Based on the context provided and the dialogue within the transcript, here is the formatted version with speaker names. *Note: While your provided list mentions Council Members Christensen, Burk, and Coleman-Woods, the transcript explicitly names **Council Member Whalen** and **Council Member Troutman**. I have used the names as they were addressed by the Mayor during the meeting.* *** **[00:00:00] Mayor Mary Supple:** With us? All right. Are we all right? Good evening, everyone. It is 7 P.M. on Tuesday, February 14th, and I'm going to call to order the regular city council meeting for the city of Richfield. If you are able, please stand and join us for the Pledge of Allegiance. **[00:00:15] Everyone:** 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. **[00:00:25] Mayor Mary Supple:** Thank you. Next, we have the open Forum. If you are watching online, you can call in by dialing 1-415-655-0001, use the webinar access code 2540-712-7948, and the password is one two three four. Has anyone called in for that? Is there anyone here in the audience that wishes to speak at the open forum? All right, we'll wait. I think there's a little bit of a tape delay, so we'll wait and see if someone calls in. Okay, it does not appear that anyone is calling in or waiting to speak. Do you have anyone there, Management Analyst Swanson? **[00:01:05] Management Analyst Chris Swanson:** Mayor and Council, there is nobody on the line waiting to speak. **[00:01:10] Mayor Mary Supple:** All right, then we will move forward. Next, we have our next agenda item is approval of the minutes of the city council regular meeting of January 24th, 2023, and the Joint City Council and Transportation Commission work session of February 1st, 2023. **[00:01:25] Council Member Ben Troutman:** I'll move to approve the minutes. **[00:01:27] Council Member Mary Whalen:** Second. **[00:01:28] Mayor Mary Supple:** It's been moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? All in favor please say aye. **[00:01:32] Council Members:** Aye. **[00:01:33] Mayor Mary Supple:** All opposed? All right, we've approved the minutes. Next, we have a proclamation celebrating Black History Month that was forwarded to us by the Human Rights Commission, and Carol Kelly is going to join me over here for the presentation of the proclamation. So we're going to read through this and then if you'd like to say a few words, you're welcome to. **[00:01:50] Mayor Mary Supple:** [Reads the proclamation regarding Black History Month milestones in the US and Richfield specifically, including the hiring of Robert Worthington in 1969 and the 11.8% African-American population in 2022]. Now therefore, I, Mary Supple, mayor of Richfield, on behalf of the Richfield city council, do hereby proclaim the month of February 2023 as Black History Month in the city of Richfield... Proclaimed this 14th day of February 2023. Thank you for coming to accept this Proclamation and thank you to the Human Rights Commission. Would you like to say something? **[00:04:45] Carol Kelly (Human Rights Commission):** Thank you, Mayor Supple, very, very much. I'm really proud to receive this Proclamation not just as a resident of Richfield, but one of the people of color within our community. It's really important work that has been acknowledged... Black History Month isn't just about the Rosa Parks of the world; they're about the coach Flucases at Richfield High School and the Officer Woods of our Police Department. I thank you all for this Proclamation. **[00:05:30] Mayor Mary Supple:** Did any of the other council members wish to say anything? Council Member Whalen? **[00:05:35] Council Member Mary Whalen:** I just wanted to say thank you, Carol, and other members of the Human Rights Commission. I often when we do proclamations like this make a point of pointing out the ways that we are living it out... I believe by March we'll have a public-facing dashboard of how we're advancing on our goals on all the aspects of it including equity. I'm proud that we are doing both of those things. **[00:06:10] Council Member Ben Troutman:** I will just say very briefly thank you to Carol and thanks for the Human Rights Commission for putting this together. It is good reminders... a good refresher on the importance of Black Richfielders. Thank you. **[00:06:25] Council Member Sean Hayford O’Leary:** And echo that. It's great to see you, Carol Kelly, and I just want to thank you for