Edina City Council Regular Meeting – April 7, 2026

The Edina City Council met on April 7, 2026, at 7:01 PM in City Hall Council Chambers. The meeting covered community comments, consent agenda approvals, proclamations, an annual sustainability update, and a second reading and adoption of amendments to the lawful gambling ordinance. The meeting adjourned at 9:18 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Approved minutes of the March 17, 2026 work session and regular meeting.
• Approved claims for payment totaling $2,069,662.17 (March 13 pre-list), $962,868.14 (March 20 pre-list), and $2,125,925.49 (March 27 pre-list).
• Granted a Sustainable Building Policy partial waiver for the Braemar Arena Expansion Project.
• Approved purchase requests: Lake herbicide treatments ($20,594 to Lake Management Inc.), stormwater assets inspection ($127,000 to Barr Engineering), sanitary and storm sewer manhole lining ($75,000 to Underground Utility Specialists), York Pond storm water improvements ($832,865 to Boulder Creek Inc.), Prospect Knolls A, C & D and Parklawn Court roadway reconstruction ($9,999,999.25 to McNamara Contracting), Fred Richards Park preconstruction tree removals ($162,076 to Hoffman Unhorn Construction), Fred Richards Park design and engineering construction administration ($346,000 to Confluence), network storage replacement ($313,917.17 to LOGIS), and July 4th fireworks ($20,500 to J&M Displays, Inc.).
• Adopted Resolution 2026-18 authorizing a Community Tree Planting Grant Agreement.
• Adopted Resolution 2026-17 authorizing application for the Livable Communities Grant Program.
• Appointed a member to the Parks & Recreation Commission.
• Approved the Digital Accessibility Policy.
• All items passed unanimously (Ayes: Agnew, Jackson, Pierce, Risser, Hovland).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Ralph Zickert criticized Mayor Hovland for comments made at the March 3, 2026 meeting regarding the 2026 budget and City Manager Neal's consulting practice, calling the Mayor's remarks disrespectful and an attempt to intimidate constituents.
• Rick Vining opposed the proposed planting of 91 trees along the shoreline of Lake Cornelia, arguing it would negatively impact community enjoyment of the park and harm water quality. He suggested the city sell the land to adjacent homeowners with buffer maintenance stipulations.
• Pieter Friedrich warned the council about a state resolution (SF 4115 / HF 4098) that cites Edina and would require local agencies to incorporate a definition of "Hindophobia" from the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA). He detailed CoHNA's ties to Hindu nationalism and urged the council not to engage with the organization.
• Marillene Allen (reading a statement from her grandson William) requested a crosswalk on Interlachen Boulevard at Cooper's Avenue. William and his dog were struck by a vehicle in October 2025; William suffered a fractured hip, internal bleeding, and trauma. She noted there is no safe crossing for over two miles on Interlachen Boulevard.

Discussion Items

• City Manager's Response to Community Comments: City Manager Neal responded to a previous comment about flag-lowering protocols, noting a human error occurred and a process check was scheduled.
• Proclamations:
  • Days of Remembrance (April 13–20, 2026) – accepted by Ian Nemerov, who highlighted the April 14 event "The Cello Still Sings" at Fire Station #2.
  • National 911 Public Safety Telecommunicator Week (April 12–18, 2026) – accepted by Dispatch Supervisor Janelle Harris, who praised dispatchers' dedication.
  • Earth Day (April 22, 2026) – accepted by Sustainability Manager Bayer and Paul Thompson, who promoted the April 26 Earth Day Festival at Weber Park. Asad Masood was introduced as the new City Management Fellow.
• Annual Sustainability and Climate Action Update: Sustainability Manager Bayer presented the 2025 progress, emissions reductions, funding sources, and challenges. Key points:
  • 17% greenhouse gas reduction achieved (primarily from grid decarbonization); 2025 inventory pending.
  • Need to reduce an additional ~197,000 metric tons by 2030, mainly in transportation and buildings.
  • Conservation & Sustainability Fund revenue about $1.5 million in 2025; expenses $1.3 million.
  • Secured $1.96 million in grants in 2025; total $4.5 million to date. Future federal funding expected to be limited.
  • Extreme Heat Report identified hottest areas (commercial/industrial, redeveloped neighborhoods) up to 8°F warmer than tree-canopied areas.
  • Council discussed soy-diesel conversion, bag fee data, and land behind Fire Station #2.
• Ordinance 2026-02: Lawful Gambling Code Amendment: Council considered and amended the ordinance:
  • Staff (City Manager Neal and Clerk Allison) recommended a 3% tax on gross receipts and a 10% contribution of net profits to the city for community events.
  • Council debated the 10% contribution: Member Jackson and Member Pierce argued it would burden nonprofits; Member Agnew suggested earmarking 10% for problem gambling prevention.
  • Council voted to limit licensed organizations to Edina-based nonprofits (amendment passed 5-0).
  • Council voted to eliminate Section 6.70 (the 10% city contribution) (passed 4-1, Member Agnew opposed).
  • Final ordinance as amended adopted (4-1, Member Agnew opposed). Second reading waived and summary publication approved.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda approved unanimously for all 16 items.
• Three proclamations adopted unanimously.
• Sustainability Update received; council requested comparative data and continued tracking.
• Ordinance 2026-02 adopted with amendments: restricts lawful gambling to Edina-based 501(c)(3) nonprofits; removes the 10% city contribution; keeps the 3% gross receipts administrative fee; raises tax-exempt events from 2 to 5 annually; eliminates city background checks (relying on state).
• Advisory Communications received on e-bike regulation and the Extreme Heat Report.
• City Manager's Comments and Council Comments noted; Members Risser and Jackson reported on the National League of Cities trip to Washington, D.C.