CC PACKET 12092025 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

4 VII.A – Resolution 25-585: 2026 Tax Levy & General Operating Budget Budgets codify priorities and values. The City should preserve not only numerical allocations but the narrative explanations that justify them. This includes equity analyses, community-need assessments, and descriptions of service-level implications. Such documentation is required for meaningful future review by OLA, OSA, and the public under Minn. Stat. § 13.03. A record without narrative context limits the City’s ability to demonstrate that budget decisions were grounded in transparent and equitable governance. Future residents deserve a record that explains not just what was funded, but why. I support continued movement toward a plain-language budget. Visual summaries of spending categories, year- over-year comparisons, and explanatory narratives would make the budget more accessible and strengthen trust in how tax dollars are allocated. IX.A – Resolution 25-686: Ten-Year Axon Video Recording Contract A contract of this length and surveillance significance must be governed by clear, enforceable constraints. To comply with Minn. Stat. §§ 13.03, 13.04, and 13.825, the City should explicitly document: • data retention limits; • auditability requirements; • secondary-use prohibitions; • equity and disparate-impact safeguards; • and public reporting expectations. For the sake of future oversight and public trust, the record must reflect the City’s due diligence regarding civil liberties and long-term data governance. Without clear documentation today, future reviewers may find it difficult to determine whether the City adequately protected residents’ rights. Given the length and scope of this technology contract, I encourage inclusion of clear data-retention limits, public auditability, restrictions on secondary use of resident data, and meaningful public reporting. These guardrails ensure that technology investments serve accountability and community values while protecting civil liberties. IX.B – Ordinance 2025-07: Utility Rates (Water, Sewer, Stormwater) Utility rates disproportionately affect certain households. To preserve the intelligibility of the historical record, the City should document the multi-year strategy, cost drivers, regulatory pressures, infrastructure needs, and equity impacts informing these adjustments. Clear narrative documentation prevents future confusion and protects the City’s accountability trail under Minn. Stat. § 138.17. Utility rate changes affect all households. A multi-year roadmap of anticipated infrastructure needs and projected rate adjustments would help residents plan and understand how investments align with long- term system maintenance and regulatory requirements. IX.C – Resolution 25-587: Summary Publication for Ordinance 2025-07 197