your leadership and our community in volunteering on the Human Rights Commission also... To the extent we continue to learn new things when we have proclamations like that, it justifies the need for proclamations like that. So thanks to the Human Rights Commission. **[00:06:55] Mayor Mary Supple:** Thank you again, Carol, and thank you to the Human Rights Commission. All right, next we have a proclamation for a resident of Richfield who just turned 100 years old... [Mayor Supple reads the proclamation for Solvay Tweeden, born February 11, 1923, highlighting her career as a dietitian and her 100th birthday celebration]. Now therefore, I, Mary Supple, mayor of Richfield, do hereby proclaim February 11, 2023, as Solvay Tweeden Day in the city of Richfield. Congratulations and happy birthday. I don't know if anyone else wants to add anything? **[00:09:10] Council Member Ben Troutman:** I'm just going to say because of the Norwegian connection, which is "Gratulerer med dagen," which is Happy Birthday in Norwegian. Also, I love that she makes lefse because my family also does an annual lefse tradition. **[00:09:25] Mayor Mary Supple:** Thank you. All right, then we will move on to approval of the agenda. **[00:09:30] Council Member Ben Troutman:** I would move the approval of the agenda. **[00:09:32] Council Member Mary Whalen:** Second. **[00:09:33] Mayor Mary Supple:** It's been moved and seconded to approve the agenda. Is there any discussion? All in favor please say aye. **[00:09:37] Council Members:** Aye. **[00:09:38] Mayor Mary Supple:** All opposed? All right, we've approved the agenda. Next, we'll move on to the consent calendar. City Manager Rodriguez? **[00:09:45] 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. [Summarizes Items A through G, including MSP Commercials headquarters, police sergeants' health care savings, Sheridan pond maintenance, and the water treatment plant roof replacement]. I submit these items for your consideration. **[00:11:35] Mayor Mary Supple:** Thank you. Do we have any questions or clarifications? Council Member Hayford O'Leary? **[00:11:40] Council Member Sean Hayford O’Leary:** Just a couple comments on Item A, the 6436 Penn. I was just curious what's the pattern for when these land use approvals come on consent versus its own item? **[00:11:55] City Manager Katie Rodriguez:** It was unanimously approved by the Planning Commission and there were just no issues with that. I don't think we have a formal process. Sometimes when we put the agenda together, I will note it for the Mayor if I think it could go on one or the other. **[00:12:10] Council Member Sean Hayford O’Leary:** Okay. Yeah, like I said, I don't have any concerns... This is a building that we had a different proposal for and a variance that we denied. I did want to note as we think in the future about our parking rules... we're requiring half again as many parking spots as people will ever be in the building. That's unfortunate, but given the existing climate, I think they did a really good job with this and I'm glad with the recommendation. **[00:13:00] Mayor Mary Supple:** All right. Any other clarification questions? Otherwise, a motion is in order. **[00:13:05] Council Member Mary Whalen:** I move approval. **[00:13:06] Council Member Ben Troutman:** Second. **[00:13:07] Mayor Mary Supple:** The consent calendar has been moved and seconded. Is there any other discussion? All in favor please say aye. **[00:13:11] Council Members:** Aye. **[00:13:12] Mayor Mary Supple:** All opposed? And we've passed the consent calendar. Next, we'll move on to the City Manager's report. **[00:13:20] City Manager Katie Rodriguez:** Thank you, Mayor. We have had two requests for travel for Council Members to national conferences. Council Member Troutman is interested in attending the National League of Cities conference in March, and then Council Member Whalen (transcript says 'Freeland,' likely referring to Whalen) had expressed a possible interest in that conference in the fall... If you send two council members this year, you would be over budget for this year, but you've been under for four years. I just want to open it up for the discussion. **[00:14:10] Council Member Mary Whalen:** I can just share the one I'm considering—I don't know if it's in the cards given being a new parent—but is the Local Progress national convening. I wanted to ask if folks are comfortable with that or would