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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMay 27, 2026 City Council Regular Meeting MinutesCITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS Regular Meeting of the City Council City Hall 2077 West Larpenteur Avenue MINUTES li4ay 27,2026 at 7:00 P.M A. CALL TO ORDER: 7:01P.M. B. ROLL CALL: GUSTAFSON X MAY X MOGEN X MIELKE X WASSENBERG STAFF PRESENT: LINEHAN X C. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Council Member Mogen motions to approve the agenda; Approved 4-0 D PRESENTATION 1. 2026 Neal Kwong Award Recipient Mayor Gustafson introduced Gary Kwong and Chris Kwong, who were present with family, to present the2026 Neal Kwong Youth Citizenship Award to Katherine Fisher. The award was established following the tragic death of Neal Kwong, who passed away at the age of 1.5, and recognizes Falcon Heights youth between the ages of 12 and 19 who display outstanding leadership, volunteerism, or citizenship in the community. Gary Kwong spoke to the spirit of the award, emphasizing that volunteerism is its foundation and noting that no cash prize is givery as doing so would undermine the message of service. He reflected on the importance of community involvement and how understanding it changes across generations. He noted that the award is intended for youth who live in Falcon Heights and choose to serve, whether within the city or more broadly. The award recipien! Katherine Fisher, addressed the Council and described her primary volunteer work at Norway House, a cultural institution in Minneapolis. She explained that her involvement is driven in part by her Norwegian heritage and her desire to connect with and share her culture with others. Council Member Mogen took a moment to note that Neal Kwong had been an Eagle Scout, and to share that his own son had eamed his Eagle Scout on May 14th. He encouraged families of youth who earn their Eagle Scout, Gold Star, or similar distinctions to contact him so that recognition could be arranged at a future Council meeting. Council Member Mielke added that she, too, found the occasion personally meaningful, as her son had previously received the Neal Kwong Award. Gustafson motions to award lhe 2026 Neal Kwong Award to Katherine Fisher and approve Resolution26-45; \pproved 4-0 12 E. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: May 13, 2026 Clty Council Workshop Meeting Minutes May 13, 2026 City Council Meeting Minutes Mielke motions to approve the minutes; Approved 4-0 F. PUBLIC HEARINGS: CONSENT AGENDA: 1. General Disbursements through 5/21,/26: fi35,739.66 Payroll through 5 / 21. / 26: $24,821..63 Wire Payments through 5 / 21. / 26: $18,331.95 2. City Licensing 3. Approval of Resolution26-46 Accepting the Resignation of Eric Brenton from the Parks and Recreation Commission 4. Approval of Resolution26-47 Appointing Kathryn Merriam to the Parks and Recreation Commission 5. Consideration of Ordinance 26-04 Assigning a Street Address for PID 212923110029 6. Approval of Resolution26-4S ldentifying the Need for Funding to Complete the 2050 Comprehensive Plan Update and Authorizing an Application for Planning Assistance Grant Funds 7. Approval of Resolution26-49 Exercising the City's Authority to Opt-In to, and Support the Ramsey County Economic Development Agency ("EDA") Before approval of the consent agenda, Mielke asked for clarification on ltem2, the City Licensing item appearing on page 29 of the packet. City Administrator Linehan explained that the license was for ecoATM, a kiosk to be located within Speedway that allows residents to recycle old electronics such as phones. He noted that the business required its own local license due to the structure of its operation. May then inquired how the kiosk functions. While Linehan cannot speak to the specifics on how the kiosk operates, he confirmed that all necessary documents had been received and the applicant was otherwise compliant. No items were pulled from the consent agenda Gustafson motions to approve the consent agenda; Approved 4-0 H: POLICY ITEMS; 1 2 J G. No policy items were presented. 13 I: INFORMATION / ANNOUNCEMENTS: May shared that the Environment Commission is currently recruiting gardens for the July 18th Lawn and Garden Tour, encouraging residents with home or vegetable gardens to sign up. The Commission is also focused on identifying more immediate goals within the climate action plan and on distributing hees across the city to address heat islands in areas of low tree cover. May also reported attending the first meeting of the Community Advisory Committee as an observer, noting it was off to a strong start. She additionally reminded residents of the Candlelight Vigil at the Peace Garden on July 6th and the Unity Day gathering at City Hall on July 7th. Mielke reported that the Community Engagement Commission helped plan the Spring Together event held May L6th at Curtis Field, which was well-attended. She noted that NineNorth's board met the previous week, and that the deadline for achieving ADA-compliant websites and social media has been extended to 2028. Closed captioning for live meetings remains a work in progress, as the necessary software has not yet been identified. She also announced the Falcon Heights Neighbors Night at the Goldstein Museum of Design on the University of Minnesota's St. Paul campus will be held on June 18th from 5:00 to 6:30 PM. The event is aimed at strengthening community ties with the campus. Mogen noted that the Planning Commission canceled its meeting scheduled for the following Tuesday due to no agenda items. Gustafson reported that the Parks and Recreation Commission would be conducting individual park audits instead of holding its June meeting and also noted that a vacancy exists on the Commission. He highlighted a recent improvement at Community Park in which public works staff lowered fences to prevent tennis balls from escaping. He also reminded residents of the Ice Cream Social on July 16th. Linehan provided an update on Community Park constructiory noting the project is on schedule. Concrete curbing had been poured in recent days, with the pouring of the parking lot asphalt anticipated later in the week. He encouraged residents to visit the site to see the project taking shape. He noted that the Community Advisory Committee's next meeting would be June 17frl, andthat the Council and residents would be invited to tour the Highland Bridge development project in Saint Paul - the former Ford plant site - to gain perspective relevant to the city's own planning efforts. Finally, Linehan announced that the city's new website would launch within the following week, with a transition to a new web address of falconheightsmn.gov, in compliance with new state election agency requirements for a dot-gov domain. J: COMMUNITY FORUM: No members of the public came forward. The Community Forum was closed. Please limit comments to 3 minrLtes per person. Items brought before the Council will be referred for consideration. Council may ask questions for clarifcation, but no council action or discussion will be held on thtse items. 14 K: ADJOURNMENT: 7:23P.M. Amendments to the agenda are noted in bolil for additions and s+rlleethr+Wk for remoaals. Randall C. Dated this 10tn day of |une,2026 City Administrator Mielke motions to adjoum the meeting; Approved 4-0 Mayor l 15