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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1-6-2026 Charter Commission Meeting January 6, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. Fridley Civic Campus, 7071 University Avenue NE Agenda Pursuant to Minnesota Statute § 13.02 the January 6, 2026 meeting will be a hybrid meeting. Commissioner Rick Nelson will be attending via Zoom. Virtual: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83759502304?pwd=7fqUHx78k4UlsdTLxlF3ai6s5g9YyZ.1 Call to Order Roll Call Approval of Agenda Approval of Meeting Minutes 1.Approval of November 3, 2025 Charter Commission Meeting Minutes Administrative Matters 2.2026 Nominating Committee 3.Updated Member List 4.Upcoming Terms Expiring: Greg Gardner and Ted Kranz Old Business New Business 5.League of Minnesota Cities Charter Commission Training 6.Discuss Letter from Mayor Ostwald Regarding Chapter 5 7.Subcommittee to document logic of proposed Chapter 5 changes Future Meeting Topics/Communications 8.Future Meeting Topics Adjournment Accessibility Notice: If you need free interpretation or translation assistance, please contact City staff. Si necesita ayuda de interpretación o traducción gratis, comuníquese con el personal de la ciudad. Yog tias koj xav tau kev pab txhais lus los sis txhais ntaub ntawv dawb, ces thov tiv tauj rau Lub Nroog cove neeg ua hauj lwm. Haddii aad u baahan tahay tarjumaad bilaash ah ama kaalmo tarjumaad, fadlan la xiriir shaqaalaha Magaalada. Upon request, accommodation will be provided to allow individuals with disabilities to participate in any City of Fridley services, programs or activities. Hearing impaired persons who need an interpreter or other persons who require auxiliary aids should contact CityClerk@FridleyMN.gov or (763) 572-3450. AGENDA REPORT Meeting Date: January 6, 2026 Meeting Type:Charter Commission Submitted By:Beth Kondrick, Deputy City Clerk Title: Approval of November 3, 2025 Charter Commission Meeting Minutes Background Attached are the minutes from November 3, 2025 for the Commission’s consideration. Financial Impact Recommendation Staff recommend the approval of the November 3, 2025 Charter Commission Meeting Minutes. Attachments and Other Resources 1.Charter Commission Minutes 11-3-2025 Vision Statement We believe Fridley will be a safe, vibrant, friendly, and stable home for families and businesses. Charter Commission Meeting November 3, 2025 7:00 PM Fridley City Hall, 7071 University Avenue NE Minutes Call to Order Secretary Barre called the Charter Commission meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. Present Mohamed Barre Brad Bremener Donald Findell Greg Gardner Nikki Karnopp Steve Kisner Ted Kranz Dave Linton Audrey Nelson Rick Nelson (Remote attendance, joined at 7:10) Pam Reynolds Valerie Rolstad Doug Schmitz Absent Kathy Smith Others Present Beth Kondrick, Deputy City Clerk Dave Ostwald, Mayor Patrick Vescio, Councilmember At Large Gary Olsen, Charter Commission Applicant Natividad Seefeld, Charter Commission Applicant Approval of Agenda Motion to approve the agenda as presented by Commissioner Karnopp, seconded by Commissioner Reynolds. Upon a roll call vote, with Commissioners Barre, Bremener, Findell, Gardner, Karnopp, Kisner, Kranz, Linton, Nelson, Reynolds, Rolstad and Schmitz, voting aye, Secretary Barre declared the motion carried unanimously. Approval of Meeting Minutes Charter Commission 11-3-2025Minutes Page 2 1.Approval of October 6, 2025, Charter Commission Meeting Minutes Motion to approve the October 6, 2025 Meeting Minutes by Commissioner Karnopp. Seconded by Commissioner Rolstad. Upon a roll call vote, with Commissioners Barre, Bremener, Findell, Gardner, Karnopp, Kisner, Kranz, Linton, Nelson, Reynolds, Rolstad and Schmitz, voting aye, Secretary Barre declared the motion carried unanimously. Administrative Matters 2. Election to Vacant Officer of Vice Chair. At the October meeting, the Commission voted Vice Chair Nelson to the vacant spot of Chair. This left an opening for Vice Chair. Commissioner Kisner nominated Commissioner Bremener for Vice Chair. Commissioner Bremener declined and nominated Commissioner Karnopp, seconded by Commissioner Rolstad. No other nominations were received. Upon a roll call vote, with Commissioners Barre, Bremener, Findell, Gardner, Karnopp, Kisner, Kranz, Linton, Nelson, Reynolds, Rolstad and Schmitz, voting aye, Secretary Barre declared the motion carried unanimously. 