Anoka City Council

April 28, 2025 (Worksession) Page 1 of 16 WORKSESSION OF THE ANOKA CITY COUNCIL ANOKA CITY HALL CITY COUNCIL WORKSESSION ROOM APRIL 28, 2025 1. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Pro Tem Scott called the worksession meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL Present at roll call: Mayor Pro Tem Scott, Councilmembers Campbell, Rostad, and Weaver. Staff present: City Manager Greg Lee; Police Chief Andy Youngquist; Public Works Director Mark Anderson; Finance Director Brenda Springer; Communications Manager Pam Bowman; Liquor Operations Manager Kevin Morelli; Public Works Supervisor John Holmes; Assistant City Engineer Ben Nelson; and Utility Director Del Vancura; City Attorney Scott Baumgartner Absent: Mayor Skogquist. 3. COUNCIL BUSINESS and/or DISCUSSION ITEMS 3.1 Discussion: Anoka Dispensary; Name and Logo; and Exterior Building Materials. Liquor Operations Manager Kevin Morelli shared a background report stating that based on discussions at the February 10, 2025, goals session meeting, the Council’s consensus was to build an inexpensive municipality-owned temporary single-story cannabis dispensary at 839 East River Road adjacent to Anoka’s Liquor Store. The goal of the Council was to have the dispensary constructed by December 2025 and ready to open when the state allows and when product becomes available. In 2024, staff engaged VantagePoint to assist in developing a name and logo for the City of Anoka’s cannabis dispensary. Through this process, 'Anoka Cannabis Company' emerged as the preferred name for the dispensary. Other names were considered; however, most were associated with existing businesses. For example, “Two Rivers Dispensary” closely resembled Anoka- Hennepin’s Two Rivers Program at Franklin School. It’s worth noting that VantagePoint previously assisted the City of Anoka with branding its liquor store in December 2023. To maintain consistency and uniformity, staff intended to use the same company for developing the name and logo of the cannabis dispensary. Finance Director Brenda Springer shared the options that would result from this name for apparel. April 28, 2025 (Worksession) Page 2 of 16 Mayor Pro Tem Scott said he felt the name would be long-term and not a fad, and that it mirrored the liquor store logo for consistency. He said he liked the color scheme as it matched the Halloween theme and kept the stylized Anoka “A”. Councilmember Rostad said she liked the logo as well and felt it was consistent with the City’s branding of real and classic, looked professional, and was very well done. Mayor Pro Tem Scott asked if the logo would marry well with product packaging. Mr. Morelli said the logo would match well with packaging, apparel, and stickers. Assistant City Engineer Ben Nelson shared that at the April 1, 2025, Anoka Planning Commission meeting, the Commission reviewed and discussed the Anoka Dispensary site plan and variances for the cannabis retail dispensary at 839 East River Road. The Commission provided comments on the dark color of the concept rendering; however, considering the exterior building scheme, the Commission recommended approval of the site plan and variances without making the building color scheme a condition. The April 7, 2025, City Council meeting included a discussion regarding exterior building materials. The Council directed staff to create a concept rendering featuring lighter material colors and a more traditional modern style. In addition, the City Council adopted the resolution with the following modification: the bidding documents will include a bid alternate for a brick exterior option for the building. The next step in establishing a cannabis retail for the City of Anoka is the branding of the logo and naming of the dispensary. Staff recommends the logos and the dispensary name to be 'Anoka Cannabis Company'. Exterior Building Materials Oertel Architect, the City’s project architect, has developed four concept renderings for the exterior building materials for the Anoka Dispensary retail store. The exterior building materials for the following concept renderings are part of the base bid outlined in the construction documents. The exterior finish includes decorative precast concrete masonry (insulate rock-face block) blocks complemented by metal panel accents. Enclosed are concept renderings for each of the options presented below. The exterior building material for the following concept rendering is the bid alternate outlined in the construction documents. The exterior finish includes a real veneer brick complemented by cast stone accents and metal panel accents. This building would be finished with the same veneer brick color used at the Public Safety Center. The financial impact includes the cost associated with VantagePoint for developing names and the logo. This will involve a one-time expense of $2,900 for professional services related to branding and digital graphics. On April 24, 2025, the City received bids for the project, including a bid alternate for the real veneer brick exterior finish. If selected, this bid alternate would increase the building cost by $70,000, based on the apparent lowest bidder in that category plus contingencies. Overall, the total building cost, based on the Base Bid Package and Bid Quotes, is $2,057,000. This amount includes fixtures, furniture, equipment, and security. Staff is requesting