Minutes - Council - 04/02/2024 - Special

Home

Jim Bendtsen, 14131 Junkite Street, came forward and said he was surprised that the Council did not know about this before he brought it forward to them. He said this has been being discussed at the legislature since the end of February. He asked if the City had any membership or a liaison with the League of Minnesota Cities. Acting Mayor Riley said he was aware of this and had already been discussing it with City Administrator Hagen before Mr. Bendtsen brought this forward. City Attorney Knaak said there are a bunch of discussions that are floating around the legislature, so it is a lot to keep track of. He noted that zoning regulations are not typically the attention- grabbing issues. Councilmember Musgrove said the League of Minnesota Cities and the North Metro Mayors Association were both watching this and asking for help from cities to provide more pushback on this. She noted they may have missed this; however, she is glad they are to the point where they can have a special meeting and create a plan going forward. She shared that this is awful legislation. She said they have made a few amendments to these bills; however, they are still awful. She noted this would essentially eliminate the Planning Commission. She said this would take so many things from the City’s control. She shared that the League of Minnesota Cities wants their help. Senator Cal Bahr came forward and reiterated that this would eliminate all zoning actions within cities as these bills are designed to centralize control. He explained that these bills would take the control from City Councils and move it to a centralized agency, the State. He said Ramsey is the most populous of the cities he represents. He explained that minimum lot sizes would be completely eliminated if these bills pass. He noted that the contractors that are in support of this think that cities make it impossible to build in their city due to regulations. He said there is some legitimacy to this argument; however, it is not enough to take away local control of who can build what and where they can build it. He said these bills will escalate into all zoning and building elements of cities. He noted that the more stern they can draft this letter the better. He added that any bills are still alive up until the session adjourns. He encouraged the City to remain vigilant. Acting Mayor Riley asked if there are any recommended changes to the draft letter. Councilmember Howell recommended having City Attorney Knaak scrutinize the letter and add more aggressive language where needed. Councilmember Woestehoff shared he would trust Staff to write a strongly worded letter based on the Council’s feedback this evening. Councilmember Musgrove asked who they should reach out to other cities to join the coalition. Acting Mayor Riley said they can reach out to other cities at the City level as well as individual Councilmembers. City Council Special Session / April 2, 2024 Page 5 of 7