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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-10-2025 City Council Meeting November 10, 2025 7:00 PM Fridley City Hall, 7071 University Avenue NE Minutes Call to Order Mayor Ostwald called the City Council Meeting of November 10, 2025, to order at 7:00 p.m. Present Mayor Dave Ostwald Councilmember Ryan Evanson Councilmember Luke Cardona Councilmember Ann Bolkcom Absent Councilmember Patrick Vescio Others Present Walter Wysopal, City Manager Stacy Stromberg, Assistant Community Development Director Melissa Moore, Assistant City Manager Brandon Brodhag, Assistant City Engineer Nancy Abts, Senior Planner Jim Kosluchar, Public Works Director Pledge Of Allegiance Proclamations/Presentations Approval of Proposed Consent Agenda Motion made by Councilmember Bolkcom to adopt the proposed Consent Agenda. Seconded by Councilmember Evanson. Upon a voice vote, all voting aye, Mayor Ostwald declared the motion carried unanimously. Approval/Receipt of Minutes 1. Approve the Minutes from the City Council Meeting of October 27, 2025. 2. Receive the Minutes from the City Council Conference Meeting of October 27, 2025. 3. Receive the Minutes from the Planning Commission Meeting of October 15, 2025. City Council Meeting 11/10/2025 Minutes Page 2 4. Receive the Minutes from the Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting of September 2, 2025. 5. Receive the Minutes from the Public Arts Commission Meeting of September 3, 2025. New Business 6. Resolution No. 2025-148, Approving Conditional Use Permit, CUP #25-01 to Allow an Indoor Commercial Recreation Facility at 7280 Commerce Circle East (Ward 3). Claims 7. Resolution No. 2025-152, Approving Claims for the Period Ending November 5, 2025. Open Forum, Visitors: (Consideration of Items not on Agenda – 15 minutes.) Dana Carlson noted prior instances in which he spoke before the Council regarding the adoption of his daughter. He provided additional details about the conspiracy he believes is related to fostering and adopting children. Mayor Ostwald acknowledged that Mr. Carlson has provided input on this topic in the past and did not believe there is anything the Council can do to assist in this situation. Adoption of Regular Agenda Motion made by Councilmember Cardona to adopt the regular agenda. Seconded by Councilmember Evanson. Upon a voice vote, all voting aye, Mayor Ostwald declared the motion carried unanimously. Regular Agenda Public Hearing(s) 8. Public Hearing and Resolution No. 2025-147, Approving the Vacation and the Establishment of New Easements for Property Located at 7350 Commerce Lane, with Parcel Identification Numbers 11-30-24-23-0026, 11-30-24-23-0025, 10-30-24-14-0066, and 10-30-24-14-0065 Motion made by Councilmember Evanson to open the public hearing. Seconded by Councilmember Bolkcom. Upon a voice vote, all voting aye, Mayor Ostwald declared the motion carried unanimously. Stacy Stromberg, Assistant Community Development Director, presented a request from the vacation and establishment of easements for the property located at 7350 Commerce Lane. She presented City Council Meeting 11/10/2025 Minutes Page 3 the request from Endeavor Development that would allow for the redevelopment of the site, which is composed of four properties. She provided background information on the original building and its previous tenants, noting that it has been vacant and listed for sale. She provided additional information on the development proposal, easements to be vacated and utilities to be relocated, and new easements and utility locations. She reviewed the conditions of approval as presented within the staff report. She asked the Council to hold the public hearing and conditionally approve the resolution. Councilmember Bolkcom asked and received confirmation that all the changes are at the expense of the applicant and not the City. She commented that this seems to be a great reuse of the site. Councilmember Evanson asked if any variances would be anticipated for the redevelopment of the site. He also asked about the proposed redevelopment and whether there are identified tenants for the space. Ms. Stromberg stated that the petitioner is aware of the required setbacks and other requirements that need to be met and, therefore, did not anticipate any variances being requested. Mayor Ostwald invited the applicant to come forward. Evan Matson, Endeavor Development, commented that this is a speculative project, noting that they are an industrial developer with a variety of different users in their buildings. He stated that they currently have seven buildings being constructed with clients who would be interested in this location. Mayor Ostwald commented that it is great to see an older building removed and replaced with a new, larger building. Councilmember Evanson asked for information on the anticipated timeline for the project. Mr. Matson reviewed the proposed timeline, estimating 12 to 18 months for construction when they