Council discussion and consensus regarding the name and logo of the Anoka Cannabis Company, and Council April 28, 2025 (Worksession) Page 3 of 16 discussion and input on the exterior building materials and color. Furthermore, staff is seeking direction regarding the recommendation to approve bids, with or without the bid alternate, at the May 5, 2025, Council meeting for the Anoka Dispensary Project. He shared the new rendering received earlier today that better matched the Public Safety building, then asked if the Council preferred base block or real brick for an additional $70,000. Mayor Pro Tem Scott said the Planning Commission was opposed to the proposed style and had asked for the secondary bid. Councilmember Campbell said he liked the brick, but for the additional cost, preferred Option 3 as it looked like Option 4 but saved $70,000. Councilmember Weaver said the City required Jimmy John’s/Baskin-Robbins to include brick on their building and felt that standard should be matched for any City building. Councilmember Rostad asked if Councilmember Weaver’s building on 7th and Main was red brick. Councilmember Weaver said the building contained the same material as the Mill Site and consisted of brick, and that he followed the rules. Mayor Pro Tem Scott said he didn’t like the modern look and that Option 3 of CMU brick color would be appropriate, adding that while he would like to save the additional cost the liquor store was constructed with cinder block and the nearby restaurant had real brick and felt the CMU would be a good transition material, even though he supported real brick. He said the cost was 2% of the overall cost of the building and that the resale value as an operation will move to 7th and Main at some point and would help set the standard for everything else developed along East River Road. Councilmember Rostad asked about timing and if both products were available. Public Services Director Mark Anderson said Option 4 would take longer as it required more handling, but wouldn’t change the timeline overall. Mayor Pro Tem Scott referred to the $76,000 price increase. Mr. Nelson confirmed the additional cost would be no more than $70,000. Councilmember Weaver asked if the City had converted the liquor store originally. Public Works Supervisor John Holmes said the store was purchased without any conversion. Mayor Pro Tem Scott asked if the other buildings constructed included brick. Public Works Director Mark Anderson said the others included precast and had different building styles. City Manager Greg Lee said the building will be there for many years and will hold up well. April 28, 2025 (Worksession) Page 4 of 16 Mayor Pro Tem Scott said this direction kept the policy under consideration for other building standards of City buildings to be consistent, and then confirmed whether there would be two separate signs. Mr. Lee confirmed the two separate signs. Council consensus was to proceed with the brick in Option 4. 3.2 Discussion: Fairoak Avenue at West Main Street Intersection and Traffic Study Analysis. Mr. Nelson shared a background report stating that in the 1960s, the State of Minnesota began constructing U.S. Highway 10, which included the reconstruction of portions of West Main Street and Division Street in the heart of downtown Anoka. This major highway's construction bisected the neighborhoods of Frog Town, Slab Town, and Swede Town within the City of Anoka. At the Regular City Council Meeting on July 6, 2015, the City Council adopted a resolution approving the Anoka Solution Plan for Highway 10. Developed by the City of Anoka, the plan aimed to preserve Fairoak Avenue, the vital connection between the neighborhoods of Highland Park and Whiskey Flats. During the design process, the city produced more than a dozen iterations of the Fairoak Avenue underpass design before the State approved the current version. Following the approval of the Anoka Solution for Highway 10, the City Council unanimously authorized the City of Anoka to lead the U.S. Highway 10/169 Improvement Project and committed $2 million to the project during the Worksession Meeting on June 26, 2016. A key component of the approved Anoka Solution was the new West Main Street extension, which established a direct connection between the Anoka Enterprise Industrial Park on the west side of the city limits and West Main Street, linking to historic downtown Anoka. The City of Anoka began construction in 2022 and achieved substantial completion by the end of the 2023 construction season. The project included a new interchange at Thurston Avenue, grade separation, an overpass at Fairoak Avenue, interchange reconstruction at Main Street, and a series of new frontage roads on both sides of Highway 10, including the new extension of West Main Street. In August of 2022, Fairoak Avenue was closed under Highway 10 to ensure the safety of construction workers and address concerns about the limited height restrictions of the underpass. This closure also helped alleviate congestion within the Highway 10 work zone. On Thursday, July 20, 2023, Fairoak Avenue reopened, and in October 2023, it functioned as a temporary four-way stop intersection during the remainder of the Highway 10 construction. This item is included on the City Council work session agenda to provide both staff and the City Council an opportunity to discuss the intersection of Fairoak