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081021 CAC Agenda PacketIf you are unable to attend the meeting, please contact Susan Rader at 763-531-5152 or srader@newhopemn.gov Citizen Advisory Commission Meeting City Hall, 4401 Xylon Avenue North August 10, 2021 7 p.m. 1. Call to Order. 2. Roll Call. 3. Approval of July 13, 2021 minutes. 4. Community Development Department Update with Director Jeff Sargent. 5. Discuss October Agenda. 6. Brainstorming – Ideas to bring attention to New Hope. 7. Parks and Recreation project updates. 8. Other business. 9. Adjournment. 1 Memorandum To: Citizen Advisory Commission Susan Rader, Director of Parks and Recreation From: Jeff Sargent, Director of Community Development Date: August 3, 2021 Subject: Community Development Update The Community Development Department would like to thank the Citizen Advisory Commission for the opportunity to give an update on the department and redevelopment activities throughout the city. The last time the CD department gave an update to the CAC was on July 11, 2019. Some items that will be discussed include:  Development/Redevelopment activities o Cooper High School conditional use permit for Stadium rentals/usage o Pocket Square Microdistillery; 7530 – 42nd Avenue, conditional use permit o Windsor Ridge Development Update o Hy-Vee Aisle On-Line Kiosk o Escuela Exitos; 4741 Zealand Avenue, conditional use permit for Spanish Immersion School o P&C Family Daycare; 7700 – 42nd Avenue  Newly adopted ordinances o Property Maintenance Guide o Outdoor Dining  Scattered Site Housing Program  Effect of COVID-19 on the department/changes to procedures o Virtual meetings o Rental inspections  Staffing changes o Linda Bergemann, Office Specialist o Tom Evans, General Inspector o Eric Hanson, Building Official As always, staff encourages questions, comments or suggestions by the CAC. CITY OF NEW HOPE 4401 XYLON AVENUE NORTH NEW HOPE, MINNESOTA 55428 Citizen Advisory Commission Regular Meeting July 13, 2021 New Hope City Hall, 7 p.m. CALL TO ORDER Chair Herman called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Absent: Staff Present: Commissioners Randy Herman, Jill Kaufman, Scott Kulzer, Carrie Neuburger, Rick Riley, Mike Terres (arrived 7:14), Bill Wills None Susan Rader, Staff Liaison Tim Hoyt, Police Chief APPROVAL OF MINUTES Commissioner Riley made a motion to approve the minutes of the May 11, 2021 meeting. Commissioner Kaufman seconded the motion. Voting in favor: Commissioners Herman, Kaufman, Kulzer, Neuburger, Riley, Wills. Opposed: None. Absent: Commissioner Terres. Motion carried. UPDATE ON BODY WORN CAMERAS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Police Chief Tim Hoyt addressed the commissioners. He shared an actual body worn camera that the commissioners could view up close, and conducted a brief PowerPoint presentation. He explained that initially cameras had been budgeted for only 50% of the officers in 2021. He noted however, that additional funding had been secured to cover all officers following approval by the City Council. He reported that the city had selected Watch Guard V300 cameras, and informed the commissioners that the cost of each unit was $995. He also mentioned that the department would pay approximately $31,000 annually for secure data storage in the cloud. Chief Hoyt explained that six officers were currently participating in a pilot program to ensure the cameras were performing as expected. He felt that everything was working well, although battery life was shorter than anticipated. He displayed an image of the in-car cameras that had also been purchased, and commented that he felt the image and audio quality were excellent. He added that the cost of those cameras was around $5,550 each, although the department had received a bulk purchase discount. Chief Hoyt informed the commissioners that the body worn cameras offered a 130 degree view and would sync with other officers at the scene. He added that if a backup officer arrived at the scene, that officer’s camera would activate automatically and begin recording. He also shared a brief video from a body worn camera. New Hope Citizen Advisory Commission July 13, 2021 Page 2 Commissioner Wills wondered whether nighttime clarity was as good as daytime clarity. Chief Hoyt replied yes. Chief Hoyt displayed a copy of the policies and procedures. He explained that prior to the adoption of these policies, the public had been given the opportunity to provide feedback. He reported that drafts of the policies had been published on the city’s website, and reviewed by the Human Rights Commission, City Council and the Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) agency. Chief Hoyt reviewed that officers were expected to activate body worn cameras whenever they felt it was necessary or appropriate. He explained that officers were expected to activate their cameras when dispatched to a scene, beginning while still en route. He also mentioned that the recording would include the 60 seconds prior to activation. He added that cameras would remain on until the officer left the scene. Chief Hoyt reported that in 2020, the original quote for body worn cameras had been $180,000, but noted that the actual cost had been around $203,000 to outfit every police vehicle and officer, including community