Based on the context provided and the content of the transcript, here is the formatted version with speaker names. *Note: The transcript mentions "Council Member Wayland." While not in your provided list, this refers to **Council Member Ben Whalen** (Ward 4), a common phonetic transcription error. I have used his correct name below. I have also used **City Clerk Michelle Friedrich** in place of "Leslie" to remain consistent with your provided official list.* *** **[00:00:00] Mayor Mary Supple:** Good evening everyone. It is 7 p.m. and I'm going to call to order the regular city council meeting of the city of Richfield, September 26, 2023. If you are able, please rise and join us for the Pledge of Allegiance. **[00:00:15] Group:** I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. **[00:00:30] Mayor Mary Supple:** Thank you. Next, we'll go to the Open Forum. If you are listening virtually, you can call into Open Forum by dialing 1-415-655-0001. The webinar access code is 2634-625-3795 and the password is one two three four. Is there anyone who is currently called in, City Clerk? **[00:00:50] City Clerk Michelle Friedrich:** Mayor Supple, there is not. **[00:01:00] Mayor Mary Supple:** All right, we do have one resident who's in the room that has signed up. I'm going to call Kathleen Balaban to the podium. **[00:01:10] Kathleen Balaban:** Good evening, Madam Mayor and City Council Members. My name is Kathleen and I live on 65th and Stevens Avenue South, and we've met before. I receive various pamphlets and brochures throughout the year from Richfield School District, Recreational Services Division, and an annual update that are informative for their respective services and targeted audiences. On the Residents Resource page on Richfield's website, there is a Residents Guide that was last updated in 2019. The date was removed from the updated front page, but on page three, Pat Elliott is noted as the Mayor. For all practical purposes, this is the only page that really needs to be updated as most of the telephone numbers are still valid. This is a very informative document with minimal maintenance requirements on a regular basis; however, this guide hasn't been updated in quite some time and staff should take a look to see if some of the services are still being provided. The "things you should know" section we can update with recycling, organic recycling, and some of the things that are new since 2018 with moderate updates and photos. The current 16-page guide could stay under 18 pages or nine sheets front and back of recycled paper. However, I suggest that we increase it to 18 sheets of paper and with a flip of the wrist, we can read either English or Spanish. Once created, I'm suggesting that the city not only offer it free at City Hall, the community center, library, and other local businesses, but also send a new updated guide to every household—first time out, maybe every three to five years—but it needs to be out there and it needs to be accessible to the public. With all due respect, this is the third time I'm asking to have this guide updated so that at the very least I can share it with my neighbors. In the past, it has been via emails to the city staff, city manager, assistant city manager, etc. I'm now asking the City Council to update this and get it to us as residents. It's very informative and we can really use it. Thank you. **[00:03:30] Mayor Mary Supple:** Thank you. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak? Is there anyone else that is online? **[00:03:40] City Clerk Michelle Friedrich:** There is not. **[00:03:45] Mayor Mary Supple:** All right, then we'll move on to approval of the minutes of the City Council work session of September 12, 2023, and the City Council meeting of September 12, 2023. **[00:03:55] Council Member Sean Hayford Oleary:** I move approval of those minutes. Um, I'm going to pause for a second—it’s the September 26th [on the agenda], I believe we mean September 12th minutes are correct? It's just the issue on the agenda, right? **[00:04:10] Mayor Mary Supple:** All right, so you're moving the September 12th? **[00:04:12] Council Member Sean Hayford Oleary:** Thank you, I am moving the September 12th minutes. **[00:04:15] Council Member Sharon Christensen:** Second. **[00:04:20] Mayor Mary Supple:** All right, it's been moved and seconded to approve the Council work session of September 12th and the City Council meeting of September 12th minutes. Is there any discussion? All in favor please say aye. **[00:04:30] Group:** Aye. **[00:04:32] Mayor Mary Supple:** All opposed? And we've approved those minutes. Thank you. Next, we'll move on to approval of tonight's agenda. **[00:04:40] Council Member Sharon Christensen:** I would move to approve the agenda. **[00:04:42] Council Member Sean Hayford Oleary:** Second. **[00:04:45] Mayor Mary Supple:** Okay, it's been moved and seconded to approve the agenda. Any changes or comments? All in favor of approving the agenda please say aye. **[00:04:55] Group:** Aye. **[00:04:57] Mayor Mary Supple:** All opposed? And we have approved our agenda. Next, we'll move on to our presentations. Our first Proclamation is going to be given to the members of the HRC commission. *Mayor Mary Supple reads the LGBTQ+ History Month Proclamation.