Avenue and West Main Street. Currently, as designed, the intersection operates as a two-way stop for Fairoak Avenue. In November 2024, Bolton & Menk conducted a comprehensive engineering study analysis of this intersection. The study evaluates the necessity of implementing an all-way stop, considers crash history, and offers recommendations for potential improvements for the intersection. The study April 28, 2025 (Worksession) Page 5 of 16 indicates that the total number of crashes at this intersection (six) remained the same during its operation as a temporary four-way stop during construction (three crashes) and under the current two-way stop configuration implemented in October 2023 (three crashes). The conclusion of the report was the following: o The all-way stop warrants based on hourly volume thresholds are not satisfied under the collected traffic volumes. o Sight distance on the southbound approach to the intersection is obscured by the TH 10 bridge abutments. The provided intersection sight distance looking east and west does not meet the required sight distance for a stop-controlled approach facing a 30-mph roadway, assuming drivers stop in line with the posted stop sign. When drivers stop in line with the marked crosswalk, adequate sight distance is achieved. The posted stop sign on the southbound approach is placed approximately 15 feet north of the marked crosswalk across the north leg of the intersection and 24 feet north of the edge of the traveled way of the intersecting roadway. Typical placement of stop signs is between 4 and 30 feet from the edge of the traveled way of the intersecting roadway or 4 feet from the edge of the crosswalk. 99 pedestrians and bicyclists were observed using the crosswalks during the 24-hour count period. Zero pedestrians or bicyclists used the crosswalk on the north leg of the intersection. For additional details, please refer to the enclosed memorandum dated November 15, 2024, from Mr. Larson, Senior Transportation Project Engineer – Associate with Bolton & Menk. Additionally, several other important items that should be considered before convert the existing two-way intersection at Fairoak Avenue and West Main Street into an all-way intersection are the following: • Federal funding was used on this project and the city would be subject to repay the cost of the rapid flashing beacon (RFB) pedestrian crossing at Fairoak Avenue on West Main Street. The city’s expense for this, based on the Shafer Construction bid, amounts to $76,000.00. Page 28 of 115 • Engineering design guidelines from the U.S. Department of Transportation – Federal Highway Administration: A rapid flashing beacon (RFB) shall NOT be used for crosswalks across approaches controlled by YIELD signs, STOP signs, traffic control signals, or pedestrian hybrid beacons. • Violation of Federal Agreement may result in lost of future federal grant funding, “black eye” for the City of Anoka • The Engineering Study Analysis does NOT warrant satisfied all-way stop at the intersection • Unintended impacts to traffic flow of West Main Street; i.e. traffic impacts during Eagle Brook Church dismissals • Unforeseen consequences to other local existing intersections • The Anoka Police Department monitored this traffic control change from 2023 to October 2024, reporting only “some close calls of cars hitting each other”. There was only one personal injury accident at this intersection. This past March, the police department reviewed the accident history and found a total of four accidents since the intersection was converted to a 2-way stop condition. • As an older community, Anoka finds change to be difficult, therefore, it will take time for the community to adjust to this new component of West Main Street. Today, the focus of concern is this intersection; however, just two years ago, public concern was centered on the new roundabouts on West Main Street at Highway 10. Overtime, the public is expected to adapt to and accept this intersection. Council shall be aware that, currently, staff is working April 28, 2025 (Worksession) Page 6 of 16 with MnDOT to implement the study’s recommendations. This work includes removing the north leg crosswalk markings and relocating the southbound Fairoak stop sign closer to the pedestrian ramp. This adjustment would move the stop sign approximately 20 feet to the south, enhancing and improving visibility for vehicles in both directions, east and west, on West Main Street. It’s work noting, staff is currently working with MnDOT to implement a change order to address the perception that this intersection is unsafe. This work is scheduled to be completed this spring. FINANCIAL IMPACT The cost of the change order to relocate the stop sign and modify the pavement markings is not to exceed $6,700.00 and will be primarily funded by the Federal and State grant funding the City of Anoka has received to date. Council shall be aware that the current Federal and State grant funds the City of Anoka received for the rapid flashing beacon pedestrian crossing at Fairoak Avenue may be subject to repayment if the system is removed, as it is part of the approved construction document. The City may be subject to a cost of $76,000 plus the cost of the removal of the system. Staff is seeking discussion on the findings of the engineering study analysis and will answer questions the Council may have on the intersection