Roseville City Council — Transcript
Monday, May 5, 2025
Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week
Poppy Days Proclamation
National Public Works Week Proclamation
Strategic Plan Goals and Success Indicators
Special Assessment Deferral Policy Update
Climate Equity Action Plan Initiation
Consent Agenda
Votes (7)
Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week Proclamation
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member Grath [00:04:42] · Seconded by Council Member Schroeder [00:04:42]
The council adopted a proclamation recognizing the vital role of the Roseville Police Department and commemorating National Police Week and National Peace Officers Memorial Day. Council members expressed deep appreciation for the police force's work, acknowledging their dedication and positive impact on the community, including recognizing fallen officers Howard Johnson and Bruce Russell.
Poppy Days Proclamation
Dissent: None
Moved by Council member Shore [00:06:58] · Seconded by Council member Bower [00:06:58]
The council adopted a proclamation for Poppy Days, honoring veterans and supporting the VFW's Buddy Poppy program. The proclamation notes the poppy's symbolism from WWI and its use by the VFW since 1922 to aid disabled and needy veterans and their families.
National Public Works Week Proclamation
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member Straw [00:08:52] · Seconded by Council Member Schroer [00:08:52]
A proclamation was adopted to recognize the city's 34 public works employees for their essential role in maintaining critical infrastructure, including streets, water mains, sewers, pathways, and city equipment. Council members specifically praised the responsiveness and thoroughness of Public Works staff in addressing citizen inquiries.
Adoption of Strategic Plan Goals and Success Indicators
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member Strong [00:25:00] · Seconded by Council McGraph [00:25:00]
The city manager presented final revisions to the strategic plan goals and success indicators, incorporating feedback from a previous April 14th meeting. Key changes included specific wording adjustments for economic vitality, reliable infrastructure, community engagement (especially regarding commissions representing community input), responsive services (adding 'training'), and city operations (adding 'innovative' to employee retention). Council members discussed the nuances of measuring success and the intent behind various goal statements, emphasizing the collaborative process between staff and council.
Resolution Updating the Special Assessment Deferral Policy
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member Grath [00:38:09] · Seconded by Council Member Strong [00:38:09]
Jennifer Lowry, City Engineer, presented proposed updates to the city's special assessment deferral policy, last updated in 1981. The revisions aim to align with state statutes by including active military service as a deferral qualifier and deferring disability determinations to the Social Security Administration or a physician's affidavit, rather than city staff. The discussion also addressed how deferred assessments accumulate interest and are managed in scenarios such as property sale or foreclosure, confirming the city would ultimately recover funds.
Discussion Initiating a Climate Equity Action Plan
Dissent: None
Moved by null · Seconded by null
Noah Bakan, Sustainability Specialist, presented on the city's sustainability history and outlined the plans for developing a Climate Equity Action Plan. Funded by an MPCA grant and local matching funds, the plan aims to set measurable, specific, and equitable climate goals, aligning with state and county frameworks. A key focus is robust community engagement, including outreach to vulnerable populations, forming a climate justice advisory group, and utilizing climate storytelling to personalize the plan. Council discussion emphasized the plan's proactive nature, its benefits for all residents, and potential needs for future staff capacity.
Approval of Consent Agenda
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member Strong [01:13:30] · Seconded by Council Member Bower [01:13:30]
The council approved a series of routine items without extensive individual discussion. These included authorizing payments, purchasing a Ford F-250 truck for the skating center and golf course, approving equipment and services for various city parks, awarding a pavement management project contract, and advancing a county road reconstruction assessment. Additionally, an agreement was approved to allow paramedic students from Ridgewater College to complete ride-along clinical hours with the Roseville Fire Department, which was noted as a new and beneficial recruitment effort.
Notable Quotes (15)
Just a thank you to the police force in Roseville and all the good work you do. I hear wonderful things from the residents and I I know you don't always probably hear those things, but um they're out there and people really appreciate your work.
Thank you all for all your service you do. And I too hear a lot from the residents and you make my job and our job so much easier because you do such a wonderful job in the community and when I go out there and I have I have not gotten a complaint about you at all and and that again that just makes our job easier and I just want you to know how much we do appreciate all you do.
