Duluth City Council Agenda Session and HRA Personnel Committee Interview

On December 11, 2025, the Duluth City Council held an agenda session to review upcoming resolutions and ordinances, and the Personnel Committee conducted interviews for appointments to the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA). The meeting included a significant discussion on proposed changes to the council's standing rules. No formal votes were taken; decisions are scheduled for the regular council meeting on December 15, 2025.

Consent Calendar

• The council reviewed a number of routine consent items, including:
  • Resolution 945: Approval of the Duluth Transit Authority FY2026 operating budget.
  • Resolutions 955, 962, 965, 966, 968, 969, 970, 971, 974, 977: Various contracts for equipment parts, fuel, supplies, and licenses (annual amounts ranging from $55,000 to $1,108,800).
• Councilor Awall requested follow-up information on the competitive bidding process for items 2, 8, and 9, and on plans for electrifying the city fleet. Administrator Staling committed to providing answers before the Monday meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made during this agenda session.

Discussion Items

HRA Personnel Committee Interviews (11:15 AM – 12:00 PM)

• The Personnel Committee, chaired by Councilor Awall, interviewed two candidates for the HRA: Mariah McKechney and Michelle Reeves.
• Mariah McKechney: A local business owner and downtown redeveloper, expressed passion for housing and a balanced vision of practicality and dreaming. She has a high risk tolerance and is interested in redevelopment opportunities.
• Michelle Reeves: An economic development consultant with 20+ years of experience in land use, real estate, and adaptive reuse. She emphasized Duluth's potential to become a leader in addressing housing affordability before the problem becomes intractable. She noted her work in Portland and South Lake Tahoe.
• Both candidates were asked about their backgrounds, potential conflicts of interest, and scheduling availability. McKechney noted occasional travel conflicts. Reeves acknowledged she sometimes travels for work.
• Councilor Nephew (an HRA member) asked about their comfort with risk in redevelopment. Both expressed support for taking calculated risks to bring new housing types and funding tools. McKechney said she is not afraid to ask hard questions and make big moves. Reeves highlighted the need for diverse typologies and creative financing.
• The interviews concluded with thanks from the committee. The three candidates (including Jacinta Roth, who was not interviewed in this session) will be considered for appointment at the Monday council meeting.

Resolution 991 – Proposed Changes to Council Standing Rules (7:00 PM – 8:30 PM)

• Vice President Nephew introduced a resolution to amend council standing rules, aiming to eliminate Thursday agenda sessions, move all questions and discussion to Monday regular meetings, establish study sessions (open and recorded) for in-depth topics, and modify public comment provisions.
• Vice President Nephew’s rationale: To increase transparency by having all substantive debate occur at the public Monday meeting, and to allow for longer study sessions on complex topics (e.g., DTA, skywalk study). He noted that new councilors were consulted and supportive.
• Administrator Staling committed to having directors present at Monday meetings to answer questions and make presentations on pulled consent items. He supported study sessions as a tool for deeper dives.
• Councilor Awall expressed concerns about losing the deliberative space of agenda sessions, especially for neurodivergent members needing time to process information. She suggested a possible alternative: moving agenda session to the Monday one week before the vote.
• Councilor Forsman asked about the logistics of study sessions and whether a firm deadline for agenda items could be established to ensure adequate preparation time.
• Councilor Randor raised questions about how late-added items would be handled (e.g., the resolution itself was added at 11:00 AM on Thursday). He also noted that the proposed rules removed the ability for councilors to communicate via the clerk’s office for non-discussion announcements; Administrator Staling said he would review open meeting laws and amend the proposal.
• Councilor Durwachter questioned the timing of the change, suggesting it should be deferred to January so the three new councilors could vote on it. Vice President Nephew argued that implementing the new format for the new year would provide consistency. Councilor Durwachter also worried about an increase in late pulls from the consent agenda.
• Councilor Kennedy asked whether staff would also be subject to the same deadlines for submitting late items; Administrator Staling agreed that would be appropriate.
• Councilor DeLuca suggested waiting for the new councilors to vote on the rules for better transparency.
• Councilor Swenson appreciated the discussion and noted that many answers are already in the packet.
• Councilor Awall revisited the history of public comment, noting that previously comments were allowed before each agenda item; she suggested that format might be more effective than the proposed split.
• The discussion concluded with no action taken. The resolution will be considered at the December 15 council meeting.

Library Relocation Inquiry

• Councilor Randor asked about reports of a potential library move. Administrator Staling confirmed that the administration had looked at one property as part of preliminary exploration of options for the downtown library, which has aging facilities and behavioral concerns. He emphasized that it is extremely preliminary, with no plans or studies yet. He committed to bringing the council and community partners (e.g., library foundation, board) into the process if the idea progresses.

Key Outcomes

• No votes were taken during this agenda session.
• The HRA candidate interviews will be forwarded to the full council for appointment action on December 15.
• Resolution 991 (standing rules change) will be on the December 15 agenda; several councilors expressed interest in amending or deferring it.
• Administrator Staling will provide additional information on the bidding process and fleet electrification before Monday.
• The clerk will pull Resolution 967 (Lincoln Park Drive closure) from consent for Councilor Forsman’s abstention.
• The council will meet next on Monday, December 15, 2025, at 6:00 PM.