of West Main Street and Fairoak Avenue. Furthermore, input on the intersection improvements associated with the change order work. Councilmember Weaver said he preferred a four-way stop due to the rise of the road by Pinewski’s and Fairoak coming south, as drivers lose their sight line, then referred to the impacts when services end at Eagle Brook Church. Mr. Lee said a four-way stop will cause backups during Eagle Brook service release. Councilmember Weaver said that while that may be, those drivers have an easier exit already. Mr. Nelson said the City could be made to repay the $76,000 if we convert this exit. Mayor Pro Tem Scott said there may be consequences to replace the flashing beacon, but said that didn’t mean we couldn’t purchase the sign and could repurpose this elsewhere. Councilmember Campbell asked what happens should an accident occur. Mayor Pro Tem Scott said he was inclined to make that change, then reviewed the traffic study and said warrants were met except for the 5-7 PM and noted with most kinds of crossings the intersections caused him some concern and said once the land was developed in Highland Park there will be even more pedestrians. Chief Youngquist said he liked the idea of moving the stop sign forward, but would have to see the challenge with Eagle Brook, and said more signs typically result in more violations. Councilmember Rostad asked about accidents in the area and referred to learned behaviors surrounding roundabouts. Mr. Nelson acknowledged there is a learning curve with roundabouts. April 28, 2025 (Worksession) Page 7 of 16 Mayor Pro Tem Scott suggested the pedestrian crosswalk could be removed and agreed the sight line was difficult and that he supported the four-way stop, as we could reuse the beacons. Councilmember Campbell agreed, stating this action would be much safer, too. Councilmember Weaver said the connection from north to south was important for Highway 10. Mayor Pro Tem Scott agreed but said it would be acceptable for traffic from Eagle Brook to take a left to access the highway. Mr. Lee said a worse condition would be to have the four-way stop without warrants, as it could open up the City to legal challenges. He said there was no need for a four-way stop and that the study said to remove the sidewalk on the south and move up the stop sign to increase sight lines and continue to monitor the traffic. Mr. Nelson cautioned against going against the federal grant agreement, as it could expose the City to having to return some of the funding. Joelle Alvord, Anoka, suggested the current police presence could direct traffic as a solution. Chief Youngquist shared the City contracts for police presence during services for the first half of the year, and the second half is contracted with the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, but both were for interior security concerns and not traffic control. Discussion was held on traffic impacts at Eagle Brook Church, and if done how there would be a need for staffing. Councilmember Weaver said we allow residents who live here to access and get across the intersection, and supported the four-way stop. Mayor Pro Tem Scott said he preferred the four-way stop as well, but would support the two-phased approach to monitor impacts if that was the overall consensus. Mr. Nelson said the Highway 10 project was still open until June 2026, so this action would allow the City time to monitor and confirm with MnDOT about any possible payback, as this was bid as part of the project. Council consensus was to approve a four-way stop as presented. 3.3 Discussion: Special Event Permitting/Downtown Entertainment. Communications Manager Pam Bowman shared a background report stating that while we have a special event permitting process in place, along with an April 28, 2025 (Worksession) Page 8 of 16 ordinance and policy, there are new scenarios that arise, making the permitting process more challenging. Because of this, staff would like to review the following items, which are not necessarily defined in those documents, and ensure we are following the Council’s direction and reducing or eliminating any financial burden on City taxpayers. She said the Special Events Review Committee reviewed all permit applications and said staff was seeking direction on the following elements: 1. Simultaneous Events – Ms. Bowman said staff recalls from previous years that Council preferred no two events occur on the same day in the downtown area. With the Social District in place, we are receiving inquiries for additional events such as the Anoka Classic Car Show that occurs on most Saturdays from June through September. A food truck event would like to have an event on the same Saturday in September at Riverfront Memorial Park and the east parking lot of City Hall with up to 25 food trucks, music, tents/booths, etc. The event would be near the car show, utilizing the main parking areas. The car show organizers indicated they are okay with additional activities. Overflow parking at the County ramp is not an option because of the car show, and parking at the east lot at City Hall also will not be an option with this second event. She asked if the Council wishes to limit events to one per date in the downtown area or should staff proceed in processing applications for any same date events and bring forward to Council for final approval. Councilmember Campbell said that