Minutes - 2026/02/23 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mounds View City Council February 23, 2026 Regular Meeting Page 5 Debra Sovano, 5093 Irondale Road, requested the Council hold a special emergency town hall meeting with City officials in attendance as well as police department officials for the purpose of allowing Mounds View residents to discuss how the last month of ICE efforts have impacted residents’ daily lives. She stated if the City is to survive the next three years, things have got to change, and government officials need to come together to work towards solutions. Ruth O’Hara, 5445 Jackson Drive, concurred with the previous speaker. Julia Wolf, 8065 Eastwood Road, reported she did not believe any more public funds should be provided to to Manna Market. She believed the food shelf in the community could provide food to people who are shut in. She noted the County and Second Harvest Food Shelf also have services available to help those who were struggling. She feared working with Manna Market was a conflict of interest and that working with this organization was not in the City’s best interest. Timothy Wood, 2501 Sherwood Road, explained 12.5% of the Mounds View population was below the poverty line. He stated the Manna Market was serving these people. Corrina Alivar, 2144 Dickinson, stated she lived in a community with 40 families that were benefiting from the Manna Market food distribution and noted this food was their life jacket right now. She reported she worked with Hispanic families and guided them to resources that were available. She noted many of these families were fearful at this time. She commented while there may be other resources available in the community, these families were hesitant to reach out for help. She explained Manna Market was greatly benefiting her community at this time. Joyce Jones-Strait, 7728 Knollwood Drive, explained two years ago that her wife was injured on the job and she has been in a critical financial position since that time. She noted her wife made more money than her even though she was a tenured teacher. She reported she has not paid her full mortgage in over two years. She commented there have been weeks where she makes the decision between paying the minimum payment for her mortgage or eating. She stated she was lucky because they were resourceful. She indicated that the Manna Market has been a gift to this community. She stated she works with a population of children that are largely of color and she sees the fear of ICE in them. She discussed how she and Jean volunteer at the Villas and explained that these individuals were extremely appreciative of the food distribution from Manna Market. She commented further on how the immigration efforts has created trauma in the community and people were really struggling at this time. (Unknown), 2199 Terrace Drive, explained she was lucky enough to be a delivery driver for a few weeks and noted this has been a profound experience for her. She indicated it would cost Mounds View residents $3.20 annually to continue the Manna Market program through the rest of the year and she supported the City Council continuing this program. Rebecca Scholl, 2467 Hillview Road, stated she has been working with Ralph Reeder, the high school and the library. She understood that some families were not eligible for Ralph Reeder because families had to apply and get paperwork. She indicated Ralph Reeder was only a solution for some families.