3. 2026 Charter Commission Dates Ms. Kondrick informed the Commission that the official City Calendar with proposed Charter Commission Dates was approved by the City Council and that a copy has been provided in the packet for Commissioners. 4. Prospective Member Discussion Commissioners met with two candidates for the open seat on the Commission, Gary Olsen and Natividad Seefeld. After the Commissioners interviewed the candidates, a discussion was held that both candidates were qualified and would be a good fit. A proposal was made to use a ballot to indicate which candidate would be the top choice with the second person being asked if they would allow their information retained and be appointed at the next opening. nd Motion to use a ballot to indicate choice with the 2 choice asked if they would like to be appointed at the next opening by Commissioner Gardner, seconded by Commissioner Kranz. Upon a roll call vote, with Commissioners Barre, Bremener, Findell, Gardner, Kranz, Linton, A. Nelson, R. Nelson, Reynolds, Rolstad and Schmitz, voting aye, and Commissioners Kisner and Karnopp voting nay Vice Chair Karnopp declared the motion carried unanimously. After Commissioners indicated their respective choices by ballot, Ms. Kondrick read the results out loud into the record as Chair Nelson was attending the meeting remotely. The results were as follows: Charter Commission 11-3-2025Minutes Page 3 Barre: Gary Olsen Bremener: Natividad Seefeld Findell: Natividad Seefeld Gardner: Gary Olsen Karnopp: Natividad Seefeld Kisner: Natividad Seefeld Kranz: Gary Olsen Linton: Natividad Seefeld A. Nelson: Natividad Seefeld R. Nelson: Natividad Seefeld Reynolds: Natividad Seefeld Rolstad: Gary Olsen Schmitz: Gary Olsen The majority selected Natividad Seefeld. Ms. Kondrick stated she would send the recommendation for her appointment to the Chief Judge and ask Mr. Olsen if he would be willing to have his information retained for the next opening. Old Business There were no items under Old Business. New Business 5. Chapter 2: Legal and Staff Reviews Ms. Kondrick stated that a copy of Chapter 2 with comments from the City Attorney and City Staff was included in the packet along with Commissioner Reynolds’ proposed language change for section 2.013. Commissioner Reynolds stated she wished to withdraw her request to review this section at this time and would like to do further research. Motion to remove Chapter 2 from discussion and review by Chair Nelson, Seconded by Commissioner Gardner. Upon a roll call vote, with Commissioners Barre, Bremener, Findell, Gardner, Karnopp, Kisner, Kranz, Linton, A. Nelson, R. Nelson, Reynolds, Rolstad and Schmitz, voting aye, Vice Chair Karnopp declared the motion carried unanimously. 6. Chapter 6: Legal and Staff Reviews Ms. Kondrick informed the Commission that the City Attorney and Staff reviewed Chapter 6 and that a copy of suggested revisions was included in the packet. Ms. Kondrick stated that in the interest of time it may be best to table the discussion until January. Motion to table Chapter 6 Review until January by Commissioner Rolstad, Seconded by Commissioner Reynolds. Charter Commission 11-3-2025Minutes Page 4 Upon a roll call vote, with Commissioners Barre, Bremener, Findell, Gardner, Karnopp, Kisner, Kranz, Linton, A. Nelson, R. Nelson, Reynolds, Rolstad and Schmitz, voting aye, Vice Chair Karnopp declared the motion carried unanimously. Future Meeting Topics/Communications 7.Future Meeting Topics Candidate Interview Process and application Next Chapter to Review Commission Onboarding Manual Meeting schedule