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03-15 Concurrent HRA, CC, PC, and Human Rights Commission Work Session HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY MEETING MINUTES Richfield, Minnesota Concurrent Housing and Redevelopment Authority, City Council, Planning Commission and Human Rights Commission Work Session March 15, 2021 CALL TO ORDER The work session was called to order by HRA Chair Supple at 6:00 p.m. via Webex. HRA Members Mary Supple, Chair; Sue Sandahl; Lee Ohnesorge and Present: Erin Vrieze Daniels HRA Members Absent: Maria Regan Gonzalez Council Members Present: Mary Supple and Sean Hayford Oleary Council Members Absent: Maria Regan Gonzalez, Mayor; Simon Trautmann and Ben Whalen PC Members Present: Kathryn Quam, Chair; Peter Lavin; Brendan Kennealy; Brett Stursa; Jim Rudolph, and Brian Pynn PC Members Absent: Susan Rosenberg HRC members Present: Mara Glubka, Chair and Tyler Olsen HRC members Absent: Anne Flake; Tiffany Bighley; Michele Thompson; Kris Anderson; Kathrine Goodemote; Walter Burk; Fountia Thompson-Robinson and Tash Ostendorf Staff Present: Katie Rodriguez, City Manager; Melissa Poehlman, Assistant Community Development Director; Julie Urban, Housing Manager; and LaTonia DuBois, Administrative Assistant. Others Present: Jamar Hardy, Edina Realty and Jared Shepherd, Hoff Barry Attorneys Concurrent HRA, City Council, Planning Commission and Human Rights Commission Work Session -2- March 15, 2021 Item #1 PRESENTATION ON THE JUST DEEDS PROJECT, WHICH WORKS TO FACILITATE THE REMOVAL OF RACIALLY-RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS FROM PROPERTY DEEDS, AND HOW RICHFIELD CAN BECOME A PARTICIPATING COMMUNITY. Assistant Community Development Director Poehlman provided a brief introduction on racial covenants and introduced Jared Shepherd, Hoff Barry Attorneys and Jamar Hardy, Edina Realty. Jared Shepherd and Jamar Hardy introduced themselves, provided background information and explained why they got involved with the Just Deeds project and the history of the Just Deeds project. Jared and Jamar presented the project goals, an overview of racist and exclusionary housing policies, explained the history of racial covenants, shared locations within the City of Richfield where racial covenants exist, and how the city can partner with the Just Deeds project to discharge covenants on city owned property and assist residents in rejecting racially restrictive covenants on their property. HRA Chair Supple explained the next steps that could be taken by staff and policy makers to move forward with this work. Planning Commissioner Stursa spoke of efforts being made by the Human Rights Commission around mapping prejudice and shared her support of the Just Deeds project. HRA Commissioner Vrieze Daniels offered her support of the Just Deeds project. HRC Commissioner Glubka also shared her support for the project. HRA Commissioner Sandahl spoke of her experience with title law and restrictive covenants and inquired about rejecting racial covenants on Torren’s property. Jared Shepherd shared information for rejecting covenants on Torren’s properties. Planning Commissioner Lavin inquired about the city enacting an ordinance that would require the covenants to be stricken from the title. Jared Shepherd shared his thoughts about engaging with individual resident’s property history and confronting the history versus erasing it. Jamar Hardy shared his insight as a realtor and bringing the experience to individual homeowners to make the decisions themselves. Assistant Community Development Director Poehlman explained intents to provide information through the point of sale inspection process to direct homeowners to find information on their property. Planning Chair Quam inquired about the opposition of this proposal. Jared Shepherd shared goals to inform residents of property history and that he does not know of any opposition. The goal is not to erase history, rather to acknowledge history and to engage the community in discussion. Concurrent HRA, City Council, Planning Commission and Human Rights Commission Work Session -3- March 15, 2021 Assistant Community Development Director Poehlman explained how this is an example of systemic racism and the Just Deeds project is good conversation to figure out how certain policies effect people differently. Council Member Hayford Oleary offered his support for the Just Deeds project and stated how this is an important first step. Housing Manager Urban explained how to find a restrictive covenant map through the Mapping Prejudice website. Assistant Community Development Director Poehlman shared her feelings around racial covenants being discovered on city property. Jamar Hardy explained that title companies and realtors don’t discuss racial covenants on property with people when purchasing their home and most people are unaware they exist. Jared Shepherd explained how the history of a property can be stacked or buried in the history of a plat. He emphasized the importance of engaging with community members to allow individuals to make the decision to reject the covenants. HRA Commissioner Ohnesorge inquired about the process for property owners to reject the covenants on their property. Jared Shepherd explained the process for homeowners to reject the covenants through the Just Deeds project. HRA Chair Supple shared her support of the Just Deeds project and the city moving forward with this work. Assistant Community Development Director Poehlman explained the next steps that will be taken by staff to get this program ready to roll out. . ADJOURNMENT The work session was adjourned by unanimous consent at 7:02 p.m. Date Approved: April 19, 2021 Mary Supple Chair LaTonia DuBois John Stark Administrative Assistant Executive Director