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Mounds View City Council July 8, 2024 <br />Regular Meeting Page 3 <br /> <br />by the fire department. He discussed the work that was completed on the safety house, noting the <br />fire corps worked to revamp this vital piece of equipment for the SBM Fire Department. <br /> <br /> <br />Fire Chief Retka stated he was really proud of the great work that was being done by the fire corps <br />team. <br /> <br />Mayor Lindstrom thanked Fire Chief Retka and the entire SBM Fire Department for their <br />dedicated service to the community. <br /> <br />8. COUNCIL BUSINESS <br />A. Resolution 9950, Supporting Mapping Prejudice – Director Dr. Kirsten <br />Delegard, Michael Corey, Technical Lead. <br /> <br />Dr. Kirsten Delegard thanked the Council for their public service. She discussed the work she has <br />been doing with Mapping Prejudice in order to bring light to how race has shaped the environment <br />over the past century. She commented on the policies that were put in place to steer public and <br />private investments as well as determining who has access to highly resourced schools and <br />greenspace. She indicated the Twin Cities metro area has one of the highest racial gaps when it <br />came to home ownership. She reviewed an example of the racial covenants that were in place in <br />Mounds View. She commented further on how her team has worked to map prejudice and had <br />worked to flag deeds that have racial covenants in place. She discussed how she has worked with <br />more than 9,000 volunteers on this project. She reported more than 30,000 racial covenants have <br />been identified to date. She commented how racial covenants drove segregation in the metro area <br />and legitimized violence against black residents, while also impacting generat ional wealth for <br />decades. She believed the City was sitting in a moment of historic opportunity and she appreciated <br />how the City Council was addressing this matter. She appreciated how the City was <br />acknowledging the racial covenants or structural racism t hat was in place and she looked forward <br />to working with Mounds View residents to have these covenants discharged. <br /> <br />A round of applause was offered by all in attendance. <br /> <br />Mayor Lindstrom thanked Dr. Delegard for her detailed presentation on Mapping Prejudice. <br /> <br />City Administrator Zikmund requested the Council approve a Resolution supporting Mapping <br />Prejudice. He explained the City has been working to bring awareness in order to have racial <br />covenants within the City of Mounds View properly discharged. He explained the City would be <br />donating $1,000 in charitable gambling funds to Mapping Prejudice in order to assist with their <br />efforts. <br /> <br />Council Member Clark requested further information on the letters that were sent from the City to <br />residents. City Administrator Zikmund explained per the Council’s direction staff sent letters to <br />residents that have racial covenants in place. He noted the packet of information sent to residents <br />included a letter from staff explaining racial covenants, along with a form to assist with discharging <br />the covenants. He reported he has had residents reaching out to him or visiting City Hall in order <br />to have their racial covenants discharged.