for an ongoing event like the car show, there could be a monopoly, and he was supportive of being flexible. Public Services Director Mark Anderson said the car show holds two events a month. Councilmember Weaver noted the car show organizers supported having the food truck event at the same time. Councilmember Rostad supported being flexible since the car show has multiple events and asked if staff is looking to create criteria to review when multiple events arise that include public safety impacts, for example. Chief Youngquist noted that food trucks bring in a lot of people at times and that factors to consider include footprint, traffic, and volume. Ms. Bowman said the threshold for a large event is 25 or fewer, and includes booths and tents, and that the organizers aren’t requesting street closures but are promoting the event. She spoke about the car show organizers not wanting alcohol at their event, but spoke about the impacts of the social district in conjunction with ongoing special events. Public Services Administrator Lisa LaCasse said many events will contract with Anoka County to open their ramp for overflow parking, which can cause other impacts when parking gets pushed into the neighborhoods. April 28, 2025 (Worksession) Page 9 of 16 Council consensus was to allow flexibility around multiple event requests based on good evaluation criteria. Ms. Bowman said any new events staff will present to the Council to approve. 2. Pub Crawls – Ms. Bowman said these events do not go through the permitting process and that staff learns of these events through social media or banners and posters on the local bars and restaurants. All of these events require additional police presence. She asked that, due to the potential crowd size should street closures be required for pedestrian safety or should these unpermitted events be allowed when City resources are required. She referred to recent examples such as Anoka’s Nashville Night Pub Crawl, Anoka Zombie Pub Crawl, and the Anoka Christmas Pub Crawl. She noted that local bars and restaurants participate in these events, but usually the exact organizers are unknown. Councilmember Weaver said the recent event was more of a theme and not an actual pub crawl, and shared concerns about requiring insurance, as most aren’t making money off of the event, then asked if there were concerns with the most recent event. Chief Youngquist said the latest pub crawl had some fighting and arrests for disorderly conduct and resulted in staff overtime. Mayor Pro Tem Scott said the Zombie Pub Crawl sells wrist bands for their event and asked about the difference in a spontaneous event with a few people versus a promoted event. Ms. LaCasse said she spoke with the organizer, who had contacted all bar owners to get their participation as they typically do specials to encourage these events, and said had the City been involved, we could have planned better and coordinated the pub crawl with the social district kick off and even helped promote their event. She said the organizers apologized to the City and said she didn’t realize the social district would be in place and will inform staff of any future events, but noted the organizers wanted to continue holding these events. Councilmember Rostad suggested having the bar owners give us notice when these small events arise. He said that when a high number of people are involved, we’ll need to revisit requiring a special event to cover the costs of additional Police and Public Works personnel. Mayor Pro Tem Scott suggested creating a calendar of regular events to ensure streets are clean and portable restrooms are in place. Ms. Bowman said staff could create different levels of special events depending on the size and scope. City Attorney Scott Baumgartner said the difficulty is making someone be held accountable when they aren’t charging for events, but added the bars are benefitting from the events, and we do have some control over their liquor April 28, 2025 (Worksession) Page 10 of 16 licenses. He said it can be difficult to regulate if we don’t know who the organizers are, and how do we just stop a group of people from coming downtown? Mr. Lee agreed we can’t go after the organizers but said the City at least needs to be informed so we can be prepared, and suggested considering increasing liquor license fees after monitoring this year’s activity to see actual impacts, since the bar owners are benefiting from these events. Mayor Pro Tem Scott confirmed there are no different license fees for bars downtown and those not downtown. Councilmember Weaver suggested creating an event fee, but in the meantime, monitor the impacts this season. 3. Simple Forms. Ms. Bowman said staff provides a “simple form” for events that do not require a special event permit, which requires a fee of $50 and a certificate of liability insurance if on public property. She shared the example of River Yoga hosting a sauna and fire pit event during the winter for their customers/public that extended from their business to City Hall, River Plaza. She said, in addition to the application fee, a fee of $8 per parking stall was charged, and asked if the Council agreed with the simple form method for those smaller events on city property. Councilmember Campbell said this process seemed reasonable and didn’t think anything further was needed for these small events. 