Duluth City Council Agenda Session and UDC Committee of the Whole - June 11, 2026

The Duluth City Council met on June 11, 2026, beginning at 5:15 PM, for an agenda session followed by a Committee of the Whole on the Unified Development Chapter (UDC). No agenda or minutes were available; this summary is based on the raw transcript. No formal votes were taken; most items were prepared for council action on Monday, June 15, 2026.

Consent Calendar

• Finance: Resolutions 532 and 533 confirm delinquent assessment and utility rolls. Resolution 540 authorizes a 2026-2028 professional services agreement with the Duluth Joint Powers Enterprise Trust, accepting $441,377 (2026), $452,412 (2027), and $463,722 (2028). Councilors asked why other city entities are not in the insurance pool; staff said the JPE was formed years ago with the city, DECC, HRA, and airport, that the city makes up about 90% of the pool, and that no formal analysis of expanding the pool has been done.
• Purchasing/Licensing: Resolution 525 authorizes purchase of two Freightliner single-axle plow truck chassis from Boyer Truck Superior for $262,251.78. Resolutions 537, 538, and 541 approve gambling and liquor licenses/renewals. Resolution 558 amends the total in Resolution 24-0305 for Tyler Technologies software licensing, migration services, VPN appliances, and SaaS hosting from $1,204,823 to $2,307,676; administration stated the contract and budget were correct but the original resolution math was incorrect, preventing payment of the third year.
• Personnel: Multiple appointments/reappointments were on the consent agenda. Resolutions 544 (Matt Massman), 546 (Jerry Goldfarb), 547 (Jason P. Gresh), and 549 (Stephen Gall) were pulled from consent because those appointees will be interviewed. Massman's interview is scheduled for June 25; the others will be interviewed on Monday, June 15. Councilor Derwachter noted past practice had included interviews for new commission members; the personnel committee chair chose to interview only authority appointees.
• Public Works/Utilities: Items included a Rice Lake operations and maintenance agreement; a one-way street designation in Canal Park; purchase of cold mix asphalt from Monarch Paving for $65,000; an increase of $20,000 to the energy transfer skid for the Lakeview Project (new total $169,949); award of the Storm Sewer Improvements Project to KNH Excavation Inc. for $749,065.05; and an application to the EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative for up to $750,000 for a Cody Street stormwater infiltration basin.
• Public Safety: Grants accepted from Minnesota Department of Public Safety for $309,000 for an auto theft investigator, $36,966.98 to reimburse 50% of Pathway to Policing community service officer wages, and $32,926.02 from the DOJ BVP program for ballistic vests. Councilor Klana asked about community partnerships to diversify candidates; police noted work with youth providers and the school district but no grant-specific provisions.
• Recreation: Resolution 534 increases the TKDA engineering contract for Martin Trail segments 01 and 2 by $54,936 to $208,885. Resolution 543 designates dock sites along the Martin Trail; staff explained the map identifies possible sites, DNR permits docks, the ordinance regulates access and environmental protections, and property owners must avoid sedimentation and bank failure. Councilor Tomanak asked about fertilizer restrictions; staff said they would look into it.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Representatives of the Lincoln Park Business Group testified in support of the Lincoln Park Special Services District. They stated the proposed district includes 141 properties and 246 businesses; 30% of property owners signed the petition, with roughly another 20% supportive but not signing due to current property tax increases. The initial assessment is set at 2% to collect $40,000, producing about $283 per property per year with a $1,000 cap on large properties. They emphasized existing clean-and-safe services, the need to organize during the West Superior Street construction project, and their goal of establishing the district at an affordable rate.

