CC PACKET 09282021 - Laserfiche WebLink

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REQUEST FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION To: Saint Anthony Village City Council From: Charlie Yunker, City Manager Date: September 28, 2021 City Council Meeting Resolution: Approve Just Deeds Project Participation BACKGROUND The Just Deeds project is a coalition of organizations whose mission is to acknowledge, educate, and work to address systemic racism in housing in Minnesota. Coalition members provide free assistance to homeowners to discharge discriminatory covenants from property titles. Racial or discriminatory covenants were a common tool used from the early 1900s until the 1960s to prevent Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), and non-Christians from buying property and living in residential neighborhoods across the country. While deemed illegal in 1968, this discriminatory practice had a far-reaching impact on the development of the Twin Cities and communities of color, resulting in racially segregation and creating severe inequities still present today. The Mapping Prejudice Project, a map of the racial covenants that exist in in the region identifies about 400 parcels in the City that contain some form of racial covenant on the property deed. Joining the Just Deeds Project will offer residents assistance in renouncing these covenants on their property. City staff is asked to accept the applications from property owners and verify that the address has a restrictive covenant. The process staff will follow is listed below: 1. Application is received by Saint Anthony staff 2. Staff checks the address on the application to the Mapping Prejudice map a. If the property is identified on the Mapping Prejudice map, the application is passed along to Just Deeds staff to work with the property owner b. If the address is not identified on the map, the property owner will be advised to contact a title company to check for restrictive covenants i. If the title company finds a covenant in the property’s title history, staff will pass along to Just Deeds staff to work with the property owner NEXT STEPS If adopted, staff will notify Just Deeds Project staff that the City is officially participating and coordinate with them as applications are received. Staff will make the application available on the City website and include information on the resources available in the City’s subsequent newsletter, through social media channels and on the City website. Staff has sent information to our City attorney to check for racially or otherwise restrictive language on any City- owned property and work to discharge any language if found. Staff is also aware of some residents who would 25