Good evening. And I'm going to call to order the May 26th, 2026 council meeting of the Richfield City Council at 700 p.m. If you're able, please rise and join us for the pledge of allegiance.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you.
So, our first item of business is the approval of the agenda. >> I move approval of the agenda. Second. >> It's been moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? All in favor, please say I. >> I.
>> All opposed? And we've approved the agenda. Next, we'll move on to approval of minutes. >> I move approval of all sets of minutes. >> Second it. >> It's been moved and seconded to approve the minutes from the city council work session of May 12th and the city council
regular meeting of May 12th. Is there any discussion? >> All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> All opposed? All right, we've passed both sets of minutes. Moving on to open forum. Participants may share their comments in
person, by voicemail or email, and may also request to participate virtually. For more information on submitting comments, refer to this council agenda and minutes page on richfieldm.gov/city councsel.
if you could when you get to the microphone if you can state your name and your city of residence and when we get you have three minutes to speak to the council. When we get to 30 seconds left I'll hold up the yellow card and when time is up I'll hold up the red
card as a reminder. Um at the moment we have a card from Burgett Johnson. So if you want to come forward, >> be Johnson Richfield. At the 512 city council meeting, two statements stand out. One by Mayor
Supple before the open forum and the other by a speaker during the open forum. The mayor's statement asked for respect and kindness. The other statement appeared to be a form of victim blaming, shaming the person for calling the police in a recent police
shooting where a young man was killed and a police officer was injured. Words she spoke in pain, I assume. Into today's worlds, it's see something, say something, not see something and say nothing. It is akin to to telling a
woman she invited rape when she wore the wrong clothes. This was a trigger for victims of violence. Property crimes do need to be addressed by the police. Do we want people defending their properties themselves? Are we going to have gun battles in the street with so
many people having guns? People have been shot recently and countering or confronting car prowlers. It is not against the law to lock not lock your car. All of us forget sometimes. it is to pull a gun out at a police officer.
There was nothing said about the gun on the person that was shot. The speaker at the open forum did speak about the history of the killed man that was enlightening. His name was Desava Hollis and his troubles did not start the day
he was shot in Ridgefield. We found out that his father was murdered when he was seven. To me, we all failed him. We will all have to live with his death. We live with a legacy of slavery,
colonialism, poverty, and my country of birth is not without blame. I have been in a situation where a gun was pulled on me multiple times by someone with a conceal and carry permit.
And it's not one I want to relive. Police officers have many stressful and frustrating encounters all the time. They deal with our collective drama. Think of that. We will create more
victims in a world without consequences. Take a look at our Facebook community page and a lot of the discourse there. So much disrespect. Never look at a person and think this person had it so easy.
We want progress, not regress or selective progress. You never know about this other person. Be kind to others and with yourself. Lastly, the guns are the problem. What
accountability and actions by authorities should have been taken to prevent individuals who should not have had access to guns? >> Thank you. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak for open forum?
All right, then we will move on to our next item, which is the um proclamation celebrating Pride Month. And so I'd like to invite Kim Loots to join me from the Human Rights Commission to receive the proclamation. Thank you.
This is a proclamation of the city of Richfield. Whereas Pride Month is a positive stance against discrimination and violence towards individuals who identify as twospirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and/or
questioning, interex, and asexual, otherwise known as 2S, LGBTQIA+, and celebrates sexual and gender identities. And whereas the month of June was chosen for Pride Month to commemorate the Stonewall riots, which
occurred in June 1969, championed in part by two transgender women of color, Marcia P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, and became a catalyst for the 2S LGBTQIA+ movement. And whereas the Richfield City
Council and staff identified the strategic importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion as core values and key components of a thriving hometown. And whereas the citizens of Richfield's Ward 2 elected its first openly gay city
council member, Sean Hayford Olirri, who has been their voice on the city council since 2021. And whereas Lee Fininky was elected in 2021 to the Minnesota House of Representatives, becoming the first openly transgender person to ever serve
in the Minnesota legislature. And whereas in 2011, two years prior to same-sex same-sex marriage becoming legal in the state of Minnesota, the city of Richfield established a domest a domestic partnership registry as a means
by which unmarried committed couples who resided or worked in Richfield and who shared a life and home together could document their relationship. And whereas while two while the 2S LGBTQIA+ civil rights movement has achieved great
progress, the federal government and many states threaten that progress by enacting dehumanizing policies designed to dismantle the basic human rights of our neighbors and friends in the 2s LGBTQIA+ community. And whereas we see and
acknowledge the trauma experienced by our 2SLGBTQIA plus neighbors and friends in the context of the current political environment and stand with them in compassion and resolve remembering in particular our transgender neighbors.
