Edina City Council Meeting – October 20, 2026

The Edina City Council met at 7 p.m. on October 20, 2026, in Council Chambers at Edina City Hall, 4801 W. 50th St. Councilmember Pierce was absent. The council approved an amended agenda, heard community comment and a regional public safety update, adopted most of the consent agenda, recognized 2026 photo contest winners, received a Three Rivers Park District trail update, held a public hearing on a dental office site plan, approved donations and a parking fee ordinance on first reading, tabled one contract amendment, and declined to rescind special assessments for the President's neighborhood.

Agenda and Opening Actions

• Roll call was taken with Mayor Havlin and Councilmembers Agnew, Jackson, and Risser present; Councilmember Pierce was absent.
• The council voted unanimously to table agenda item 9.3, the Arcadia Ave Partners contract amendment for 5146 Eden Avenue, to the November 4, 2026 meeting.
• The council voted unanimously to move Chief of Police Todd Milburn's public safety update from item 10.1 to after item 5.1.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Ralph Sickert criticized the city manager and council for not answering his question about the proposed 2027 General Levy using $7 million of prior-year tax surpluses to reduce the projected levy from 18.5 percent to 6.5 percent. He said the question was not rhetorical and cited $141 million in unfunded capital projects over five years, including $60 million for fire station number three, $31 million for a new Braemar Clubhouse, and $17 million for the Edina pool on top of $13 million in emergency funding in 2026.
• Claudia Pinella challenged the council to propose three to four ideas for the former Kevin Keyes property at 6016 Vernon Avenue. She listed prior denials including the West Side Cafe, a clothing charity, a pizzeria, a memory care facility, and an EV charging station, and said the site was purchased in October 2021 for $900,000.
• Stacey Best, speaking for the Minnehaha Woods neighborhood, requested formal approval of alternating two-way stop signs at 55th Street and Kellogg Avenue and 55th Street and Oklahoma Avenue. She said both intersections are uncontrolled, serve bus stops, have sight-line problems, and have already had crashes. She said traffic data was collected and the Edina Traffic Safety Committee is aligned with the neighborhood's request.
• Lily Tarakie, a 15-year-old student driver, supported the stop sign request, saying the intersections are difficult to navigate safely because of children playing and drivers unfamiliar with the area speeding through.
• Kate Haig, speaking for herself and concerned Rolling Green residents, said the 2027 Rolling Green road construction plan made no reference to tree preservation. She asked the city to evaluate alternatives to widening streets to 25 feet, to protect mature tree canopies and root systems, and to avoid sacrificing any mature tree without exploring reasonable options.
• David Frankel disavowed a political flyer that included his name, noted state requirements for publishing top city salaries, and mentioned the arrest of a Somali gang member under the Federal RICO Act. He urged continued regional gang enforcement.

City Manager's Responses and Public Safety Update

• Director Vetter responded to prior community comment questions, saying the city has increased park patrols, worked with community leaders, and added a park closure authority rather than requiring permits for groups of 25 or more.
• Director Benarot said Chief Milburn would address the Metro Gang Task Force question and explained that the former Kevin Keyes site is zoned to permit automobile service centers, car washes, and gas stations; tearing down the building for a new use would require setback variances.
• Councilmember Risser offered four residential ideas for the Kevin Keyes site, including following the comprehensive plan's medium-density residential guidance, closing access points on Vernon Avenue, and considering one to four housing units. The mayor said the owner remains engaged and the city has explored but could not make affordable housing, park, townhouse, or memory care uses work economically.
• Chief Milburn reported that recent shots-fired cases remain under active investigation and that a regional law enforcement summit of about 90 police chiefs, sheriffs, and command staff led to activation of the BCA Crime Gun Intelligence Center. More than 40 agencies are participating in the new regional effort.
• Chief Milburn shared statistics from the October 5 community safety meeting: about 225 people attended, more than 10,000 watched the live stream at its peak, the YouTube recording has been viewed more than 7,800 times, 25 people spoke, 17 people shared comments through Better Together Edina, and the city has responded to more than 60 questions online.
• Council members thanked the chief for the update and encouraged residents to call 911 when they see something unsafe. Mayor Havlin noted that more than 40 agencies are working together and that the federal and regional collaboration has been unusually strong.

Consent Calendar

• The council approved the consent agenda by roll call with the exception of items 6.1 and 6.19.
• Approved consent items included the Oct. 6 work session minutes, payment of claims, purchase requests for Braemar Arena fiber utility construction, Fred Richards Park EV charging stations and playground equipment, firefighter turnout gear, Minnesota Task Force One emergency management operations, City Hall carpet and furniture, a level 3 fast charger, watermain upsizing at 7235 France Ave, traffic signal replacement and salt damage study professional services, Community Development Block Grant forgiveness for Bickman Court, the Hyland Lake Regional Trail agreement with Three Rivers Park District, the Nine Mile Creek winter use permit, the AE2S instrumentation support agreement, and Ordinance 2026-13 updating salary escalator references.
• Item 6.1: The Oct. 6 work session minutes were approved, but the regular meeting minutes were tabled to November 4, 2026 so Councilmember Risser could seek a correction to the summary of Planning Commissioner Ryan Day's comments.
• Item 6.19: The balance of the Aug. 25, 2026 Traffic Safety Report was approved, but item B1, the stop sign request denial at Halifax Lane and Woodland Circle, was held over to the November 4 meeting for further discussion.

