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CRCivicRundownRichfield, Minnesota

Meeting record · Richfield, Minnesota

City Council — Tuesday, December 13, 2022

14 items on the record

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Items on the record

  1. Item 1Discussedinformational or procedural item — no vote taken

    Presentation of the Edwina Garcia Community Builder Award and proclamation to Emilia Gonzalez Avalos

    The Richfield City Council was scheduled to present the third annual Edwina Garcia Community Builder Award and a mayoral proclamation to Emilia Gonzalez Avalos, executive director of Navigate MN/Unidos MN. The award recognizes her decade of work transforming a small networking program into a statewide organization focused on gender, racial, and economic justice for Latinas across Minnesota. Ms. Gonzalez Avalos, an immigrant born in Mexico City and raised in Minnesota, was also recognized as a 2022 Bush Foundation Fellow.

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  2. Item 2Discussedinformational or procedural item — no vote taken

    Recognition of Mayor Maria Regan Gonzalez

    The December 13, 2022 Richfield City Council meeting was scheduled to include a ceremonial recognition of Mayor Maria Regan Gonzalez, celebrating her leadership and community impact. Representatives from organizations including the Richfield Disability Advocacy Partnership, La Red, and Richfield Public Schools were expected to offer remarks of appreciation. The agenda also included a proclamation for Emilia Gonzalez Avalos, recipient of the third annual Edwina Garcia Community Builder Award, honoring her work as executive director of Navigate MN/Unidos MN.

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  3. Item 3Outcome pendingfinal tally arrives when the city publishes the minutes

    Approval of the Agenda

    The City Council approved the meeting agenda as presented.

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  4. Item 4Outcome pendingfinal tally arrives when the city publishes the minutes

    Consent Calendar

    The City Council approved the consent calendar, which included renewal of various liquor and secondhand goods licenses, acceptance of donations and grants, designation of polling places, first reading of a zoning code amendment, setting a public hearing for a new liquor license, contract renewal for vehicle auctioning, and support for transportation grant applications.

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  5. Item 5Outcome pendingfinal tally arrives when the city publishes the minutes

    Consideration of items, if any, removed from Consent Calendar

    No items were removed from the consent calendar for separate consideration.

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  6. Item 6Outcome pendingfinal tally arrives when the city publishes the minutes

    Public hearing to consider a resolution adopting a Spending Plan for unobligated tax increment

    A public hearing was scheduled to consider adopting a Spending Plan for approximately $10 million in pooled tax increment funds anticipated over the next 8 years from several Tax Increment Financing Districts. The plan was expected to guide investment priorities aligned with the city's Comprehensive Plan and Strategic Plan, including downtown revitalization, affordable housing, and climate resilience. The Housing and Redevelopment Authority had already approved the plan on November 21, 2022, and City Council adoption was required before any funds could be deployed toward specific projects.

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  7. Item 7Outcome pendingfinal tally arrives when the city publishes the minutes

    Public hearing and consider to approve the renewal of 2023 Pawnbroker and Secondhand Goods Dealer licenses for Metro Pawn & Gun, Inc.

    A public hearing was scheduled to consider the renewal of Pawnbroker and Secondhand Goods Dealer licenses for Metro Pawn & Gun, Inc. at 7529 Lyndale Avenue South for 2023. Staff reported that all required documents, fees, and a $5,000 surety bond were submitted, a background investigation of the owners and general manager found no criminal history, and the Public Safety Director found no basis for denial. Current licenses were set to expire December 31, 2022.

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  8. Item 8Outcome pendingfinal tally arrives when the city publishes the minutes

    Consider a resolution accepting the transfer from the Lyndale Gateway/Interchange West, Urban Village, and City Bella Tax Increment Financing Districts to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and consideration of priorities for the use of Trust Fund resources for affordable housing developments

    The council was scheduled to consider accepting a $750,000 transfer—$250,000 each from the Lyndale Gateway/Interchange West, Urban Village, and City Bella TIF Districts—into the City's Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which was created in 2020 to construct, preserve, and rehabilitate affordable housing. The proposal would also establish priorities guiding how Trust Fund resources are awarded to future affordable housing developments. If adopted, the 2023 Trust Fund budget would commit $200,000 of these funds toward Richfield Flats, an affordable apartment development.