cadence Chapter 6 Adjournment Motion by Commissioner Rolstad to adjourn the meeting. Seconded by Commissioner Reynolds. Upon a roll call vote, with Commissioners Barre, Bremener, Findell, Gardner, Karnopp, Kisner, Kranz, Linton, A. Nelson, R. Nelson, Reynolds, Rolstad and Schmitz, voting aye, Vice Chair Karnopp declared the motion carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 8:24 p.m. AGENDA REPORT Meeting Date: January 6, 2026 Meeting Type:Charter Commission Submitted By:Beth Kondrick, Deputy City Clerk Title: 2026 Nominating Committee Background Section VII of the Charter Commission’s Bylaws call for the Chair to appoint a Nominating Committee of three or more members who will report the nomination of one or more candidates for each office. The committee’s written report will be transmitted to the Commission with the February 2, 2026 agenda. An Election of Officers will take place at the Commission’s March 2, 2026 Annual Meeting. The current officers are: Rick Nelson, Chair; Nikki Karnopp, Vice Chair; Mohammed Barre, Secretary. Financial Impact Recommendation Staff recommend Chair Nelson appoint three or more Commissioners to the 2026 Nominating Committee. Staff recommend the Nominating Committee submit a written report to staff to include with the February 2, 2026 agenda. Attachments and Other Resources Vision Statement We believe Fridley will be a safe, vibrant, friendly, and stable home for families and businesses. AGENDA REPORT Meeting Date: January 6, 2026 Meeting Type:Charter Commission Submitted By:Beth Kondrick, Deputy City Clerk Title: Updated Member List Background Attached is an Updated Member List. Financial Impact Recommendation None. Attachments and Other Resources 1.2026 Fridley Charter Commission Member List Vision Statement We believe Fridley will be a safe, vibrant, friendly, and stable home for families and businesses. Charter Commission Membership Name/AddressWardPhoneEmailAppointedTerm Exp. 1(h) 612-242-1513Junlay99@aol.com02-06-2302-06-27 Mohamed Barre (w) 612-348-4997 7509 Lyric Lane NE Fridley, MN 55432 Brad Bremener3(h) 507-402-5634Brad.bremener@gmail.com1-13-251-13-29 6831 East River Road Fridley, MN 55432 2(h) 763-571-0467donfinder@aol.com06-16-9705-11-01 Donald Findell (c) 612-867-995402-21-0105-01-05 6850 Siverts Lane 05-04-0505-01-09 Fridley, MN 55432 02-04-0905-01-13 05-24-1305-01-17 05-03-1705-01-21 05-01-2105-01-25 05-01-2505-01-29 03-01-2203-01-26 2(h) 763-571-8821gardnergregg@msn.com Gregory Gardner 5829 Hackmann Ave. N.E. Fridley, MN 55432 Nikki Karnopp1612-709-6452nikkikarnopp@gmail.com02-03-2002-03-24 482 Rice Creek Terrace N.E.02-03-2402-03-28 Fridley, MN 55432 Steven Kisner2763-300-8888spkisner@yahoo.com01-10-2301-10-27 5871 W. Moore Lake Drive Fridley, MN 55432 Ted Kranz1(h) 763-571-4387tkranz1@comcast.net08-11-0604-22-10 6701 Monroe Street N.E. 03-29-1004-22-14 Fridley, MN 55432 10-21-1404-22-18 04-06-1804-22-22 04-22-2204-22-26 Dave Linton1(h) 763-571-7431Dwlinton99@gmail.com05-20-2405-20-28 6521 Clover Place NE(c) 763-843-3415 Fridley, MN 55432 Audrey Nelson1763-574-1388audmnelson@gmail.com01-10-2401-10-28 st 250 61 Avenue NE Fridley, MN 55432 Rick Nelson3(c) 612-963-2487rickvan16@hotmail.com05-12-1102-13-12 4624 2 ½ Street N.E.02-13-1202-21-16 Fridley, MN 55421 05-27-1602-21-20 02-21-2002-21-24 02-21-2402-21-28 -OVER-Updated: 12-15-2025 Charter Commission Membership 05-12-0505-01-07 Pam Reynolds2(c) 763-222-9386fnpam@hotmail.com 03-22-0705-01-11 1241 Norton Avenue N.E. 04-04-1105-01-15 Fridley, MN 55432 05-01-19 05-04-15 11-04-23 11-04-19 10-02-27 10-02-23 2(c) 612-799-5993valerier13@gmail.com02-15-1705-01-17 Valerie Rolstad 05-03-1705-01-21 1100 Lynde Drive 05-01-2105-01-25 Fridley, MN 55432 05-01-2505-01-29 1763-780-0541schmitzdouglas@gmail.com01-10-2401-10-28 Douglas Schmitz 7311 Tempo Terrace NE Fridley, MN 55432 2763-494-1119Mexicali3367@yahoo.com11-03-2511-03-29 Natividad Seefeld 1106 Onondaga Street NE Fridley, MN 55432 1612-590-4721Ksmith1883@gmail.com05-20-2405-20-28 Kathy Smith 7350 Melody Drive NE