begin. th Guy Harper, 7566 5 Street N., noted the proximity to the railroad and asked if the railroad had provided input. Mayor Ostwald commented that as long as they stay within the boundaries of their property, there would be no issues. Motion made by Councilmember Evanson to close the public hearing, Seconded by Councilmember Bolkcom. Upon a voice vote, all voting aye, Mayor Ostwald declared the motion carried unanimously. The Council agreed that this would be a great redevelopment project for the property. Motion made by Councilmember Bolkcom to conditionally approve Resolution No. 2025-147, Approving Vacation of Existing Easements and the Establishment of New Easements (Vacation Application, SAV #25-01) for Endeavor Development for Property Located at 7350 Commerce Lane (Ward 3), subject to the petitioner successfully executing the Development Agreement, granting new easements and complying with the outlined conditions. Seconded by Councilmember Cardona. City Council Meeting 11/10/2025 Minutes Page 4 Upon a voice vote, all voting aye, Mayor Ostwald declared the motion carried unanimously. 9. Ordinance No. 1435, Public Hearing and First Reading Amending the Initiatives, Referendums and Recall Chapter of the Fridley City Charter Motion made by Councilmember Evanson to open the public hearing. Seconded by Councilmember Bolkcom. Upon a voice vote, all voting aye, Mayor Ostwald declared the motion carried unanimously. Melissa Moore, Assistant City Manager, provided background information on the City Charter and reviewed the amendments proposed within draft Ordinance No. 1435. Nikki Karnopp, 42 Rice Creek Terrace, commented that she has been a member of the Charter Commission since 2020 and stated that the Commission has reviewed the proposed changes to chapter five for the past two years. She provided additional background information on the changes proposed to chapter five, which were unanimously approved by the Charter Commission. She also provided input on the information stated within the staff report for this agenda item and past discussions with the Mayor and members of the Council on this topic. She asked the Council to vote in support of the residents and Charter Commission, rather than based on the opinion of City staff. Anna Pribula, 6880 East River Road, stated that she is present at the request of her neighbor at 6831 East River Road, who is a member of the Charter Commission. She read a letter from her neighbor in support of the proposed modifications, which was also received by the members of the City Council. Pam Reynolds, 1242 Norton, commented that she is the second most senior person on the Charter Commission and has served in that position for the past 20 years. She provided information on the membership of the Charter Commission and noted that chapter five was updated in 2013, at which time most of the changes were staff-driven, and three times since 2020. She provided additional information on the petitions that she has been involved in, the reasoning behind the proposed changes to chapter five, information she believed to be inaccurate within the staff report, and was unsure why an ordinance number was assigned prior to adoption. She asked the Council to support the unanimous recommendation of the Charter Commission rather than the opinion of City staff within the staff report. Motion made by Councilmember Evanson to close the public hearing, Seconded by Councilmember Bolkcom. Upon a voice vote, all voting aye, Mayor Ostwald declared the motion carried unanimously. Wally Wysopal, City Manager, provided input on the typical process for proposed amendments to the Charter, which involves a debate between the Charter Commission and City Council prior to consideration at a regular City Council meeting, which is the process that was recommended within the staff report. Ms. Moore explained that the Clerk’s Office routinely assigns ordinance numbers to ordinances that come before the Council for a first reading. City Council Meeting 11/10/2025 Minutes Page 5 Mayor Ostwald commented that the Council has trust in the Charter but noted that he has attended many Charter Commission meetings where the sentiment has been expressed that the Charter Commission does not have trust in the Council or staff because of something that happened 20 years ago. He explained that the Council is elected by the residents to represent the residents, and there have been no statements from residents that this is an issue, outside of the Charter Commission. He believed that the system is working as it is, and the thresholds are fine as they are set. Councilmember Evanson commented that he has not received any comments from residents on this topic during his time on the Council. He asked if the other members of the Council have received input on this topic during their time on the Council; the number of attempted initiatives, referendums, or recalls in recent years; and whether there has been feedback received from residents who may