4. Parking Stall Use Only: Ms. Bowman said an $8 fee for parking stalls is charged when a request is received to reserve stalls for an extended period, such as an axe-throwing business using 6 parking stalls outside of The Empire Room for a wedding in September. She said because this is for a private party, a permit or simple form is not required; however, since they requested reserving parking stalls on public property, staff is charging $8/per stall as indicated in the master fee schedule. Council consensus was that this was diminutiveness and could be kept the same. Mr. Lee noted that the $8/stall fee was currently in the fee schedule. 5. Social District and Social District Licensed Businesses: Ms. Bowman said staff continues to encourage the bars and restaurants within the social district to host events and asked if these businesses should submit either a “simple form” or apply for a special event permit application (based on event details) and associated fees for any events that are open to the public during the social district that includes elements such as games in the roadway, music events in the City parking area, etc. April 28, 2025 (Worksession) Page 11 of 16 Mayor Pro Tem Scott said he did not support this because this is public space, akin to renting the space to the bars themselves for parklets, as it prohibits people from participating who may not be at one of the bars. Councilmember Weaver referred to the use of Serum’s parking lot because that is different than the $8 a stall fee, and said we need to stay equitable and have liability insurance. Ms. Bowman said that may deter some if they know there’s a permit involved, then shared the example of bar owners wanting to close Jackson Street, and whether a permit should be required. Council consensus was that a permit should be required. Ms. LaCasse said there is currently an area usage fee. Ms. Bowman said that could be waived, and then charge the actual fee. Discussion was held on the stage borrowed last year and its condition, and whether it should be purchased. 6. Permit Approvals: Ms. Bowman said that currently, there is confusion on when to submit a permit application for approval to the Council, both renewals and new events. She shared the example of Hope Fest in September, which the City co-sponsors by waiving the event area fee of $1,100, and other examples such as the Anoka Riverfest & Craft Fair, Anoka Classic Car Show, and Anoka Halloween. She said all these events are exempt from any fees, but each organizer completes a special event permit and submits the certificate of liability insurance. She said parade permits are separate from special event permits. She asked if co- sponsored events should be added to the consent agenda for Council approval annually, or if staff can process and issue these events without annual approval. She also asked if all special event permit applications should be added to the consent agenda for Council’s approval during the application process or should only new events and if events grow in size and alter their layout should they be required to seek new approval through the consent agenda or can they be approved by the special event review committee. Ms. Bowman also asked if the Council wished to review and approve the simple form permits, or may that could continue at the staff level? 7. Co-sponsoring: Ms. Bowman said sometimes event organizers ask the City to co-sponsor an event, including for-profit entities, through either a fee reduction/waiver. City ordinance reads “city co-sponsored means a special event organized and conducted by a tax-exempt nonprofit organization under section 501c3 through 10 of the Internal Revenue Code” that the City has elected to support through services, materials, and/or through appropriations of funds within the City’s budget.” She shared the current example of Hope Fest and asked if staff should bring forward all requests to Council for consideration or decline those requests from for-profit entities before bringing the application forward to the Council. April 28, 2025 (Worksession) Page 12 of 16 Council consensus was to include all events on the consent agenda so the Council is aware of all events planned in the City. Councilmember Weaver asked if staff notifies business owners of proposed closed streets. Ms. Bowan said the staff notifies the Anoka Business and Land Owners Association (ABLA) to notify the business owners so they are aware. Councilmember Weaver said we should confirm that ABLA is notifying the business owners of intended street closures. Ms. Bowman confirmed Council wished to have all events added to the consent agenda, including those requesting co-sponsorship, except simple form events, as they typically do not include a lot of detail and require faster turnaround. Councilmember Weaver referred to two property owners on Jackson Street not pleased with the current jersey barrier placement and suggested that they be moved to the center. He said we don’t want to take away space from businesses and that the barriers need to be moved to at least the area where we were notified about it, adding the current placement provides more benefit to the businesses on the north side of Jackson Street and could result in a lawsuit. He added that Peterson Shoes has a back entrance as well as the apartment residents on 2nd and Jackson Street, and that there are going to be negative impacts on these groups. Mr. Lee