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7.02: Receive Update on Metropolitan Council Brownfield Cleanup Grant Award and <br />Discuss Fair Housing Policy Requirement <br />Community Development Director Gladhill reviewed the staff report and stated that staff is <br />seeking broad policy direction and is not providing a specific recommendation. However, staff <br />reiterates that this policy is not required or otherwise mandated but is necessary if the City <br />desires to access the cleanup grant dollars recently awarded to the City for the River Walk <br />Village development project. The policy is not a requirement for all Livable Communities <br />Grants, from which the City has received nearly $6,000,000 in the past 20 years. <br />Acting Mayor Riley stated that it seems that if the City wants to accept the award of $900,000, <br />the City would be required to have this policy in place. <br />Community Development Director Gladhill confirmed that to be true. <br />Councilmember Heinrich asked and received confirmation that the Fair Housing Officer position <br />would be deferred to an existing staff member. She asked for information on the training that <br />would be required. <br />Community Development Director Gladhill stated that it is his understanding that the training is <br />more about Ramsey staff training other Ramsey staff to ensure that the calls are being directed to <br />the Fair Housing Officer. <br />Councilmember Heinrich asked if the requirements would be things that current staff could <br />handle. <br />Community Development Director Gladhill confirmed that these elements do not seem to place a <br />burden on staff. He explained that staff is already doing these things; this would just place it <br />under a new lens. <br />Councilmember Kuzma stated that he was pleased to see the grant award, noting that this <br />property has been a problem for years, and therefore he would support this policy. <br />Acting Mayor Riley stated that he understands that a policy needs to be drafted and adopted and <br />would like to see the policy as "City friendly" and least restrictive as possible. <br />Councilmember Musgrove referenced the bullet points; specifically the item which states the <br />City does not restrict the number of people in a dwelling unit and asked for information related <br />to the Fire Code. <br />Community Development Director Gladhill stated that it more related to college atmospheres <br />where there are a number of unrelated individuals living in a home, which can overload. He <br />stated that case law states that the City can restrict the number of unrelated individuals living in a <br />dwelling unit, but the City currently does not have such a limit <br />City Council / August 27, 2019 <br />Page 5 of 6 <br />