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City Council Regular Meeting Executive Summary <br />City of Golden Valley <br />October 7, 2020 <br />2 <br />amendment to its 2019 work plan, adding the topic of discriminatory covenants. In the spring of 2020, <br />the City launched the Just Deeds project and began working with Just Deeds Coalition member <br />organizations. The Coalition is actively working to educate Minnesotans about: (1) historically racist <br />practices; (2) the deliberate, pervasive damage discriminatory covenants have caused to communities <br />of color and other traditionally marginalized groups of people; and (3) how these systems directly <br />benefited white persons. Additionally, the Coalition aims to take an active role in identifying <br />discriminatory systems and devote resources toward creating equity for all persons. See Just Deeds <br />Coalition Mission Statement (attachment 1). As of the date of this summary, the City has received <br />approximately 112 requests from homeowners to research and discharge discriminatory covenants on <br />their property titles. <br />Discriminatory Covenants in Golden Valley <br />Governments, including the City of Golden Valley, played a significant role in the use of discriminatory <br />covenants. For example, the federal government required discriminatory covenants to secure FHA <br />mortgage financing. In some cases, cities required developers to impose covenants as a condition of <br />subdivision approvals. <br />Records show that Golden Valley leaders knew that developers were using discriminatory covenants in <br />the City and either sanctioned or required the practice. For example, in 1938 the Planning Commission <br />and the City Council required the developer of the West Tyrol Hills subdivision to impose <br />discriminatory covenants on all lots in the development as a condition of granting the required land <br />use approvals. See February 10, 1938 Planning Commission meeting minutes (attachment 2) and <br />March 1, 1938 City Council meeting minutes (attachment 3). <br />There are 1,604 discriminatory covenants in Golden Valley. Figure 1 below shows where these <br />covenants are located. Figure 2 is an example of the language used in discriminatory covenants. This <br />particular covenant can be found in the Tralee Addition (Meander and Paisley Road area). <br />Figure 1. Figure 2.