I'd just like to mention my appreciation for um Mr. Fryhammer and Miss Lowry's um response to citizens when they have questions. They're thorough. They're de um they really uh get to the heart of the matter and tend to be very timely. So, I appreciate that. And I I bet this is one of the most unsung parts of our um history or our public of our employee base. And so, um I think it's nice to honor those things that um we only notice when they're not done. So, thank you.
I did have an additional question about the community and civic engagement goal number two in that commissioner piece. um this was a potential um type of thing, but I wanted to make sure that how commissioners receive that information from the public.
maybe we could do something where um it says pathways for residents of all backgrounds um that represent the voice of the community to shape city decisions or something like that.
I'd be in favor of retains a diverse and innovative group of employees.
I wouldn't necessarily take a no vote on a particular thing saying I'm against this the strategic plan. Maybe it's just the approach on how we're trying to get that there's a disagreement on I still support the goal but this isn't the way uh to do it would be another way to look at it.
Our current resolution is very detailed um in what a disability is and looking at other cities, they either um defer to the Social Security Administration or a physician to determine that um someone has a permanent and total disability because frankly I don't want to be that person.
if someone were to um leave their home and go into like the county waiver program and be under in a nursing home and they're able to retain their home for as an asset for their um for their family, but it eventually goes into foreclosure. It goes back to the state, do we are we able to recoup anything if at that point?
when it's a tax forfeite, um there is a process... but ultimately the city would get paid.
climate change is inextric inextricably linked to the challenge of creating a more equal world... And government's role is really to help support all residents in the city, especially those who are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
could you know when we go back and we have to explain this to residents and communities. I was hoping you could help me understand what I would uh say to spend $76,000 to the non-English elderly young those in poverty. $76,000 on a plan uh for them because they're going to hear we spent $76,000 to figure out a plan or come up with goals.
It's a climate plan... it's important that we make sure that we plan for how those folks are going to be affected by climate change, the effects of, you know, increased heat and things like that that we're going to be seeing, um because that they're the people who are going to be really struggling when you know we've got those days of heat waves where if there's an elderly person that doesn't have air conditioning in their home.
I do think I've heard repeatedly from various city members that that last um study was done and then it felt like nothing happened. So I feel like this is a really as you say a good steward of the funding that's already been placed in that to take it and develop it from there.
Is this an extension of the Ridgewater College commercial contract or is this something new?
Ordinances & Resolutions (33)
Declares May 11-17, 2025 as National Police Week and May 15th as National Peace Officers Memorial Day in Roseville.
Declares May 16-18, 2025 as Poppy Days in Roseville.
Declares May 18-24, 2025 as National Public Works Week in Roseville.
Updated framework guiding the city's future initiatives and performance measurement.
Revises the 1981 special assessment deferral policy to include military service and clarify disability definitions.
Adopted in 2009, included initial sustainability goals.
Agreement entered by Roseville in 2007.
Program Roseville joined in 2014, achieving steps 4 and 5.
Benchmarking program for tracking city building energy usage, where Roseville won an award.
Grant-funded study from MPCA completed in 2017.
Achieved in 2019 for making code and permitting solar-friendly.
Approved by council in 2019.
Approved by council in 2019.
Roseville joined in 2021, leading to an Energy Action Plan.
Adopted by council in June 2021, focusing on energy usage reduction.
Created in 2022 to guide placement of public EV chargers.
Created in 2022 to recognize sustainability efforts by residents and businesses.
Adopted in 2023 for significant redevelopment/new commercial properties.
National certification for EV charging readiness, awarded to Roseville in 2024.
Passed in 2024, focusing on waste reduction from takeout packaging.
Currently in development.
Sets forth greenhouse gas reduction and renewable energy goals.
State-level climate goals that Roseville's plan will align with.
Grant awarded to Roseville to fund the Climate Equity Action Plan.
Source of Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) funding.
Federal funding received for climate/resiliency projects, potentially to be converted to equipment voucher.
Awards contract to North Valley Incorporated for pavement work.
Declares costs to be assessed and calls for a public hearing.
Renewed agreement with the State of Minnesota for access to court records.
Allows paramedic students to complete clinical hours with Roseville Fire.
Referenced as a related city planning document.
Referenced as a related city planning document.
A 2017 report on Roseville's vulnerable populations and climate impacts, serving as a baseline for current planning.