want to look at the actual details of it before using City funds for it. **[00:15:00] Council Member Ben Troutman:** With regards to the National League of Cities, it's city leaders from across the country from a variety of political points of view. I found it really helpful when I had the opportunity when I was first a council member to attend... If there was a question about the budget, I'd be very happy to withdraw my proposal, but I think it's a great opportunity every so often to cross-pollinate your ideas. **[00:15:45] Council Member Sean Hayford O’Leary:** I don't have an issue with either one. An understanding that one expensive conference per council member per term would make sense to me. I support both these requests. **[00:16:15] Mayor Mary Supple:** I do think it's important for people to attend conferences... I think it would be helpful if we had protocols for how we decided on other conferences in the future. I don't have an objection, but I think to make it cleaner down the road we should figure out some kind of criteria. **[00:16:40] Council Member Mary Whalen:** Looking up the issues they work on... affordable housing, economic justice, equity... I think many things would be in line with the things in our strategic plan already. But as Council Member Troutman said, if it is just one, I would encourage you to go ahead. **[00:17:35] Council Member Ben Troutman:** I think we should accord ourselves professional discretion... I would only feel uncomfortable if it was particularly party affiliated or sponsored. **[00:18:10] Council Member Sean Hayford O’Leary:** My one suggestion was the process that the City Manager came up with for policy requests was good... an annual meeting where we pitch what we want to do for these conferences. **[00:18:40] City Manager Katie Rodriguez:** Do you want me to develop a form of some kind or would you rather continue to do it verbally? **[00:18:45] Mayor Mary Supple:** I would like a form just so at least we can demonstrate that we thought through it. **[00:18:50] Council Member Ben Troutman:** I would not like a form. [Laughter] **[00:18:55] Council Member Mary Whalen:** I'm fine with the form, but I would not expect staff to spend a lot of time on it. Something similar to the proposed policy ones—literally three questions on a Word document—would be plenty. **[00:19:10] City Manager Katie Rodriguez:** I have no other topic, thank you. **[00:19:15] Mayor Mary Supple:** All right, thank you. Then we will move on to claims and payroll. **[00:19:20] Council Member Mary Whalen:** I'll move claims and payroll. **[00:19:21] Council Member Sean Hayford O’Leary:** Second. **[00:19:22] Mayor Mary Supple:** It's been moved and seconded to approve claims and payroll. Are there any questions? All in favor please say aye. **[00:19:27] Council Members:** Aye. **[00:19:28] Mayor Mary Supple:** All opposed? All right, we have approved the claims and payroll. We'll move on to "Hats Off to Hometown Hits." Council Member Hayford O'Leary? **[00:19:40] Council Member Sean Hayford O’Leary:** I did not have any item for tonight, unfortunately. **[00:19:45] Council Member Ben Troutman:** Thank you, Mayor. I just want to say hats off and thank you to the directors at the city who took time to connect with a visiting mayor from the city of Gaalkacyo, Somalia... special thanks to Senior Analyst Chris Swanson who facilitated that. Second hats off is to our water plant—we toured it and we have some of the greatest water in the country. **[00:20:25] Council Member Mary Whalen:** Thank you, Mayor. I just wanted to lift up a lot of exciting movement at our state capitol... Driver's Licenses for All, the 100% Clean Energy bill, and bonding for the Woodlake Nature Center. I want to thank everyone who has been part of that process. **[00:21:10] Mayor Mary Supple:** I would like to add my thanks to the legislators and the staff... for the Woodlake Nature Center. I also wanted to echo what Council Member Troutman said; it was an honor to welcome the Mayor of Gaalkacyo, Somalia to the city. I also want to thank the tourism promotion board... and a little pitch for programs like Food Truck Fridays—Soul to Soul BBQ will be there this Friday—and Foodie Fridays at the Community Center. Finally, I want to thank Management Analyst Swanson and Analyst Kelly Nguyen for all the behind-the-scenes work. Thank you all, and be safe going home on this icy night. We are adjourned.