* **[00:07:00] Mayor Mary Supple:** Now therefore, I, Mary Supple, Mayor of the City of Richfield, on behalf of the Richfield City Council, do hereby proclaim the month of October 2023 as LGBTQ History Month in the City of Richfield. I'm going to call forward Commissioner Gluca from the Human Rights Commission to receive this. Congratulations. **[00:07:30] Mark Gluca:** Thanks. Hi, my name is Mark Gluca and I'm a member of the Human Rights Commission here in Richfield. I wanted to say a couple of things about LGBTQ history... *Mark Gluca speaks regarding LGBTQ history and reads an account from a friend fleeing Missouri.* **[00:10:00] Mark Gluca:** I will spend another night tossing and turning with a million thoughts about how to obtain security and safety while the rest of the world is silent. Thank you. **[00:10:15] Mayor Mary Supple:** Thank you for sharing those powerful words and thank you for receiving the proclamation on behalf of the Human Rights Commission. We appreciate your leadership. Did any one of the other councils want to say anything? All right, then we'll move on to our second Proclamation. *Mayor Mary Supple reads the Proclamation regarding Gun Violence Awareness and Healing.* **[00:12:30] Mayor Mary Supple:** Now therefore, I, Mary Supple, Mayor of the City of Richfield, do proclaim that September is hereby recognized as a time of healing and reflection on gun violence. Thank you. Did anyone on the council wish to add anything? **[00:12:45] Council Member Ben Whalen:** I'll just say, to the points that Mayor made, unfortunately, these two proclamations are not totally separate... I am proud to be in a state that has leaders who've declared it a refuge for trans folks and passing some common-sense gun regulations last year. Obviously, much more to do, but I want to give thanks for the people who are working on taking action. **[00:13:20] Mayor Mary Supple:** Thank you. Thank you for the staff that helped put this together and also for the families that reached out. At this point, I would like to welcome our County Commissioner Debbie Goettel. **[00:13:40] County Commissioner Debbie Goettel:** Mayor Supple and City Council Members, City staff... It's great to be at my hometown City Hall making an annual presentation to you. *Commissioner Goettel presents the Hennepin County update, covering the budget, pandemic recovery, mental health, small business grants, Southdale Library, and environmental initiatives.* **[00:25:00] County Commissioner Debbie Goettel:** At this time, Mayor Supple, I wanted to give this back to you. I know there were some questions—would you like me to address more of the homeless issue that people wanted to hear about? **[00:25:15] Mayor Mary Supple:** Yes, thank you so much for your leadership and for all the services you're providing. We've been hearing a lot of concerns about what we can do to support those individuals that are without shelter, and some feedback that our social workers had gotten was that they wanted more safety in the shelters. If you could speak to that, that would be great. **[00:25:40] County Commissioner Debbie Goettel:** So, we are now 24/7 shelters... *Commissioner Goettel explains the county's approach to sheltering, 1800 Chicago, outreach teams, and the current surge in families seeking shelter.* **[00:30:00] Mayor Mary Supple:** Thank you for addressing that. Are there other questions that council members would like to ask? **[00:30:10] Council Member Sean Hayford Oleary:** Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Commissioner. I'm glad to see Southdale Library is back at the 70th and York site. I also wanted to comment on the street work; I appreciate you continuing to advocate for Penn Avenue. I've seen your staff working on Nicollet Avenue and I'm really impressed at the positive change out of transportation planning in Hennepin County. **[00:31:30] County Commissioner Debbie Goettel:** Let me give you a little bit more context... *Commissioner Goettel discusses Penn Avenue infrastructure challenges and the decision to keep the Southdale Library land as a park.* **[00:33:45] Mayor Mary Supple:** I am intrigued in the future to find out more about the guaranteed base income pilot and the Elevate Hennepin program. **[00:34:00] County Commissioner Debbie Goettel:** Take care, and thank you for having me. **[00:34:15] Mayor Mary Supple:** All right, so now we're going to move on to the consent calendar. I'm going to turn it over to City Manager Rodriguez. **[00:34:20] City Manager Katie Rodriguez:** Thank you, Mayor. The consent calendar contains several separate items which are acted upon by the city council in one motion. On tonight's consent calendar is just one item: Item A, consider the adoption of a resolution appointing election judges and establishing an absentee ballot board. I submit this item for your consideration. **[00:34:45] Council Member Sharon Christensen:** So moved. **[00:34:47] Council Member Ben Whalen:** Second. **[00:34:50] Mayor Mary Supple:** All in favor please say aye. **[00:34:52] Group:** Aye. **[00:34:55] Mayor Mary Supple:** We've passed the consent calendar. Next, we're moving to Item Number 7, regarding building, planning, and zoning fees. I'm going to turn it over to Council Member Whalen to conduct the public hearing. **[00:35:10] Council Member Ben Whalen:** Thank you, Mayor. City staff annually review fees... Unlike other fees, these are required to be set by ordinance. I don't believe staff has anything to add? I will open a public hearing. *No one speaks at the public hearing.