service officers. Ms. Rader wondered how long the cameras were expected to last. Chief Hoyt replied that staff expected to replace them after five years, and noted that the cameras were under warranty for five years. Commissioner Wills wondered whether staff had any security concerns with storing data in the cloud. Chief Hoyt felt that the information was secure, and noted that access to the data was extremely limited. He stated the department was bound by state statute to keep data for a specified amount of time, and added that only two people within the department were authorized to erase video. Chief Hoyt also commented that per state statute and in an effort to provide transparency in certain situations, he would have the discretion to release video to the public without obtaining permission from the subjects involved. Commissioner Kulzer mentioned a recent traffic stop involving a local representative from another community, and wondered why consent was required of that individual in order to release the video. Chief Hoyt replied that due to the nature of that incident, consent was required by both parties. Commissioner Neuburger wondered whether the cameras could be operated remotely. New Hope Citizen Advisory Commission July 13, 2021 Page 3 Chief Hoyt replied that officers would need to manually activate their cameras. Chair Herman wondered how the officers felt about using body worn cameras. Chief Hoyt replied that officer feedback had been positive. Commissioner Kulzer inquired about the number of officers currently utilizing the cameras. Chief Hoyt replied that six officers were currently wearing them, but added that it was anticipated that all officers would be outfitted with them by the end of July. He shared a sample video of a body worn camera that had been activated from inside a squad car. Chief Hoyt gave a brief update on the police department, and noted that Officer Eric Dyer had retired, along with his canine partner. He added that a new canine was currently working with Officer Miguel Robles. He also reported that the city was in the process of hiring two more officers. Chief Hoyt then discussed some of the community engagement events that his department had been involved in, including Shop with a Cop, car seat safety checks, Coffee with a Cop and Meals on Wheels. He also mentioned that staff had increased their involvement with New Hope Treehouse, and would continue to offer mediation services among neighbors. Chief Hoyt reported that he, as well as Commissioner Kaufman, Mayor Hemken and a few officers had begun a project to reestablish connections between the police department and area grade schools. Commissioner Kaufman stated that the goal would be to improve communication and develop trust with young people. She added that they hoped to create a proposal for the school district. Chief Hoyt also reported that National Night Out would resume in 2021, and noted that there were currently 45 neighborhoods registered for this event. He added that a Citizens Police Academy would be planned in cooperation with the cities of Crystal and Robbinsdale, and explained that the program was designed to provide an in-depth look at police department operations. Chief Hoyt briefly discussed the Joint Community Policing Partnership (JCPP) with the cities of Crystal and Robbinsdale, and noted that it was designed to enhance relationships between police and the community. He reminded the commissioners that an embedded social worker had been hired to work for cities of New Hope, Crystal and Robbinsdale to assist with mental health crises and officer referrals. He added that the JCPP planned to hire two citizens to work with marginalized communities, and also planned to create cadet programs within their police departments. New Hope Citizen Advisory Commission July 13, 2021 Page 4 Commissioner Kulzer inquired about New Hope’s mutual aid agreement with neighboring communities. Chief Hoyt replied that the New Hope police department participated in mutual aid agreements with every neighboring community, including Minneapolis and St. Paul. He explained that staffing levels sometimes made it necessary to request assistance from other communities, and vice versa. The commissioners thanked Chief Hoyt for his presentation. He excused himself from the meeting at 7:56 p.m. UPDATE ON GARAGE SALE Ms. Rader reported that 100 participants had registered by the deadline. She explained that this year, staff had created an interactive map that had been available online. She added that paper maps had also been available at city hall. She noted that advertising had included the city’s website, the In Motion brochure, social media, city signboards, and temporary signs placed at city hall and in a few parks. She felt the event had been successful, and noted that there had been a request to hold a second city-wide sale in the fall. Chair Herman commented that he had visited a few sales and had received positive feedback from residents. Commissioner Neuburger also mentioned that she had attended several sales and had heard positive feedback. Commissioner Wills thanked staff for coordinating this event and offered to assist in the future if needed. BRAINSTORMING – IDEAS TO BRING ATTENTION TO NEW HOPE Commissioner Kaufman considered promoting an activity that would