HomeMy WebLinkAboutJune 22, 2026 City Council Special Workshop Meeting MinutesC.
CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS
City Council Special Workshop
City Hall
2077 West Larpenteur Avenue
MINUTES
}une22,2026
6:00 P.M.
A. CALL TO ORDER: 5:00 P.M.
B. ROLLCALL:GUSTAFSON-X- MAY-X-
MIELKE virtual MOGEN X WASSENBERG X
STAFF PRESENT: LINEHAN X
POLICY ITEMS:
1. Proposed Changes to2026 Fee Schedule (6:00 P.M.)
Linehan introduced the proposed fee schedule amendments, noting that rather than
bringing changes individually, staff had consolidated several items for efficiency.
Additions were indicated with underlines and removals with strikethroughs throughout
the document.
Commercial Lot License Fee (Page 6 of the packet): Linehan proposed a $35 fee for the
upcoming commercial lot license, noting it was designed to cover approximately half an
hour of staff time per license. He acknowledged this was likely on the low end but was
intended to remain fair to Falcon Heights businesses, with the understanding that the
fee could be reassessed if administration proved more time-intensive. The commercial
lot ordinance itself was not yet ready, as the Planning Commission was scheduled to
address the related zoning district question the following evening. The license and its fee
would come before the Council on July 8tn.
Community Park Facility Rental Fees (Page 11 of the packet): Linehan presented existing
rental fees and suggested fufure determinations should be made for the new
Community Park shelter and kitchen, which would begin accepting fall reservations
once formally announced. He clarified that renters would receive exclusive use of the
shelter, kitchen/servery, and seating underneath, but not the adjacent batlrooms,
playground, or splash pad. Access to the kitchen would be secured via a temporary code
issued with the reservation. The goal was to keep restrooms accessible to the public
tfuoughout the day.
The Council discussed the logistics of same-day "flip" rentals - scheduling a morning
and afternoon rental back-to-back - and the cleaning challenges that would create.
Mogen raised the need for a clear, pre-established cleaning plan rather than an ad hoc
response, emphasizing that staff should not be scrambling to find public works
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personnel after a group departs. He also suggested that cleaning costs should be charged
at actual cost rather than capped at the deposit amounf so that a large mess does not
simply become a convenient flat fee.
May suggested that a straightforward deposit forfeiture - rather than a tiered schedule
of infractions - was the cleaner approach, while also recommending the deposit be set
at a level that meaningfully deters negligent cleanup.
Wassenberg suggested contacting Roseville to learn from their shelter rental experience
and policies.
Gustafson raised the question of whether to limit rentals to one per day to avoid the
logistical burden of furnovers.
Linehan acknowledged that the rental policy had not yet been fully developed, and that
the Parks Commission would need to adopt a formal policy addressing all of these
operational details. He noted that demand for rentals was already significant with
residents actively inquiring about availability.
The Council concurred that while fees should be set, the underlying poliry needed
substantially more development before finalizallon, with a possible August timeline for
final adoption.
Administrative Citation Fees for ParkMobile Parking The primary driver of the fee
schedule update was the establishment of fees for administrative citations related to
non-payment of parking through the ParkMobile app. Linehan explained that the T2
Systems platform would handle much of the back-end processing, including issuing
tickets and managing payment workflows. If a vehicle owner did not pay within the
initial window, T2 would conduct a license plate lookup to identify the registered owner
and send a notice - each step incurring a small additional cost to the city.
The Council discussed at length the appropriate structure and amounts for the citation
fine schedule.
Mogen proposed a tiered approach: a modest surcharge for prompt payment a higher
fine if paid within 14 days, and a further escalation if the matter proceeded toward
collections or a hearing. He expressed concern that a $60 fine payable within 1,4 days -
as originally proposed - was high enough that recipients might be inclined to contest
the ticket creating additional administrative burden. He suggested that keeping the
initial fine low would encourage prompt voluntary payment.
Wassenberg agreed, noting that given the tight enforcement by parking ambassadors,
the rate of unpaid violations would be low, and that the goal should be to make it easy
and inexpensive for people to simply pay rather than contest. He suggested the fine, at
the early payment tier, should cover the $25 parking fee plus a reasonable
administrative cost - perhaps in the range of $20 - rather than a punitive amount.
May proposed a structure with a minimal fine if paid immediately upon returning to the
vehicle, escalating to a mid-level fine within 1,4 days, and a higher amount beyond that.
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She recommended keeping the tier strucfure simple - no more than two or three levels
- to avoid complexity and disputes.
