Welcome to Agenda Edina, a program summarizing the actions taken at city hall that affect you most. I'm your host, Dorothia Marty. The Edina City Council has officially approved a new ordinance allowing lawful gambling in the city for the first time. Edina had previously been one of the only major suburbs in the metro area that did not permit lawful gambling. That changed earlier this month following council approval of an updated ordinance. When the ordinance was first introduced in February, it included limits on the number of premises permitted and restricted organizations to just one permit each. After further research into the number of nonprofits in the community, the council removed those limits, opening the opportunity more broadly. It opens up an additional avenue for nonprofits to uh raise funds in the city of Adina. It is um quite an undertaking for the nonprofit that would like to do this. Um they do need to be uh organized um and then they must also form a relationship with a liquor licensed establishment um in order to get a premise permit. Under the new ordinance, organizations licensed to conduct lawful gambling in Edina must spend at least 70% of their expenditures within the city's trade area. This ensures that funds raised through gambling activities directly benefit the local community. The ordinance also includes a 3% local gambling tax, which will help offset the city's regulatory costs. A separate proposal to collect an additional 10% of net profits for a city administered fund to support community priorities was considered but ultimately not approved. Several local nonprofits including the Edina Education Fund and the Edina Hockey Association have expressed interest in exploring permits >> for the kids. The cost of hockey keeps going up all the time. The cost of all extracurriculars really keeps going up and pull tabs might be a way to offset some of those costs and provide more opportunities for kids in our community to be able to participate. >> With the ordinance now in effect, eligible EDIA based nonprofits can immediately apply for a license through the Minnesota Gambling Control Board. Edina is welcoming back Jessica Nickin as the new human resources director for the city. Jessica previously worked in the HR department before expanding her abilities elsewhere. Edina TV takes a look at why her addition to the team is so special. The role of human resources director is perhaps underrated when it comes to impact on the city's well-being. We need to make sure that they're properly trained, that they're following safety protocol, that they're compensated appropriately, and that we're able to make sure that we have engaged employees because they ultimately end up doing better and working harder for our staff and our community. >> Jessica Nickin is an HR superstar with over 34 years of experience, including here in Adina. I spent 14 years working through um starting in administration roles in smaller cities. Then I spent 11 years in HR which included the HR generalist role previously here at the city of Adina and then the HR manager role in Minnetonka. I transitioned to the private sector and there I spent 10 years uh consulting with Minnesota cities and counties helping them design their employee benefits packages. It's the kind of background that helps to be a better HR director for Edina. >> Moving into the private sector gives me a completely different perspective of how private sector organizations, particularly very large ones, operate. >> The Adina HR department maintains a workplace that brings out excellence in all employees. >> Here in Adina, we have some of the best employees in the entire state, and we want to make sure that we're able to give them the resources they need to do their jobs the best that they can. It's just really exciting to be a part of building all that's required to attract, retain, and engage those employees. >> For Edina TV, I'm Kenneth Gaml. >> The city employs approximately 330 full-time employees along with several hundred part-time and seasonal employees across 11 city departments. The city is exploring new ways to support additional improvements at Braar Arena. As part of the arena's renovation and expansion project, the city council has approved a study to evaluate the potential for naming and sponsorship rights as a funding source. While this approach is new for Edina, it's become increasingly common at municipal arenas and sports facilities across the region. The city has hired the superlative group to conduct an initial valuation of potential naming and sponsorship opportunities within Braar Arena. This study will help determine what those opportunities might be worth, but it does not commit the city to moving forward. >> We're looking for opportunities to get funds to improve the facility beyond the base scope of the project. And one of the things that we're looking at is staying away from the West Rink and the facility as a whole, but looking at other spaces in the facility to see what value that bring for sponsorship. Braar Arena is a major community destination, hosting hockey, figure skating, and learn to skate programs and drawing more than 1 million visits each year. Usage is expected to grow with the addition of a fourth indoor rink. Other communities including Maple Grove, Elk River, and Bloomington have used naming rights to help offset the cost of similar ice arena projects. April is Earth Month. The city is celebrating throughout the month with a series of free events and initiatives designed to promote environmental stewardship and advance local climate action efforts. Upcoming events include the annual community clothing swap scheduled for Saturday, April 18th at the Edina Senior Center, an open house on the proposed safe and equitable mobility action plan on Wednesday, April 22nd at Edina Fire Station 2. An Arbor Day tree planting Friday, April 24th at Creek Valley School Park. and an Earth Day festival Sunday, April 26th at Weber Park. For more information on those events, visit the city's website, edina.gov. In addition to community events, the city's sustainability division is partnering with the home energy squad to offer free planner home energy visits throughout April. During these visits, energy experts evaluate a home's insulation, heating, and cooling systems, and provide recommendations to improve efficiency and year-round comfort. Residents who sign up for a visit before April 30th will automatically receive the free service with no coupon code required. Appointments scheduled for May will still qualify if registration occurs in April. To schedule a visit, visit mnce.org/hes and select planner visit or call 6513286220. Thank you for watching this episode of Agenda Edina. I'm your host Dorothia Marty.