said the intent was to create an eastbound one-way thoroughfare, and that was all that was discussed. Councilmember Campbell said he could see how this change would allow plenty of space. Mayor Pro Tem Scott said the space is benefiting both the north and south businesses as well as the patrons, and not just specific bars. He discussed the definition of a public taking and felt this was more of an inverse condemnation. Councilmember Weaver said if this doesn’t work and access can’t be gained, people may not be able to pay their rent, adding that ingress and egress are very important. He cautioned against the City not being a good partner. Ms. Alvord asked if the patio area on the street provided by the City has outdoor seating for 3-4 places, and that Billy’s area is not the entire block, and how we need to have space available for delivery trucks. She commented that the City is favoring one location over another because the bar owners expect people using the area to purchase food and beverages from them while seated. Mayor Pro Tem Scott said bar owners pay for the patio area and the logistics address access, and that people can get drink service in the patio areas, but the remaining area is a public domain. He said ideally this would be like an open café area, but that we have to be careful having pedestrians and cars in the same April 28, 2025 (Worksession) Page 13 of 16 area, and that we have the one-way in place to maximize the public space versus the rented space for the business, adding that’s the entire point of the social district. Councilmember Weaver said now’s the time to make the change before the district opens, adding we still have people trying to go west on Jackson Street, and when they realize they can’t, they use the ramp to get around the one-way. He encouraged the City to open up the south side, as he felt this would work. Mayor Pro Tem Scott asked if there are any plans for those who need more space. Mr. Lee said there are no plans outside of providing sufficient space to have more events. Councilmember Campbell said this has to be for both the north and south businesses, otherwise, this could be the last year of the social district. Councilmember Rostad referred to ingress and egress and equity but shared concerns about when the car show blocks 3rd Avenue because people own property there too and are not happy when it affects them, as well as those along Harrison Street, adding these impacts are not just on the downtown area. Councilmember Weaver agreed but said those events are not 24/7. Mayor Pro Tem Scott said that was a good point and that bollards could be used to cut off activity on the weekends or during an event. Councilmember Rostad asked what’s different than last year. Councilmember Weaver said the difference was that there weren’t barriers on Jackson Street. Ms. LaCasse shared how the barriers were established on Jackson Street to provide parklet extensions for special events such as karaoke, noting McGillicuddy’s is the only group that has a plan for their area. Councilmember Rostad asked if the Police Department is concerned about the lack of structure and the potential for pedestrian incidents in this space. Chief Youngquist shared he does have concerns, then referred to the incident that occurred in Canada and requested jersey barriers be used to help avoid that from occurring. Ms. LaCasse said 10K Brewing is fully surrounded by jersey barriers. Discussion was held on jersey barrier placement for other bars in the social district. Mayor Pro Tem Scott said as long as the committee is supportive, he was fine with the direction, adding they want to have an option for when to bollard the area off, adding the area is for the bar owners to use. Councilmember Weaver agreed but said there needs to be buy-in. April 28, 2025 (Worksession) Page 14 of 16 Ms. LaCasse said the intent was to have the barriers on the skip stripe for a one- way to accommodate the large number of vehicles for deliveries, so if we push these back, this would remain a one-way. Then asked how to address people ignoring the one-way signage. Councilmember Weaver said he felt this was a learned behavior and that people would get used to it. Mayor Pro Tem Scott asked if there was signage regarding the one-way on the westbound side. Chief Youngquist said Public Works installed do not enter signage, and that arrests can be made when needed for continued violations. Ms. LaCasse said we can’t bring all parking back to allow the trucks to deliver, but will try and confirm Council’s direction to move the barriers to the skip, leave the road as a one-way, and create as many parking spaces as possible and allow motorcycle parking as well. Mr. Lee shared that a bipartisan liquor bill was currently being considered that would allow social districts throughout Minnesota. 