occur during the farmer’s market, and would offer families the opportunity to learn more about the city of New Hope. Commissioner Riley suggested reaching out to Board Member Kris Frey and encouraged the commissioners to support the market. PARKS AND RECREATION PROJECT UPDATES Ms. Rader reported that play equipment had been installed at Corner Park and landscape restoration would begin in August. She stated that final grading work was underway at Little Acre Park and bases for the basketball hoops had been installed. She added that pavement had not yet been installed on the basketball court at Little Acre Park, nor on the trail at Liberty Park. Ms. Rader also reported that the ice arena roofing project had been largely completed, and noted that the skylight on the east side of the south rink would be replaced in August. She informed the commissioners that new siding had recently been installed on the maintenance garages at Lighted Field and Victory Park. She noted that a few commissioners had mentioned the need for additional wood fiber at some of the parks, and stated that this would occur over the next month. New Hope Citizen Advisory Commission July 13, 2021 Page 5 Commissioner Riley pointed out that the playground container at Liberty Park consisted of sand. He wondered whether that would be changed over to wood fiber once the equipment was replaced. Ms. Rader replied yes. She stated that all of the sand would be phased out, with a few exceptions, and explained that the wood fiber was handicapped- accessible, while sand was not. She reported that hot, humid temperatures had contributed to the growth of slime balls in the wood fiber. She added that they were not considered harmful and would be removed by staff as time allowed. OTHER BUSINESS Chair Herman reported that he and Commissioner Kaufman had volunteered for the Young Mudder event, which had been held in June. Ms. Rader also mentioned other volunteer opportunities, including Wet and Wild Water Fun Day on August 6 and a Halloween event in October. Commissioner Wills commented that nominations for the RAVE Awards were still being sought. Ms. Rader added that nominations would be accepted through July 23. She briefly reviewed the categories for the RAVE Awards. They included: • General property maintenance and improvement • Remodel, renovation or addition • Landscaping • Garden • Environmentally sensitive improvement • Other Commissioner Kaufman reported on the Seven Dreams Education Foundation, and noted that it was a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting Robbinsdale schools. She added that the chair of this organization had expressed interest in giving a brief presentation to the Citizen Advisory Commission to discuss its goals as well as volunteer opportunities. The commissioners agreed to review the information and consider the request at the August meeting. Commissioner Kaufman mentioned National Night Out and stated that she had been approached by the organizers in her neighborhood to serve in an official capacity to answer questions and receive feedback. Ms. Rader encouraged her to proceed. Mr. Rader made the following announcements: • The next Movie in the Park, “Monsters, Inc.”, would be held on July 15 at 9:15 p.m. • The summer musical, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” would begin on June 22, and would run for three consecutive New Hope Citizen Advisory Commission July 13, 2021 Page 6 weekends on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. • There would be no Farmer’s Market on Saturday, July 17 due to a regional swim meet. • City Day has been scheduled for October 9. Commissioner Riley mentioned a situation in another community in which several homes in a neighborhood had been purchased by an outstate company and had been converted to rentals. He expressed concern that this could happen in New Hope. Ms. Rader replied that Community Development Director Jeff Sargent could address those concerns at the next meeting. ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Kaufman made a motion to adjourn the regular meeting of the Citizen Advisory Commission. Commissioner Kulzer seconded the motion. All present voted in favor. Motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 8:28 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Penny Spitzer Recording Secretary CAC AGENDA ITEMS FOR 2021 AS OF 7/26/21 The following is a tentative listing of major agenda items that have either been assigned to CAC, a CAC member has asked that the item be discussed, or city staff has asked that the item be discussed by CAC. *Regular Meetings: September 9 – Commissioner Bus Tour September 14 – No regular CAC meeting September 20 – Work Session with the City Council October 12 – November 9 – Budget Update December 14 – possible Legislative Update (Susan to work w/Mayor Hemken) *Note: A meeting may be cancelled if there are no agenda items. On-going  Continue to sponsor Snowman Contest, City-wide Garage Sale  Ideas to bring attention to New Hope (possible activities/events - skatepark event; curling; food truck event)  Promotion of existing City programs: In Focus, RAVE, Outstanding Business  Volunteering at P&R/City events Updates  Park Projects Possible Future Topics  Planning Commission Update  ?Residential Organics Recycling Implementation