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CRCivicRundownRichfield, Minnesota

Meeting record · Richfield, Minnesota

City Council — Tuesday, January 9, 2024

8 items on the record

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Items on the record

  1. Item 2AOutcome pendingfinal tally arrives when the city publishes the minutes

    Designation of Acting City Manager for 2024

    This consent calendar item was scheduled for consideration to formally designate who would serve as Acting City Manager whenever City Manager Katie Rodriguez is absent from Richfield in 2024. Staff recommended continuing the same approach used in 2023, directing the City Manager to designate either the Assistant City Manager or an available Department Director to fill the role. This is a routine annual designation required at the first Council meeting of each year.

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  2. Item 2JOutcome pendingfinal tally arrives when the city publishes the minutes

    Purchase of 11 Ford SUV Police Interceptor Vehicles

    The city was scheduled to consider purchasing 11 Ford SUV Police Interceptor vehicles from McGovern Municipal Headquarters for approximately $498,744, combining both 2023 and 2024 budgeted fleet replacements into a single order. The combined purchase became necessary after Ford cancelled the city's 2023 vehicle order and then closed the 2024 model window, requiring the city to order 2025 models immediately for early 2024 delivery. The vehicles proposed are gas-powered rather than hybrid, as staff determined that hybrid maintenance costs and poor warranty coverage outweighed environmental benefits at this time.

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

    Consent Calendar Approval

    Approval of multiple routine items including liquor license renewals, acceptance of grants and donations, establishment of special revenue funds, and contracts for public safety and health services.

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

    Renewal of 2024 Pawnbroker and Secondhand Goods Dealer Licenses for Metro Pawn & Gun

    A public hearing was scheduled to consider renewing the 2024 Pawnbroker and Secondhand Goods Dealer licenses for Metro Pawn & Gun, Inc., located at 7529 Lyndale Avenue South. This type of license requires an annual public hearing, giving residents a formal opportunity to comment before the Council acts. Agenda documents indicate Metro Pawn & Gun has maintained a cooperative relationship with Richfield's Public Safety departments.

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

    Appointment of Karl Huemiller as Recreation Services Director

    The City Council was scheduled to consider confirming City Manager Katie Rodriguez's appointment of Karl Huemiller as the new Recreation Services Director for Richfield. Agenda materials indicate the selection involved a competitive process with ten staff members participating on interview panels, and the City Manager expressed strong confidence in the recommendation. Huemiller's name appears in prior meeting documents related to recreation programming and sustainability discussions, suggesting familiarity with city priorities.

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

    Contract with HGA for Wood Lake Nature Center Design

    The Council was scheduled to consider approving a $1,685,296 contract with architectural firm HGA to design a new building for Wood Lake Nature Center and provide construction administration services. The project has been discussed in prior council work sessions, with council members raising questions about trail improvements, accessible entrances for surrounding neighborhoods, and the role of potential local sales tax funding. If approved, the City Manager would also be authorized to approve contract changes up to $175,000 without returning to the full Council.

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

    Second Reading: Ordinance Authorizing City Engineer to Set Speed Limits

    A second reading of an ordinance amending Richfield City Code Chapter XIII was scheduled for consideration, which would authorize the City Engineer to set speed limits on municipal roadways. If adopted, most residential streets would be set at 25 mph, while major corridors such as Penn, Nicollet, and Portland avenues would retain higher limits. The 76th and 77th Street corridor near Highway 77 was expected to be designated an urban district with a 30 mph limit, with all changes proposed to take effect June 15, 2024.

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  8. Discussedinformational or procedural item — no vote taken

    Southdale Library and Edina Art Center Co-location Project Preview

    A preview of the proposed Southdale Library and Edina Art Center co-location project at 7001 York Avenue South was scheduled to be presented to the Richfield City Council for informational purposes. The project would combine one of Hennepin County's busiest libraries — with approximately 185,000 visitors and over 250,000 physical checkouts in 2022 — with the Edina Art Center on a redesigned site near the Richfield-Edina border. The design concept was expected to include regional trail connections, extensive stormwater infrastructure, and a pedestrian-oriented building layout addressing current accessibility barriers.

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Official documents

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