Agenda - Council - 05/26/2026 - Laserfiche WebLink

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CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION CITY OF RAMSEY ANOKA COUNTY STATE OF MINNESOTA The Ramsey City Council conducted a City Council Work Session on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at the Ramsey Municipal Center, 7550 Sunwood Drive NW, Ramsey, Minnesota. Members Present: Also Present: Mayor Ryan Heineman Councilmember Kirsten Buscher Councilmember Michael Olson Councilmember Eric Peters Councilmember Chris Riley Councilmember Dan Specht Councilmember Shanna Stewart City Administrator Brian Hagen Community Development Director Stephanie Hanson Police Chief Brad Bluml Administrative Services Director Colleen Lasher Planning Manager Todd Larson City Attorney Amanda Johnson 1. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Heineman called the City Council Work Session to order at 5:30 p.m. 2. TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION 2.01: Review Draft Local Affordable Housing Aid (LAHA) Policy Planning Manager Larson introduced the concept of the Local Affordable Housing Assistance (LAHA) program, aimed at Ramsey residents. He explained the draft policy, emphasizing the need for homeowner -based programs to help residents with financial constraints. The program included eligible participants, eligible expenses, and matching contributions, with a focus on ensuring residents contribute some money to the program. Planning Manager Larson detailed the eligible participants, giving preference to seniors and households with a median income of 80% or less. The program included both exterior and interior improvements, with building pen -nits required for most projects. Matching contributions were discussed, with the idea that residents should contribute to the program to ensure they stay in their homes. The program would pay contractors directly, similar to Anoka County's approach, to avoid issues with homeowners receiving kickbacks. City Council Work Session / May 12, 2026 Page 1 of 3