And whereas the 2SLGBTQIA+ community has made and continues to make great and lasting contributions to the city of Richfield and the greater community. And whereas the Richfield Human Rights Commission supported this
proclamation at its May 5th, 2026 meeting and recommended this Richfield City Council do the same. Now therefore, I, Mary Supple, mayor of Richfield, on behalf of the Richfield City Council, do hereby proclaim the month of June 2026
as Pride Month in the city of Richfield and call on the people of Richfield to observe this month with appropriate programs, activities, and ceremonies, and continue to honor the contributions of 2SLGBTQIA+ residents throughout the year. Proclaim
this 26th day of May, 2026. Um, Commissioner Loots, would you like to say something? >> Thank you. Thank you. >> I'm honored to be here and to accept this procla proclamation recognizing Pride Month and celebrating our two
spirit lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and or questioning interex and asexual friends and neighbors. As a member of this community, I know the importance of being able to live authentically and to
be seen and valued for the unique individual that I am. I am proud of my hometown, Richfield, for upholding this its commitment to protecting human rights, celebrating the contribution of this diverse population, and making this
a safe and welcoming community in which to thrive. Thank you. >> Thank you. pictures. Thank you. Next, we'll move on to the consent calendar. City Manager Rodriguez. >> Thank you, Mayor. The consent calendar
contains several separate items which are acted upon by the city council in one motion. Once the consent calendar has been approved, the individual items and recommended actions have also been approved. No further council action on these items is necessary. On tonight's
consent calendar, item A, approve dispersements claims. Item B, approve a work order in the amount of $680,570 with Stantech Consulting Services, Inc. for engineering services for the 69th
Street reconstruction project. Item C, consider approval of a request for a new secondhand goods dealer license for EcoATM LLC located at 826 West 66th Street inside Speedway. Item D, consider
the approval of the second reading of an ordinance amending subsection 210.01 01 of the city code related to the city council salaries for 2027 and 2028 and summary publication of said ordinance.
And I submit these items as for your consideration as part of tonight's consent calendar. Thank you. Thank you. Do we have a motion to approve the consent calendar items? >> So move. >> Second.
>> It's been moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? hearing none. All in favor, please say I. I. >> All opposed. And we've approved the consent calendar. Next, we'll move on to other business.
And I'm going to turn it over to um Council Member Burke. >> So, the item for consideration is to consider alternate appointment to fill a vacancy on the Human Rights Commission. City Council interviews candidates yearly in November and designates
commission appointees and alternates in case a vacancy arises. The city council designated Joselyn clubs as an alternate appointment. The human rights commissioner has vacated their seat and Joselyn has agreed to join the human
rights commission with the term expiring January 31st, 2029. Maintaining a full commission roster allows for a diverse range of perspectives to be shared during each commission meeting. Maintaining a full roster allows for more flexibility in instances where a quorum is needed to
conduct official business. Any comments? But so I move to approve the appointment of Joselyn Claus as human rights commissioner commencing on May 26, 2026 and ending January 31st, 2029. >> Second.
>> It's been moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? I would just like to thank our new commissioner for stepping up and I really appreciate and welcome them to the commission. So, thank you very much. All right. Any other comments or questions?
