forward and I and I'm looking forward to seeing what the task force does. At the same time, the council recognized the legal complexities that arise when local and federal authorities operate in the same space. The city remains committed to protecting constitutional rights while also ensuring the safety of residents, demonstrators, and public safety personnel. >> I would like for us to have to at least think through um should we have some type of police presence? And we're not saying we're there to stop ICE from executing their orders. We might validate that they have a judicial warrant to do what they're doing, but um we're there to ensure that the rights of our residents, their rights are being honored and there are no violations of their constitutional rights. Um and those orders are being carried out in um the correct way. >> Edina is also working beyond its borders. The mayor and city leadership are actively collaborating with other suburban mayors, city managers and administrators, and police chiefs to advocate for accountability and lawful enforcement practices. To support's sustainability goals and meet the growing demand for electric vehicle infrastructure, a new EV charging station is being proposed for the city. Ayana Rechargery is looking to redevelop the former Kevin Keys Auto Shop on Vernon Avenue into a modern electric vehicle charging station. Last month, the city council reviewed the concept, which includes seven level three DC fast chargers and renovation of the existing building into a lounge style waiting area. The space could feature vending machines, a small convenience concept, or a third-party tenant to serve drivers while they charge. >> What we want to do is bring a different charging experience, right? Instead of just sitting in a parking lot and at some random retail store, we want to welcome you in like as a convenience store or gas station would, right? Come chill in our lounge, have get refreshed, juice up yourself and the cars itself, right? So, we noticed that that's not something that's around and we decided to take the opportunity uh to bring that as a service. >> Ayana Rechargery already operates locations in Brooklyn Park and Lino Lakes with another site scheduled to open soon in Blaine. While EV charging stations are a permitted use in this zoning district, the property is designated for medium density residential use in the city's comprehensive plan. Because of that, Ayana will need to seek a comprehensive plan amendment along with site plan approval and several variances before the project can move forward. The city council has directed staff to repeal and replace Edina's current lawful gambling ordinance, a move that would allow ongoing charitable gambling in the city. Edina is one of the only major suburbs in the metro area that does not permit ongoing charitable gambling. The issue gained renewed attention last year when the Edina Education Fund asked the council to reconsider the policy to allow nonprofits to run charitable gambling such as pull tabs on an ongoing basis at specific locations. >> That is just one other way that we can tap into our community. It allows us to be able to not only support our local businesses that are craving the ability to be able to do this and bring more revenue streams into our local restaurants, also be able to offer our city another way to be able to bring in more funding. But for our local nonprofits to be able to feed back into our community, it allows our student groups to be able to get more funding. It allows us to be able to build up our revenue streams for things like our mental health programs for our student groups, our student athletes, um more upkeep in our student facilities. All of these things that every single year we run dry on. It's just one more way for us to improve every hornet every day. Charitable gambling is widely used across Minnesota as a way for nonprofits to support community programs and services. In fact, Minnesota is the largest charitable gambling state in the country. In 2024 alone, charitable gambling generated 2.3 billion in gross receipts and 712 million in net receipts after prizes were paid. Pull tabs make up most of that activity, accounting for about 96% of revenue, followed by bingo at just over 3% with raffles, paddle wheels, and tip boards making up the remainder. Under the direction from the council, staff will draft a new ordinance that would allow up to three premise charitable gambling permits in Edina. That ordinance will be brought back to the city council for consideration at a future meeting. >> In doing um my research, it really shows that uh most cities have probably no more than two or three premise permits. We don't know for sure what the need will be. So, it I think it makes sense for us to start out slowly and then ramp up as we see the needs of the community and the nonprofit uh organizations. This step opens the door for local nonprofits to explore a new fundraising option while allowing the city to carefully shape how charitable gambling would operate in Edina. February is Black History Month. This year's theme is a century of Black History commemorations. This theme marks the 100th anniversary of the first Negro History Week and highlights the evolution of black history's impact on the modern world. This month pay tribute to the significant contributions of African-Americans throughout the last century. Thank you for watching this episode of Agenda Edina. I'm your host Dorothia Marty. >> [music]