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  9. Item 9Outcome pendingfinal tally arrives when the city publishes the minutes

    Consider resolutions approving the 2022 Revised/2023 Proposed budget and tax levy and related resolutions

    The council was scheduled to adopt a final 2023 gross tax levy of $26,784,573, a 6.60% increase over the prior year, along with revised 2022 budget resolutions and several related resolutions covering capital budgets, utility rates, and employee compensation. Despite the higher levy, the city's tax capacity rate was anticipated to decrease from 53.68% to 50.563%, which could limit actual tax bill increases for many property owners. The package also included a 3.00% wage increase for Management, General Services, and Specialized pay plan employees effective January 2023, reflecting challenges from inflation and a tight labor market.

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  10. Item 10Outcome pendingfinal tally arrives when the city publishes the minutes

    Consider the appointments to City advisory board and commissions

    Appointments to eight City advisory boards and commissions were scheduled for consideration at this meeting, as several member terms were set to expire January 31, 2023, and additional mid-term vacancies existed due to resignations. Candidates had been interviewed at a special work session on November 19, 2022, and the agenda included both renewal and mid-term vacancy appointments across the Advisory Board of Health, Arts Commission, Civil Service Commission, Community Services Commission, Human Rights Commission, Planning Commission, Sustainability Commission, and Transportation Commission. The City Council was expected to vote on filling these positions to ensure quorums at future board meetings.

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  11. Item 11Outcome pendingfinal tally arrives when the city publishes the minutes

    Consider the adoption of the City’s legislative priorities for 2023

    Richfield's legislative priorities for 2023 were scheduled for formal adoption, representing a compiled list of policy positions, advocacy stances, and state funding requests developed collaboratively by city staff and stakeholders. The top funding priority was a $12 million bonding request for Wood Lake Nature Center, which would fund demolition of the existing 50-year-old building, construction of a new facility, landscaping, and trail renovation. If adopted, the platform was expected to guide the city's advocacy efforts with state representatives throughout the 2023 legislative session, beginning with a legislative breakfast on January 12, 2023.

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  12. Item 12Outcome pendingfinal tally arrives when the city publishes the minutes

    Consider approval of a new agreement with the Richfield Tourism and Promotion Board

    An updated agreement with the Richfield Tourism and Promotion Board (RTPB) was on the agenda for consideration, replacing the original agreement that had been in place since July 5, 1990. The proposed agreement would expand the governing board to include a restaurant industry representative and a resident member appointed by the City Council, establish a 3-year review cycle, define a specific scope of services with goals and progress indicators, and require annual financial reporting to the City Council. The RTPB is funded by a 3% lodging tax on hotel and motel gross receipts, which generated $211,000 in 2019 but declined sharply during the pandemic and had not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.

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  13. Item 14Outcome pendingfinal tally arrives when the city publishes the minutes

    Claims and Payroll

    Routine approval of city claims and payroll was scheduled on the agenda for the December 13, 2022 meeting, as is standard practice at each City Council meeting. This item authorizes payment of city bills and employee compensation and is a recurring procedural item. No specific dollar totals for this meeting's claims and payroll were available in the agenda materials.

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  14. Outcome pendingfinal tally arrives when the city publishes the minutes

    Truth in Taxation Public Hearing regarding the 2023 property tax levy and 2022 Revised/2023 Proposed Budget and proposed 2023 utility rates

    A Truth in Taxation public hearing was scheduled for December 13, 2022 at 6:00 p.m., as required by Minnesota Statutes, to allow residents to comment on the proposed 2023 property tax levy and budget before final adoption. The preliminary gross tax levy was set at $26,784,573, representing a 6.60% increase from the 2022 levy, though the city's tax capacity rate was expected to decrease slightly. Final action on the levy, revised 2022 budget, proposed 2023 budget, and utility rates was also on the agenda for consideration at this same meeting.

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Official documents

Last updated Wednesday, April 8, 2026 · AI-assisted summaries — the official documents above are authoritative.