>> All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> I. All opposed. >> And the motion passes. Next, we'll move on to the city manager report. City manager Rodriguez. >> Yes. Thank you, Mayor. Um, I just wanted
to thank Representative Mike Coward and Senator Melissa Wickland for their tireless efforts to secure funding, $2 million in funding for the Nicollet Avenue reconstruction project. It goes a long way towards covering approximately
8 million of the city's local share. Um, I want to thank council because I know you showed up at bonding tours, etc. Um, also Mayor Supple and Council Member Hayford Olri because you testified. Um, also the team at the staff team at
public works. They did great work in their advocacy. So, good news. Thank you. Thank you. Are there any questions for city manager Rodriguez? All right. Thank you. Next, we'll move on to the council discussion. You can do
either hats off to hometown hits or council liaison reports. So, we'll start with council member Christensen. >> I have nothing to report tonight. >> Council member Hayford Liry. >> Um, I'm assuming somebody is going to say more about Memorial Day, but thanks
to Honoring All Veterans Memorial Group for doing that event again. But what I did want to share, uh, I think I mentioned in advance of this meeting that or in advance of the event that we were going to do this tour of Bridgefield infrastructure for this visiting conference, uh, NACO. So, we
did that tour uh two weeks ago, Friday. Um, and it went really well. We had about 25 people from across the country. Walked through Richfield from 66th Street and 35W to Portland Avenue. Um, got a lot of feedback. I honestly a lot of just compliments and admiration. A
lot of people were really impressed at what we've done as a small city. Um, and basically like how do we do this in in our town? Um, so that was great to hear. But there was one particular moment that I wanted to share, especially in light of this being the Pride Month resolution. Um, one of the people on the
tour asked about um, our rainbow roundabout at 67th in Lindale and what was the origin of that? They complimented that it was both nice to see and it was like a nice landmark of just wayfinding. And I complimented that was done by the arts commission. I, you know, that was not explicitly political
messaging, but I sort of joked as as a gay council member, it is I do enjoy seeing our our quote unquote informal pride roundabout. Um later on the tour, somebody who was a young transportation professional just out of college in Texas approached me and he was gay and he just said that it really impressed
him that what he would have would have assumed was a conservative suburb was willing to welcome gay people in that way that they were comfortable with that um and that it was meaningful to him to see that rainbow roundabout. So, um it was a reminder to me that like sometimes symbols can feel unimportant um in the
business of government, but they do you never know when it's going to mean something to somebody and it was nice to hear that. >> Thank you, Council Member Burke. >> I recently drove by and then walked by and then bicycled by the pool and I tell
you, it looks amazing. Please go and see that pool. I want to thank residents who supported the resolution that made it happen to raise the funds for it. Um, the slide looks great. The walkway that walks over the people sliding was kept.
Uh, even the fence around the darn thing looks great. So, uh, please I encourage you all to get out there to the pool. At least see it and more importantly, go play in it and have a good time. >> Thank you. Last week was National Public Works Week
from May 17th to the 23rd. So, I want to do a shout out to our public works department and all of the things they do to keep us safe and to keep the lights on literally and to keep everything going. So, we appreciate that. Um, I
also, um, Council Member Hayford mentioned the Honoring All Veterans Memorial. I do want to thank the board and all the volunteers that helped make that possible. There was a um if I can get my phone open here. There was a great celebration yesterday. Um the
Richfield Symphonic Band provided the music. There was a color guard presentation. Um a flyover performance by the T6 Thunder. and our keynote was Lieutenant Lee of the Special Guerilla Unit and who were newly
recognized as veterans by the state of Minnesota and much more. So, it was a really touching um ceremony and I want to thank everybody that organized that. With that, I have no further agenda items. Is there a motion to adjourn the
meeting? >> So moved. >> Second. >> It's been moved and seconded. All in favor, please say I. I >> and all opposed. We stand adjourned. Thank you.