After discussion, the Council converged on the following general framework for staff to
bring back on July 8th:. Within T2hours: $35 plus credit card convenience fee
. Days 3-14: $60 plus credit card convenience fee
. Days 15-59: $85 plus credit card convenience fee
. Day 60+: $100 plus 30% (collections threshold)
Linehan confirmed this approach and noted that the 14-day window aligned with
standard administrative citation practice, including the city's existing framework for
sheriff-issued citations.
Credit Card Processing Fees: Linehan noted that the City was currently running two
credit card processing vendors: AllPaid (in use since approximately 2018-2019), and the
newer Payroc, which is specific to iWorQ, used for the city's online permitting system
Staff proposed formally listing both fee structures in the fee schedule, with clear
distinctions: The Council accepted this approach and asked that the final version clearly
specify which fee applies to building permits versus other transactions.
Other Fee Schedule Notes: Wassenberg flagged that the community garden plot fee
entry should be repositioned in the document to avoid confusion with nearby items.
Linehan noted that the City does not currently charge for the resident handbook
distributed to new residents, and that the existing fee entry was a legacy item created in
case realtors requested bulk copies - a practice that staff confirmed was not actively
charged.
The Council was satisfied with this explanation
Linehan also noted additional fee items in development that were not yet ready for
consideration, including a zoning letter/inquiry fee and escrow fees related to
anticipated community development activity near the golf course.
The Council directed staff to bring a revised fee schedule - with the administrative
citation strucfure refined, the credit card fee descriptions clarified, and the community
park rental policy further developed - for action at the July 8th meeting, with some
components potentially returning in August.
2. Coalition for Safe & Stable Communities Phase II Consideration (6:20 P.M.)
Mayor Gustafson summarized a meeting held the prior week in New Brighton, attended
by mayors and administrators from approximately 24-26 cities, at which the
accomplishments of the Coalition for Safe & Stable Communities Phase I were reviewed
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and Phase II was introduced. The group's organizing rationale was to maintain the inter-
municipal coalition rather than allow it to dissolve and require reformation should new
challenges emerge.
The total Phase II cost to all participating cities is $30,000 for one year, with Minnetonka
holding the contractwith the consulting firm Momentum. With2zof the 26 cities having
already committed, Falcon Heights' share would be approximately $1,200-91,500.
Gustafson indicated he had tentatively signaled Falcon Heights' likely participation at
the meeting.
Wassenberg acknowledged some skepticism about Phase Irs outcomes, stating that the
listed accomplishments had seemed focused primarily on securing state funding for
cities rather than on more substantive organizational or legal efforts at the federal level.
He remained open to being convinced of the coalition's value, but asked for more detail
on whatPhase II would actually accomplish.
Mogen raised concern about the organization becoming a "zombie" - continuing
indefinitely without a clear purpose - and asked whether participation provided any
meaningful benefit to city administration or staff capacity.
Linehan offered that Phase I had provided real value through centralized information
sharing during a period of significant federal uncertainty, bringing elected officials
together into a unified regional voice that represented a meaningful share of the state's
population. He noted that neither the League of Minnesota Cities nor Metro Cities - the
two other organizaltons Falcon Heights belongs to, at a combined cost of roughly
$14,000-$15,000 per year - conduct any federal-level advocacy, making this coalition
the only vehicle for that function.
For Phase II, Linehan indicated the group's anticipated focus would be election security
- specifically, countering narratives at the federal level questioning the integrity of
Minnesota elections.
Wassenberg noted the relevance of that focus given recent federal activity around mail-
in ballots.
The Council broadly agreed that the cost was modes! the value was reasonable, and
participation was appropriate, with the understanding that this was a one-year
commihnent subject to evaluation before any future renewal.
3. Other Council Topics & Future Agenda Item Discussion (6:40 P.M.)
Linehan identified the following items for upcoming agendas:
July 8th: Discussion of resident State Fair parking pass policy, to provide direction ahead
of the mailing cycle. Staff noted the City was currently operating under the 2025
framework and needed Council direction on any changes.
July (Budget workshop 1) and August (additional budget workshops): scheduled
budget discussions.
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a Linehan also noted a correction to the current agenda: the CAC review and selection
item had been inadvertently referenced in the staff report due to use of an old RCA
template, and was not intended to be on this workshop's agenda.
D. ADJOURNMENT: 6:58 P.M.
DISCLAIMER: City CouncilWorkshops areheldmonthly as an opportunity for Council Members to
discuss policy topics in greater detail pior to a formal meeting where a publichearing may be held and/or
action may be taken. Members of the public thnt would like to malce a comment or ask questions about an
item on the agenda for an upcoming workshop should send them to mail@falconheights.org prior to the
meeting. Alternatiael!, time is regularly allottedfor public comment during Regular City Council
Meetings (typically 2nd and thWednesdays) during the Community Forum.
Dated this 8m day of Jdy,2026
Randall Mayor
T Linehan, City Administrator
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