have attempted such things. The other members of the Council replied that they had not received any input on the topic during their time on the Council, dating back to 1994. Ms. Moore replied that there have been five successfully submitted petitions since 1999, all of which reached the threshold. Councilmember Evanson expressed concern with lowering the threshold, which would then mean a small number of people would be making decisions that are not representative of the greater community. Councilmember Cardona echoed the comments that he has not received any input from residents on this topic, but did not feel he had a full picture of the information to support a change to the Charter. He recognized that a number of the Charter Commission members are also newer in their service and stated that he would be happy to have additional conversations on this topic. Councilmember Evanson commented that the Charter is similar to the Constitution and therefore the threshold to amend it should be high, and he did not feel that the burden of evidence has been provided to change the Charter at this point, although he would be open to continuing the conversation. He noted that the letter from the Mayor was sent on behalf of the entire Council expressing these concerns, and the choice of the Commission was not to respond to that. Councilmember Bolkcom echoed the comments of the other members of the Council, stating that she would not support this tonight as she believed a discussion is necessary between the Council and Charter Commission on this topic. Motion made by Councilmember Bolkcom to not approve the first reading of Ordinance No. 1435, Amending the Initiative, Referendums, and Petitions Chapter of the Fridley City Charter. Seconded by Councilmember Evanson. Upon a voice vote, all voting aye, Mayor Ostwald declared the motion carried unanimously. 10. Resolution No. 2025-150, Ordering Final Plans, Specifications, and Calling for Bids for Street Rehabilitation Project No. ST2026-01 Motion made by Councilmember Bolkcom to open the public hearing. Seconded by Councilmember Evanson. City Council Meeting 11/10/2025 Minutes Page 6 Upon a voice vote, all voting aye, Mayor Ostwald declared the motion carried unanimously. Brandon Brodhag, Assistant City Engineer, provided background information and reviewed details related to the project area, preliminary outreach and engagement, project elements, utility improvements, special assessments, and tentative schedule. He asked the Council to hold the public hearing and consider adoption of the draft resolution. Councilmember Bolkcom asked how comfortable staff is with the estimate of $4,400 for an assessment. Mr. Brodhag provided additional details, noting that this is preliminary as the final design has not yet been completed. He explained that is a conservative estimate, and most times the proposed assessment does not increase unless the bids received are higher than anticipated. Mayor Ostwald confirmed that the assessment only relates to pavement improvements, as the City funds the other improvements for utility work. Mayor Ostwald invited residents to provide input. thth Guy Harper, 7566 5 Street NE, provided input on 5 Street, noting that it is tight, parking is constrained, and he would like to stay informed throughout the process. Mayor Ostwald encouraged the resident to sign up for the email updates. Ken Dubay, 7630 Van Buren, asked if there are plans for the school buses for the Spanish Emersion School. Mr. Brodhag stated that work will not occur while school is in session. Tony Shriner, Symphony Street, asked if there is a deadline to join the list for the televising of lines from the street to the home. Mr. Brodhag replied that generally residents should call before spring and provided the process residents can follow. Alexander DeMures, 7600 Van Buren, asked for information on the timeline for notifying residents of curb replacement, noting the cure time. He also asked for information about restoration of concrete pads and grass. He provided additional input on the parking from the school that interferes with the residents' ability to get mail. Mr. Brodhag provided details on the process that is followed to identify the curbs for replacement and to notify residents. He encouraged the resident to fill out the survey, as they ask residents to identify any special needs that may exist. He also provided details on replacement of concrete and grass restoration. Ann Miller Bars, 7556 Van Buren, asked for a paper option to fill out the resident survey. She commented that she would like her lines to be televised. Chad Swenson, 7561 Van Buren, asked for information on the curb work, as he has teen drivers and multiple vehicles. Mr. Brodhag provided additional information on the curb replacement work, noting that parking for all driveways would not be disturbed. Motion made by Councilmember Evanson to close the public hearing, Seconded by Councilmember Cardona. City Council Meeting 11/10/2025 