North Star Report #27

Council Meeting, Budget, Year End In Review, Signing off!

Jan 02, 2024

Happy New Year, I hope this newsletter finds you well. This is my last official newsletter as a City Councilor. I hope you have found value in this effort and have a slightly deeper understanding of the work the City Council does, and what is going on around the community. As of noon today other folks will be taking the oath of office and I will be relieved of my powers! I may send one more newsletter out with reflections from my 6 years of service.

Council Meeting 12/18

It also looks like the 2024 council will be led by Councilor Roz Randorf as Council President and Councilor Terese Tomanek as Council Vice President. I think both are excellent picks to lead the council, both councilors are hard-working, do their homework are well-prepared for meetings, and take their roles seriously.

Approved 2024 fee schedule (this is a year-end process that happens every year!)
Approved the 2024 budget
Approved several agreements for the 2025 lead service replacement project
Approved purchase of brine (a liquid that prevents icing on roads and also allows us to use less salt)
Authorized staff to apply to the MN DNR for a grant of up to $1 million to support the implementation of the Hillside Sport Court Park Plan
Repealed Earned Sick and Safe Time for the city of Duluth as the state now has a policy in place

Duluth Round-Up

Duluth Police aim to fix ‘broken trust’ a decade after having the worst rape kit backlog. As a former PAVSA board member, this was an issue of significant concern for the community. It is heartening to see it continue to progress.
Continued clean-up of the St. Louis River Corridor
Record-breaking attendance for our Great Lakes Aquarium. Kudos to Mr. Walker and the whole GLA team.
Duluth Public Utilities Commission to hold public meetings regarding proposed water rate increases
The public comment period is open on preliminary FEMA flood maps through January 18, 2024
A great story by the Star Tribune about why Duluth’s economy collapsed in the 1980s
Historic Housing Awarded to One Roof Housing (disclosure this is my daytime employer, but due to the historic impact of funding to Duluth, I felt it was worthy of sharing)

End of Year Op-Ed by City Staff and Community Members

100 More Cups of Coffee

Still working on having another 100 Cups of Coffee with constituents. If you want to have a 45-minute conversation about anything regarding the City click on this link to schedule I will still be doing this- I am two cups away from 200 cups (100 from the first go around and 98 from the second!)

Join a City Commission!

Are You interested in joining one of Duluth’s Boards and Commissions and having a direct impact on directing where our City goes?

Ordinance Modernization Task Force

I started a task force to go over all of the ordinances in the city code and weed out, outdated language and ordinances. An intuitive and modern regulatory environment is important to how cities function and how citizens operate within that framework. The task force is soliciting feedback on our work to date. I am uncertain of the outcome of this. We are nearly halfway through but it is up to the new administration and council if this project is to finish. I think it is a worthwhile endeavor.