By Logan Wells, News Director | Logan@kymnradio.net
The Northfield City Council meets tonight for a regular meeting with several items on the agenda.
View the full City Council agenda and packet here.
Presentation about the Arts Annual Report
The meeting will start with Library Director Natalie Draper’s presentation about the Arts Annual Report. The report will include the installation of public art in the last year in Northfield, a description of future projects with art in the upcoming year, and how public art is financed in Northfield. This is only a presentation, and no action will be taken bythe council.
Mayor’s Youth Council Requests Change to Public Comments Section Rules
On the regular agenda, includes a request by the Northfield Mayors Youth Council to amend the City Council’s rules so that members of the public do not have to give their full address to the council during the public comments section of the meeting. The Mayor’s Youth Council raised the concerns in a letter stating that:
“While we accept that it is necessary for speakers to fill out a card in order to ensure they are a resident and for bookkeeping purposes, we are issuing an official statement urging the Council to abandon the practice of having speakers say their full address out loud at these public meetings. We feel that it discourages participation and is a barrier for many to give their valuable input.”
The City Clerk Lynette Peterson conducted a poll of 14 cities in the area to see what their policy is on stating address in the public meeting. A majority of the cities polled request the address of commenters, but do not require it, and some of the cities provide that, for safety concerns, a person does not have to state their address.
The Council will decide during the meeting whether to adopt the requested rules change or keep them the same.
First Reading of Ordinance Regulating Cannabis Businesses
city’s attorneys drafted the ordinance in coordination with the Northfield Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention. The city’s attorneys will explain the ordinance during a meeting, and then the item will go to the council for discussion. Among the items for the council to consider are setting a limit on the number of cannabis retail stores in Northfield, retail store hours, and rules regarding temporary events.
Also on the Agenda
- Central Park will have its final vote on historic designation. The council unanimously approved the first reading of the historic designation, which is part of the consent agenda. (read previous story here)
- The council will consider an agreement approving Railroad Crossing improvement at Spring Street and Fremouw Avenue, which would take place in 2026.
- The meeting will end with a discussion about potential projects to request funding for from the state in the next year.
Public Comment & Attending A City Council Meeting
The public is welcome to attend in person or watch online. To watch online, go to northfieldmn.gov and click the “Agenda & Minutes” button in the middle of the home page. From there, find tonight’s meeting date to watch, as well as a copy of the agenda and other meeting documents.
With several of the items on the meeting agenda tonight in their first reading phase, this is a better time to provide comment rather than waiting for the final vote. Here are a few options to comment:
- Video with advice for commenting at a City Council Meeitng
- Find the email contacts for the Mayor and Council here
- Leave an E-comment on the agenda by clicking here.
The meeting starts tonight at 6pm in the Council Chambers of the Northfield City Hall.
