HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-03-02 Council Work Session MINUTES
OF THE WORK SESSION OF THE
EDINA CITY COUNCIL
HELD AT CITY HALL
MARCH 2, 2010
5:00 P.M.
Mayor Hovland called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. in the Community Room of City Hall. Answering
rollcall were Members Bennett, Brindle, Housh, and Mayor Hovland. Member Swenson entered the
meeting at 5:12 p.m. Attending the meeting from the Human Rights and Relations Commission (HRRC)
were: Chair Arnold Bigbee and Commissioners John Cashmore, Lisa Finsness, Jessica Kingston, Meg
Newell, and Russ Stanton. Staff attending included: Commissioner Shara Mohtadi entered the meeting at
5:30 p.m. Staff attending the meeting included: Gordon Hughes, City Manager; Heather Worthington,
Assistant City Manager; Roger Knutson, City Attorney; Ceil Smith, Assistant to the City Manager; Susan
Howl, Administration Assistant; and Debra Mangen, City Clerk.
Mayor Hovland thanked the HRRC for the work they do on behalf of the community. He asked Chair
Bigbee to begin their presentation. Chair Bigbee noted that the Commission was in the process of
reviewing nominations for the Tom Oye Award. He said nominations would be received until March 12,
2010. Mr. Bigbee turned the presentation over to Jessica Kingston.
Commissioner Kingston presented the proposed draft Domestic Partnership Registration Ordinance that
the HRRC requested the City Council to consider. Ms. Kingston reviewed each section of the draft
ordinance plus HRRC's resolutions which request the Edina City Council to:
1. Adopt a Domestic Partnership Ordinance establishing a domestic partnership registry;
2. Assure all Edina public venues include domestic partnerships and their families within existing
family or household memberships;
3. Update Edina's Personnel Code Section 150 allowing city employees paid and/or unpaid time off
benefits to care for domestic partners;
4. Adopt an "Equal Benefits" ordinance that would require entities contracting with the City to provide
equal benefits to spouses and domestic partners of the contractor's employees; and
5. Recognize domestic partner registrations for initial homestead rights and not require annual re-
registration for homestead classification for domestic partner homeowners except in the instance of
termination of a domestic partner registration.
The Council and Commission discussed the proposals in detail. Staff pointed out that a policy change had
already been put into place that would eliminate annual re-registrations for homestead classification by
domestic partners. It was also noted that before the FMLA Leave Act that required Edina's Code be
amended to comply with Federal legislation, the Personnel Code had contained less restrictive language.
Manager Hughes said staff would check with the City Attorney to ascertain whether reverting to the less
restrictive language posed a conflict with the FMLA Leave Act.
Some members of the Council expressed concern with the fourth resolution and requested more
information. Mr. Hughes and the City Attorney will review the draft ordinance, staff will review various
venues offering family and household memberships, and staff will prepare an update to Section 150 with
less restrictive language if not in conflict with FMLA Leave Act. It was noted that the issue relative to the
HRRC's fifth resolution had already been rectified. Mr. Hughes said that following any redrafting the
proposed ordinance would be returned to the HRRC for their review.
There being no further business, Mayor Hovland adjourned the meeting a 6 3 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
A14W
ebra A. MangW, City Clerk
Minutes approved by Edina City Council, March 16, 2010
James B. Hovland, Mayor