* **[00:36:30] Council Member Ben Whalen:** I would make a motion then to close the public hearing. **[00:36:33] Council Member Sharon Christensen:** Second. **[00:36:35] Mayor Mary Supple:** All in favor? (Aye). We've closed the public hearing. **[00:36:40] Council Member Ben Whalen:** I would make the motion to approve the attached ordinance amendment to Richfield City Code Appendix D and approve a resolution authorizing summary publication. **[00:36:55] Council Member Sean Hayford Oleary:** Second. **[00:37:00] Mayor Mary Supple:** Any discussion? All in favor please say aye. (Aye). We have passed the recommended action. Next is Item Number 8, regarding smoking in public parks. Council Member Hayford O'Leary. **[00:37:15] Council Member Sean Hayford Oleary:** Thank you, Mayor. This is us updating our codes in response to cannabis now being legal in Minnesota. Staff recommendations include prohibiting cannabis smoking in public parks and during community events. Does staff have anything to add? **[00:37:45] City Manager Katie Rodriguez:** Thank you, council member. I've asked Support Services Manager Jennifer Anderson to go through the changes. **[00:38:00] Support Services Manager Jennifer Anderson:** As City Manager Rodriguez stated, there was an original draft... The amended language has "Open Spaces" removed; they are instead more precisely defined with addresses of those spaces. Additionally, it is legal to smoke tobacco in a car in a park, but it is not legal to use cannabis in a vehicle anywhere at any time, so we had to make that very clear. **[00:39:15] Council Member Sean Hayford Oleary:** I will go ahead and make that motion to approve the first reading... as well as establishing a petty misdemeanor offense. **[00:39:35] Council Member Ben Whalen:** Second. **[00:39:40] Council Member Sean Hayford Oleary:** For the most part, I've heard this is a positive, common-sense thing to do. If we do not allow tobacco smoking in parks, we should not allow marijuana smoking. **[00:40:10] Mayor Mary Supple:** I appreciate all the clarifications. I do notice right now this is silent on the use of edible cannabinoid products; we probably need a discussion down the road about high-potency ones. All in favor please say aye. (Aye). We've approved the first reading. Item Number 9: Business subsidy policy. Council Member Hayford O'Leary. **[00:40:45] Council Member Sean Hayford Oleary:** In order to grant business subsidies, Minnesota statutes require criteria... Staff worked with legal counsel to draft the amended policy. *Council Member Hayford O'Leary details wage floor increases and job creation goals.* **[00:42:30] Council Member Sean Hayford Oleary:** I move that we adopt a resolution approving the amended and restated business subsidy policy. **[00:42:40] Council Member Ben Whalen:** Second. **[00:42:45] Council Member Ben Whalen:** I just wanted to say thank you. I think it was worth the time to check on whether independent contractors were included. I feel confident that the current policy is not contributing to larger problems. **[00:43:30] Mayor Mary Supple:** All in favor please say aye. (Aye). We've adopted the resolution. Item 10: Youth Commissioners. Council Member Christensen. **[00:43:45] Council Member Sharon Christensen:** The city advisory commission terms for youth members are for one year. I move the appointment of Maya Irvasti to the Human Rights Commission and Alexander Valle Orsonio to the Transportation Commission. **[00:44:15] Council Member Sean Hayford Oleary:** Second. **[00:44:20] Mayor Mary Supple:** Thank you, Maya, for hanging in there through the meeting. All in favor please say aye. (Aye). Next, City Manager's report. **[00:44:40] City Manager Katie Rodriguez:** I will add my congratulations and otherwise I don't have anything else to report. **[00:44:50] Mayor Mary Supple:** Claims and payroll? **[00:44:55] Council Member Ben Whalen:** I would move to approve claims and payroll. **[00:44:58] Council Member Sharon Christensen:** Second. **[00:45:10] Mayor Mary Supple:** All in favor? (Aye). Next, Hats Off to Hometown Hits. **[00:45:20] Council Member Sean Hayford Oleary:** I am excited for the progress of the Taft bike park; the ribbon cutting will be Tuesday, October 3rd at 5 PM. **[00:45:35] Council Member Sharon Christensen:** I'd like to give a hats off to the Pen Fest celebration we had this past week. **[00:45:50] Council Member Ben Whalen:** I wanted to highlight several events: Great Pumpkin giveaway, Bark in the Park, and Half-Haunted Halloween. Also, voting has begun. City Clerk, can I put you on the spot for early voting options? **[00:46:15] City Clerk Michelle Friedrich:** Early voting is available at City Hall Monday through Friday, 8 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. We also have extended hours the Saturday before the election from 9 to 3. **[00:46:40] Mayor Mary Supple:** I wanted to do a hats off to Management Analyst [Chris] Swanson for serving on the Noise Oversight Commission. Also, the renovation celebration tour is October 7th. Finally, a note on turkeys: I've been getting calls about aggressive turkeys. Chief Henthorne passed on advice: establish dominance by hazing them. Pop open an umbrella, wave your arms, or use fox urine. **[00:48:30] Council Member Ben Whalen:** Mayor, may I just clarify—the umbrella thing is real advice? **[00:48:35] Mayor Mary Supple:** It's on the list! I move that we adjourn. **[00:48:40] Council Member Sharon Christensen:** Second. **[00:48:45] Mayor Mary Supple:** All in favor? (Aye). We're adjourned. Thank you.