CC PACKET 09112018 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

City Council Regular Meeting Minutes August 28, 2018 Page 4 1 Councilmember Randle stated he attended the work session on August 20. 2 3 Councilmember Jenson stated he attended the work session on August 20 and reviewed the 4 discussion. On August 27, he attended the Fire Department Relief Association meeting and there 5 were no issues that came out of the meeting. 6 7 Mayor Faust attended the work session on August 20 and the Metropolitan Agencies Policies 8 Meeting (Met Council) on August 22. Mayor Faust made comments on the issue of rapid transit. 9 10 VIII. COMMUNITY FORUM 11 12 Mr. Samuel Estes, 3441 16th Avenue S. #2, Minneapolis, addressed the recent lawsuit against the 13 City of St. Anthony. Mayor Faust stated the Council will not address the lawsuit as it is current 14 litigation. Mr. Estes read the complaint concerning Mayor Faust’s comment relating to AEON. 15 He asked if the allegation is true, is it still his current position, and will this affect AEON’s hope 16 to develop the Bremer Bank site into affordable housing. Mayor Faust stated there will not be a 17 debate. Mr. Estes stated this is an example of cowardly leadership within the City. Mayor Faust 18 stated if Mr. Estes was at the meeting in May, he would have witnessed the Council vote of 5-0 19 in favor of AEON. Councilmember Randle asked Mr. Estes if he is from Minneapolis and in 20 support of the former Lowry Grove residents. 21 22 Ms. Antonia Alvarez, 1481 Piper Drive, asked for a round of applause for the City Council for 23 their acting. She wanted to see the Council face-to-face and to ask what they did that and why 24 the Mayor would do so much damage to their community. She stated they came many times to 25 see the City Manager about the sale of Lowry Grove and so many times he lied to them saying 26 he didn’t know anything. Ms. Alverez stated she wants answers about what the press is saying 27 about the Council. She asked why they lied to the residents. 28 29 Councilmember Gray stated he is sorry but Ms. Alvarez has been misled. The person that owned 30 the Lowry Grove property was trying to sell it for years, he found someone to buy it, and develop 31 it. That is a private transaction. Councilmember Gray explained the owner individually owned 32 the property and had the right to sell it. There are laws that cover mobile home parks and 33 everything was followed by State Statute. The City was not involved in the transaction and is 34 being used by the developer who wanted $19 million in TIF for his project and the City denied 35 that request. 36 37 Ms. Alvarez stated there was discrimination against the residents and she believed people are 38 now homeless because of the Council. She felt the Council needed to pay for its responsibility. 39 Councilmember Randle wanted to speak. Ms. Alvarez encouraged him to speak, saying this is an 40 example of shutting up a person of color. 41 42 Ms. Lori Castillo, former Lowry Grove resident, stated the way residents were spoken to is very 43 shameful. There is personal responsibility and she feels responses are needed. Ms. Castillo stated 44 she was able to go to college because of affordable housing but now the houses were taken away 45 from them. She stated a response is needed in the Mayor’s own words as the words they read in 46 6