Special Recognitions and Presentations

• Images of Edina 2026 photo contest winners were recognized. A total of 118 photos were submitted, and winners were announced in six categories. Winners included Elliot Peckham, Stephanie Thomas, Leah Steidel, Tom Bates, Jack Weston, and Kara Olson. Jack Weston's photo, Green Heron Running Along Minnehaha Creek, won both the Plants and Animals category and Best in Show. Edina Magazine was acknowledged as a co-sponsor.
• Danny McCullough, Three Rivers Park District Regional Trail Manager, and Commissioner Louise Segreto presented an update on the Highland Lake Regional Trail, formerly known as the CP Rail Regional Trail. The trail segment will connect Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail to Hyland Park Reserve and onward to the Minnesota River. Construction is scheduled for 2029, with design beginning in 2027. The trail will be a 10-foot-wide paved off-road regional trail and will cross Highway 494 at Bush Lake Road. A study linking Nine Mile Creek to St. Louis Park will begin in 2027. The railroad corridor remains unavailable because the railroad is not willing to sell it.

Public Hearing: Dental Office at 7300 Metro Boulevard

• Staff presented a site plan with variances for a proposed 5,000-square-foot dental office at 7300 Metro Boulevard in the planned office district. The request included variances for the first-floor ceiling height from 20 feet to 10 feet and for a 10-foot side yard setback, similar to a previously approved but never built dental office on the site.
• The Planning Commission recommended approval by a 9-0 vote, and staff concurred. No public testimony was offered during the meeting.
• The council voted 4-0 to keep the public hearing open until noon on October 25, 2026, and to continue action to the November 4, 2026 city council meeting.

Reports/Recommendations

• Resolution 2026-69, accepting donations, was adopted. Donations included $14,869.01 for baseball field renovations and $3,200 from Susan Austin and Julie Graham for a park bench.
• Ordinance 2026-14, amending parking fees at the 50th & France parking ramps, was approved on first reading. Staff said it was the first parking fee increase in more than 10 years and would affect annual, quarterly, premium, and rooftop permits. The 50th & France Business Association was consulted and was agreeable. The city sells between 400 and 600 permits annually, collects about $75,000 per year in permit revenue, and holds a restricted fund balance of more than $500,000 used for district maintenance and capital needs.
• Agenda item 9.3, the Arcadia Ave Partners contract amendment for 5146 Eden Avenue, was tabled to November 4, 2026.

Motion to Reconsider: President's Neighborhood Assessments

• Councilmember Risser introduced a motion to rescind Resolution 2026-59, the special assessments for the President's A and B neighborhood roadway reconstruction improvements BA466 and A293 adopted at the October 6 meeting.
• Risser said a 2025 presentation to residents promised final assessment notices about one year after construction, that substantial completion was delayed until July 2026, and that residents learned in an undated late-September letter that the full lump-sum payment of $6,953.43 was due November 15, 2026. She said this was not about punch-list items, and she proposed allowing lump-sum payment to be delayed to May 2027.
• City Attorney Kendall said the city followed required legal notice procedures, that no one is required to pay in a lump sum, and that rescinding would prevent certification to the county until the following November, forcing the city to carry about $200,000 in debt service. Some residents have already prepaid or may have appealed to the court, and rescinding could create confusion.
• Director Milner acknowledged the communication was not ideal and said staff will improve it. He noted labor shortages have delayed road construction projects and that delaying the assessments would cost the city about $200,000 and could add roughly $300 to $340 in interest for residents who wait until next year to prepay.
• Councilmember Risser made a motion to rescind, but no council member seconded it, so the motion failed for lack of a second. Council members expressed empathy and agreed the process should have been communicated better, but they decided to stay the course to preserve predictability and avoid shifting costs to the city as a whole. An audience member objected and said the city was misleading residents.

Manager's Comments and Council Comments

• Manager's comments included an update that reconstruction of the East Rink at Braemar Arena has resumed after the frost issue passed testing. Ice is now expected by December 26 at the latest, but staff are working to deliver it earlier.
• The next city council meeting will be Wednesday, November 4, 2026, because Election Day is November 3. Early and absentee voting at City Hall continues through October 30 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with extended evening and weekend hours on October 24, October 31, and November 1 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and November 2 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Councilmember Risser reminded the community that October is breast cancer awareness month and encouraged mammograms. She also encouraged residents to vote in the upcoming election.
• Councilmember Jackson asked about the Braemar East Rink schedule and repeated the advice to call 911 for safety concerns.
• Councilmember Agnew commented on pedestrian safety and dark mornings, and Mayor Havlin noted upcoming community events and the regional law enforcement collaboration.

Key Outcomes

• The agenda was amended, item 9.3 was tabled to November 4, and the police public safety update was moved earlier.
• The consent agenda was approved except for items 6.1 and 6.19; the regular Oct. 6 minutes were tabled, traffic safety item B1 was held over, and the rest of the report was approved.
• Resolution 2026-69 accepting donations was adopted.
• Ordinance 2026-14 amending 50th & France parking fees was approved on first reading.
• The 7300 Metro Boulevard dental office public hearing remains open until noon October 25, 2026, with action set for November 4, 2026.
• The motion to rescind the President's neighborhood special assessments failed for lack of a second, so the assessments stand.
• The next regular meeting is scheduled for November 4, 2026.