3.4 Discussion: Modification of Amplification Ordinance. Mr. Baumgartner shared a background report stating that staff was requesting the Council discuss a proposed modification to the amplification ordinance. He shared background from 2022 regarding the City of Excelsior’s lawsuit regarding their amplification ordinance and how he wants to avoid that occurring in Anoka. He summarized the judgment and how the goal was to be the least restrictive as possible. He reviewed the City’s noise and special event ordinances and how they were modified to eliminate groups of 50 or less from obtaining a permit to help avoid some of the concerns restricting amplification to no more than 68 decibels. He said all groups have to be treated equally, whether the amplification includes a microphone or a band. He shared further examples, such as the Halloween event and an individual who wants to speak on a corner, and how that shouldn’t reach the same level of application review, which is what the court was alluding to, to avoid impeding someone’s First Amendment rights. He said it is difficult for law enforcement to ascertain, but may require the utilization of a decibel meter, and suggested amendments to both ordinances, which he shared in detail. Councilmember Weaver asked about the proposed music at the car show and how this will impact that event. Mr. Baumgartner agreed but stated that the ordinance, if adopted, would have to apply to all types of events. Councilmember Weaver suggested exempting the school district from events such as football games. Mr. Baumgartner suggested a special event could be held for the school with games throughout the season. Ms. LaCasse noted that places of worship sometimes hold services in a park, which would require a special event license. April 28, 2025 (Worksession) Page 15 of 16 Ms. Alvord shared comments about noise impacts from other events, as well as bridge traffic, motorcycles, and others. Ms. LaCasse asked if the aquatic center should be added as an exemption, as we play music, make announcements, and use whistles regularly. Mayor Pro Tem Scott asked how exemptions were included. Mr. Baumgartner said it is different in the downtown area for something such as a band compared to a stadium because most know that stadium noise will occur. He noted any ordinance would have to be enforced with some common sense. Councilmember Weaver asked if golf course events should be included, too. Mr. Baumgartner said the golf course could be considered exempt because it is an athletic field. Chief Youngquist shared his concern with his officers being placed in a compromising position and said they will need clear direction, and asked if this would be fair to have them enforce. He said he spoke with Excelsior’s police department, which hasn’t used their ordinance yet on a protester, and noted there is already music in place during events, and how their ordinance then doesn’t necessarily point at one individual. Mayor Pro Tem Scott referred to the incident of generator noise created at a residential home and its impacts. Mr. Baumgartner agreed it can be difficult to think of all situations, but said he was tasked to see what could be done because of the impacts on the events, but how any ordinance has to be balanced against anyone’s First Amendment rights. Mayor Pro Tem Scott asked if Chief Youngquist was comfortable with the proposed amendments. Chief Youngquist said he has some concerns but that officers will respond should something occur. Mr. Baumgartner clarified that these are just suggestions, but if the Council wanted to have anything enforced, amendments would be needed; otherwise, this activity will continue to occur. He suggested the Council review the redlined version again for discussion at a future worksession. Councilmember Weaver said we need to create a tool that can be used along with discretion. Council consensus was to create an ordinance that included noise at 75 decibels at the same time as Riverfest. Ms. Alvord suggested using a decibel app. Mr. Baumgartner said the decibel determination has to be something that can be calibrated for submission into court. April 28, 2025 (Worksession) Page 16 of 16 Mayor Pro Tem Scott said the Council will review the proposed changes and consider them again at a work session. Mr. Baumgartner suggested removing the special event ordinance from the City code and creating an event policy instead that can be changed more easily when needed. 4. OTHER BUSINESS Mr. Lee said the NorthStar Rail will be holding a meeting soon to launch their intent to move to bus service and suggested the Council discuss their position about this change, adding the City should retain ownership of any infrastructure. He said the Metropolitan Council and Anoka County need to dissolve the agreement for the platform and the overpass, and asked if the Council would be interested in taking these areas over so they could remain for use. Councilmember Weaver asked what the Legislature’s position was and if they wanted to see the NorthStar continue. Mr. Lee said he felt the NorthStar rail is a forgone conclusion as the funding is going away. Councilmember Rostad suggested a future worksession topic to discuss how to allow for young adults to become more engaged in the City through board and commission involvement. She said that while she envisioned this not being a voting-level member, but could result in getting more input from the youth. Mr. Lee said the staff has been researching this concept and will return to the Council with some suggestions. Mr. Baumgartner shared that Centerville has a similar program that results in youth providing important input on boards and commissions. 5. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Councilmember Weaver, seconded by Councilmember Rostad, to adjourn the Worksession at 7:27 p.m. Motion carried. Submitted by: Cathy Sorensen, TimeSaver Off Site Secretarial, Inc. Approval Attestation: Amy T. Oehlers, City Clerk