Fridley, MN 55432 -OVER-Updated: 12-15-2025 AGENDA REPORT Meeting Date: January 6, 2026 Meeting Type:Charter Commission Submitted By:Beth Kondrick, Deputy City Clerk Title: Upcoming Terms Expiring: Greg Gardner and Ted Kranz Background Commissioner Greg Gardner's appointment to the Fridley Charter Commission (Commission) expires March 1, 2026. Commissioner Ted Kranz's appointment to the Commission expires April 28, 2026. Financial Impact Recommendation If Commissioners Gardner and Kranz wish to be reappointed, a motion to recommend to their reappointment to the Chief Judge would be required. If either Commissioner does not wish to be reappointed, a motion to declare an opening on the Commission would be in order. Attachments and Other Resources Vision Statement We believe Fridley will be a safe, vibrant, friendly, and stable home for families and businesses. AGENDA REPORT Meeting Date: January 6, 2026 Meeting Type:Charter Commission Submitted By:Melissa Moore, Assistant City Manager Title: League of Minnesota Cities Charter Commission Training Background The League of Minnesota Cities (LMC) offers a Charter Assistance Program, providing neutral information and analysis to cities related to charter-related policy issues. More information on the program may be read online: lmc.org/resources/charter-assistance-program/. In May 2024, an LMC attorney provided an information session with the Commission. With several new members on the Commission, staff recommended another information session. Chair Nelson directed staff to coordinate with LMC for a training on this evening's agenda. LMC attorney, Josephine Rosene, will present to the Commission and answer any questions members may have. Financial Impact Recommendation Attachments and Other Resources Vision Statement We believe Fridley will be a safe, vibrant, friendly, and stable home for families and businesses. AGENDA REPORT Meeting Date: January 6, 2026 Meeting Type:Charter Commission Submitted By:Melissa Moore, Assistant City Manager Title: Discuss Letter from Mayor Ostwald Regarding Chapter 5 Background On November 10, 2025 staff presented Ordinance No. 1435 to the City Council for consideration of a first reading. The ordinance incorporated the Commission's various proposed revisions to Chapter 5 of the City Charter. The Council unanimously voted down the first reading of the ordinance (Councilmember Vescio was not in attendance). On November 19, 2025 Mayor Ostwald mailed the attached letter to the Commission. Chair Nelson asked staff to place the letter on this evening's agenda for discussion. Financial Impact Recommendation Attachments and Other Resources 1.Mayor Ostwald Letter to Charter Commission 11-19-2025 Vision Statement We believe Fridley will be a safe, vibrant, friendly, and stable home for families and businesses. AGENDA REPORT Meeting Date: January 6, 2026 Meeting Type:Charter Commission Submitted By:Beth Kondrick, Deputy City Clerk Title: Subcommittee to document logic of proposed Chapter 5 changes Background Commissioner Smith has proposed creating a sub-committee in compliance with the Open Meeting Law, to work on documenting the logic of the proposed changes to Chapter 5. The sub-committee's work is to be reviewed by the Charter Committee when completed. Financial Impact Recommendation Attachments and Other Resources Vision Statement We believe Fridley will be a safe, vibrant, friendly, and stable home for families and businesses. AGENDA REPORT Meeting Date: January 6, 2026 Meeting Type:Charter Commission Submitted By:Beth Kondrick, Deputy City Clerk Title: Future Meeting Topics Background Future meeting topics requested by commissioners: Joint meeting with the City Council February 6, 2026 Candidate interview process Selection of next Chapter for review Commission Onboarding Manual Meeting schedule cadence Chapter 6 Financial Impact Recommendation None. Attachments and Other Resources Vision Statement We believe Fridley will be a safe, vibrant, friendly, and stable home for families and businesses.