Minutes Page 7 Upon a voice vote, all voting aye, Mayor Ostwald declared the motion carried unanimously. Councilmember Cardona thanked all the residents who attended and provided input, and welcomed residents to reach out to him with any questions or concerns. Motion made by Councilmember Cardona to adopt Resolution No. 2025-150, Ordering Final Plans, Specifications, and Calling for Bids for Street Rehabilitation Project No. ST2026-01. Seconded by Councilmember Bolkcom. Upon a voice vote, all voting aye, Mayor Ostwald declared the motion carried unanimously. New Business 11. Resolution No. 2025-149, Approving a Conditional Use Permit, CUP #25-02 to Allow an Indoor th Cannabis Cultivation Facility at 40 77 Avenue NE (Ward 3) Nancy Abts, Senior Planner, presented the request from Grown Rogue LLC for a Conditional Use th Permit (CUP) to allow an indoor cannabis cultivation facility at 40 77 Avenue NE. She provided information on the applicant, regulatory context, application, site description and history, and code requirements. It was noted that the Planning Commission held a public hearing on this topic and unanimously recommended approval. Councilmember Bolkcom noted that this would seem to be a good use for the building and a good location for this type of use. She asked how long the building has been vacant. Anna Silverman, building owner, commented that Johnson Printing and Packaging vacated the building in August 2024. Mark Doherty, representing the applicant, stated that he is present to answer any questions. He confirmed that he has no questions about the recommended conditions and noted that staff have been great to work with throughout this process. Councilmember Evanson asked about odor mitigation. He asked if the business would be the sole tenant of the space. Mr. Doherty provided information on the odor mitigation that is used by the business. He confirmed that they would be the sole tenant of the building and provided information on the planned phasing for the growth of the business. Councilmember Evanson asked for information on distribution and whether that would be only within Minnesota. Mr. Evanson confirmed that the product can only be distributed within the state, noting the high demand for the product by other retail businesses. Motion made by Councilmember Bolkcom to adopt Resolution No. 2025-149, Approving Conditional th Use Permit, CUP #25-02 to Allow an Indoor Cannabis Cultivation Facility at 40 77 Avenue NE (Ward 3). Seconded by Councilmember Evanson. City Council Meeting 11/10/2025 Minutes Page 8 Upon a voice vote, all voting aye, Mayor Ostwald declared the motion carried unanimously. 12. Resolution No. 2025-139, Receiving Feasibility Report and Calling for Public Hearing on the Street Rehabilitation Project No. ST2026-02 Mr. Brodhag provided background information and additional details on the project area, resident outreach and engagement, proposed improvements, special assessment, tentative schedule, and recommendation for the Council to consider approval of the draft resolution. Motion made by Councilmember Evanson to adopt Resolution No. 2025-139, Receiving Feasibility Report and Calling for Public Hearing on Street Rehabilitation Project No. ST2026-02. Seconded by Councilmember Cardona. Upon a voice vote, all voting aye, Mayor Ostwald declared the motion carried unanimously. 13. Resolution No. 2025-151, Approving Change Order No. 1 for Trunk Highway 47 (University Avenue) Lighting Project Jim Kosluchar, Public Works Director, provided a summary of the TH 47 project and proposed change order. He presented additional background information and additional details on the lighting system D extension, lighting systems A and F relocation, and recommendation to approve the change order as presented. Motion made by Councilmember Evanson to adopt Resolution No. 2025-151, Approving Change Order No. 1 for Trunk Highway 47 (University Avenue) Lighting Project. Seconded by Councilmember Bolkcom. Upon a voice vote, all voting aye, Mayor Ostwald declared the motion carried unanimously. Informal Status Reports Councilmember Evanson reminded residents to thank veterans as tomorrow is Veterans Day, and thanked Mayor Ostwald for his service. Mayor Ostwald commented that today is the Marines' 250th birthday, noting that he served for 10 years as a Marine. Councilmember Bolkcom noted that the newsletter had the wrong date for the recycling and shredding event and advised that the opportunity would still be presented to residents on the advertised date. She also noted the upcoming turkey bingo event. Councilmember Cardona noted other winter events coming up, including Winter Fest in February. Adjourn Motion made by Councilmember Cardona to adjourn. Seconded by Councilmember Bolkcom. Upon a voice vote, all voting aye, Mayor Ostwald declared the motion carried unanimously, and the meeting adjourned at 9:27 p.m. City Council Meeting 11/10/2025 Minutes Page 9 Respectfully Submitted, Melissa Moore Dave Ostwald City Clerk Mayor