Duluth City Council Meeting – August 20, 2026: Land Use Studies, Short-Term Rentals, and Charter Amendment
Duluth City Council Meeting – August 20, 2026
This meeting served as an agenda session and committee of the whole, with detailed discussion and staff presentations on several major items. The council reviewed resolutions and ordinances, heard a presentation on the Lester Park Golf Course land use study, and debated the short-term rental ordinance. No final votes were taken; those are scheduled for the regular council meeting on August 24, 2026.
Consent Calendar
- Resolution 757 authorizing a second amendment with Resolute Law LLC (increase of $100,000, new total $149,000) was read and no questions were raised.
- Resolution 753 confirming Carrie Peterson as Director of Public Works and Utilities was read without questions.
- Multiple items from Public Works and Utilities (resolutions 719, 739, 740, 744, 746), Recreation, Libraries, and Authorities (resolutions 731, 735, 736, 741, 750, 752, 754, 758, 759, 762), and personnel/item tabled (resolutions 723, 724, 725) were read and passed without objection.
Discussion Items
- Bex Road Land Use Study (Resolution 760) and Lester Park Golf Course Land Use Study (Resolution 761): Vice President Kennedy and President Nephew offered an amendment to Resolution 761 to restore the working group’s original recommendation, rejecting the planning commission’s additional recommendations. Debate included the meaning of Section 11F of the development agreement, the distinction between future land use and zoning, and the process for conveying 207 acres back to the city as P1 open space. Director Van Tassel confirmed that a separate rezoning and title work would follow in one to two months.
- Short-Term Rental Ordinance (Ordinance 38, item 28): Staff presented a comprehensive overhaul. Key provisions: no new short-term rental licenses in single‑family homes (existing licensed units may continue as non‑conforming, but licenses are non‑transferable); creation of four regulatory “buckets” based on fire and building code; and an administrative citation process ($250 escalating to $2,000 per day). Councilors expressed concerns about enforcement, impacts on “mom and pop” owners, and potential loopholes in transfer rules. Deputy Chief Otis noted the ordinance is a starting point and will be reviewed over time.
- Charter Amendment – Vacancies of Mayor and Councilor (Ordinance 36, item 29): Councilor Randorf explained that the proposal modernizes the charter by distinguishing short‑term (≤30 days), extended (30–100 days), and permanent vacancies. Short‑term absences would be handled by the city administrator; extended absences would allow an acting mayor appointed by the mayor; vacancies would be filled by council appointment within 45 days. The change aligns with Minnesota’s paid leave law.
- Reduction of Building Approvals Board Membership (Ordinance 37, item 30): Discussion focused on which two specifications would be removed (finance and building materials supply). No further questions.
Committee of the Whole: Lester Park Golf Course Land Use Study
- Mike Thompson of Bolton & Menk presented the final study after an extensive public engagement process (2,000+ touch points). The recommendation is to reclassify approximately 63 acres (the lower quarter) for neighborhood mixed‑use development (est. 700–900 housing units, limited commercial) and approximately 207 acres (upper three‑quarters) as open space, retained by the city in P1 zoning. The line was drawn based on utility capacity (760‑foot elevation) and community desire for a compact, walkable neighborhood. Environmental remediation for historical pesticide use will be required later. The plan also includes a “blue belt” for stormwater and restoration.
- Councilors asked about utilities, developer interest, soil types, and whether a future private golf course could be accommodated in the open‑space portion. Staff noted that such decisions would go through a parks master planning process and are not precluded by the study.
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes were taken; all items will return for debate and action at the August 24, 2026 regular council meeting.
- The amendment to Resolution 761 (striking the planning commission’s additions) will be considered for adoption.
- Staff will bring forward a separate resolution within 1–2 months to formally designate the 207 acres as P1 open space and to finalize the development agreement amendment with DITA.
- The short‑term rental ordinance will be subject to further refinement; councilors committed to ongoing evaluation of enforcement and transfer rules.
- A follow‑up discussion on the 1,500‑acre protective land designation (required by the Lester Park development agreement) is expected in the next council cycle.
Meeting Transcript
In the community investment trust fund. Item three, resolution seven five seven is a resolution authorizing a second amendment to the professional services agreement with resolute law LLC increasing fees by the amount of 100,000 for a total not to exceed 149,000. All right. Thank you, Councillor Randorf. Are there any questions on items two and three? Um seeing none, we will move on to Councillor Forsman with personnel. Thank you, President Nephew. Resolution 753 confirming the appointment of Carrie Peterson as director of the public works and utilities department for the City of Duluth. All right. Any questions on item number four? Seeing none, we will move on to planning and economic development. Um item number five. Uh resolution seven six zero, a resolution amending the comprehensive plan of the city of Duluth to reclassify areas of Bex Road land use study area. Um item number six, resolution seven sixty-one, a resolution amending the comprehensive plan of the city of Duluth to reclassify areas of Leicester Park Golf Course. Um and if I may, there is an amendment by Councillor Kennedy and I uh to, I'm sorry, Vice President Kennedy and I to bring the land use study back to what the original recommendation was of the working group, um, not the amended version of um what came out of the planning commission as well. Do I need to read that directly or just move it forward? Okay. Are there any questions? I see uh counselor Forsman. Thank you, President Nephew. We have a meeting after this, so I would assume we should probably hold questions for that. Yep. Specifically on the topic of this um Lester Park golf course. I'm just gonna pull this from the consent because I'm sure there'll be a lot of comments on Monday. Yes, and I think it was also requested by Councilor Desitel to pull that one as well. Um Counselor Randorf. Thank you so much, um President Nephew. Um we did have quite a few questions around this um this amendment, and we're considering creating an additional amendment, but I think maybe we can talk through some of that and see if that is in fact warranted or not. One of the um one of the questions was when you read it, we do have the strike through that says as amended by the additional recommendations, because we know the spirit of this is we're removing the planning commission's recommendations, but up in E um, do we also need to strike through the rec recommendation that says um uh the land use study recommended that the city evaluate development model or the infrastructure and utility improvements necessary to uh to support development model um uh future developments are funded by the developer? Do we need to strike out that additional language as well, or does this strikeout cover it so we don't have to worry about that additional strikeout? President Kennedy, Councilor Randorf. The reason there is not a strikeout of paragraph E is that paragraph simply provides information of what the planning commission did. So that's just factual information of the plannings commission action. So in the motion to amend by striking out the language from the first now, therefore be it resolved by striking out that language. If the if this council passes the motion to amend on Monday and then passes the amended resolution, that means this council is adopting the land use study as is without the additional recommendation from the planning commission. Thank you. All right, uh counselor. Um thank you, President Kennedy or uh President Nephew and Vice President Kennedy for this amendment. Um I do want to point out in the the bottom, the second paragraph of the statement of purpose. Um there is a claim that there were uh there was a vote of five yes and zero nays on the planning commission. My understanding is that there were three votes, affirmative votes, and two negative votes. Am I correct in that? And is can anyone confirm and if so, can we change it? President nephew, counselor. Uh the I believe the the process or the how the discussion went at the planning commission was uh the amendment was voted on. The the vote for the amendment was three to two. Uh that amended their recommendation and their final recommendation to council passed five to zero. Okay. Thank you. Thanks for the clarification.
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