Discussion Items

• I-35 Reconnecting Communities Study (Resolution 548): Administration described additional MnDOT/federal funding for a study of the I-35 corridor from West Duluth to downtown, examining future alignment options and neighborhood impacts over about two years. Councilor Desitel raised concerns about how federal funding limits might affect equity/DEI components; administration said the grant agreement was accepted by FHWA and MnDOT and they had no concerns moving forward.
• Lincoln Park Special Services District (Resolution 555 and Ordinance 20): Discussion covered the petition threshold, the affordability of the 2% assessment, and the city's planned $30,000 tourism tax allocation. Finance Director Nina Salinas said the district would be considered in-house (not through Visit Duluth) during the budget cycle and that staff were comfortable bringing the $30,000 forward. The service charge resolution was pulled to be tabled until the companion ordinance's second reading.
• Docks on the Martin Trail (Resolution 543): Staff clarified the relationship between the resolution, ordinance, and DNR permitting; dock locations were limited to properties directly adjacent to water and public land, with no public right-of-way or alley between, and the ordinance is intended to protect water resources and shoreline habitat.

Committee of the Whole: UDC Amendments

• Administration presented a package of zoning code amendments responding to a council resolution from June 2025 to modernize the code and increase housing supply. Topics included:
  • Elimination of future RP and MUP planned districts: Existing planned districts would continue, but no new ones would be created. Staff said the lengthy planned-unit process consumed staff, planning commission, and council time; by-right development is preferred.
  • Removal of the higher education overlay district: Replaced with a 0-20 foot build-to zone in MUN districts to encourage walkable mixed-use development without the extra planning commission process.
  • Form district consolidation from 9 to 4: Prescriptive base/cap building types and architectural expression lines would be removed; core requirements would be building close to the street, ground-floor windows, and active uses. Rezoning: F1/F2 to F1; F3-F6 to F2; F7/F8 to F3; F9 to F4. Boundaries remain unchanged; a map amendment will be brought forward.
  • Height increases: R1 heights increase by 5 feet. Downtown/Canal Park form districts would allow a 50% height bonus (up to 282 feet) for projects meeting housing goals. Councilor Randorf objected that there is no minimum number of housing units required for the bonus; staff acknowledged the affordable housing bonus was not completed and could not provide a number before adoption. Councilor Johnson asked whether existing buildings could add height; staff said few are structurally capable.
  • Reduced lot sizes and setbacks: In R1, minimum lot area per family drops from 4,000 to 2,500 square feet; two-family and townhouse lots drop to 2,000; multifamily to 1,500 square feet per unit. Lot frontage drops from 40 to 25 feet (townhomes 20 feet). Staff said existing nonconforming lots remain buildable and the changes help medium-density infill and aging-in-place improvements.
  • More housing types by right: Fourplexes would be allowed in R1 neighborhoods, townhome architectural standards would be removed, and certain housing types would shift from special use to permitted use. Staff cited comprehensive plan housing recommendations.
  • Removal of rural clustering and connectivity index: Staff said the conservation/clustering calculation and connectivity index had not worked in Duluth's topography and were hard to administer; new standards would require trail/park connections in adopted plans instead of a formulaic road connectivity score.
  • Sustainability standards update: The point-based system would be updated with new measures such as bird-safe glass. Councilor Desatel noted the code's ASHRAE citations are outdated and asked whether the Energy Planning Commission could review the table in the future; staff was open. Councilor Desatel also asked about lighting and amber/dark-sky standards; staff said lighting was not in this update but could be considered in a later deeper dive. Councilor Connell encouraged that work.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken during the agenda session or committee of the whole.
• Resolution 555 (Lincoln Park service charges) was pulled from the agenda and will be tabled until the companion ordinance reaches its second reading.
• Four personnel resolutions (544, 546, 547, 549) were pulled from the consent agenda for interviews on Monday, June 15; resolution 544 will be taken up after Matt Massman's June 25 interview.
• The UDC ordinance (Ordinance 19) is scheduled for first reading Monday, June 15, 2026, with an effective date of August 31, 2026. Staff said applications cannot be processed until that date, but property owners may contact staff for informal consultation before then.
• Staff committed to follow up on auction proceeds from old vehicles, fertilizer restrictions near Martin Trail docks, and further consideration of housing thresholds for the downtown height bonus.
• Upcoming work identified by staff includes shoreline regulations with the DNR and vacation dwelling unit/lodging code changes in the fall.