2020.06.09 WS Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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option to combine polling locations versus using the small neighborhood centers. Spangrud stated that was the reason this information was brought to the City Council, because the Council’s opinion matters. She explained the City has a limited number of facilities available for polling (without being able to use sc hools). She reported staff was open to pursuing whatever direction the Council had with regard to polling locations. Councilmember Jacobsen agreed the neighborhood centers were not big spaces. He questioned if the gym at St. John’s could be used as a combined precinct. Spangrud stated this was an option. She commented Precinct 2 was the City’s smallest precinct. Massopust reported staff would be considering how to balance voter accessibility with voter safety through social distancing. He explained he encouraged Clerk Spangrud to keep polling locations similar within the precincts because voter accessibility was very important. He indicated after the polling locations were set, the City would then focus on how to address proper social distancing and voter safety. Councilmember Dunsworth stated voters may be discouraged if lines were too long. She encouraged staff to pick large polling places, to properly inform voters where their polling location would be and to create safe social distancing at the polling locations. She recommended the smaller polling places be eliminated from consideration. It was her hope absentee voting would increase this year in order to keep the elections running smoothly. Councilmember Fynewever commented on the benefits of keeping polling places close to voters. She stated another option to consider would be to have people vote within specified timelines within neighborhood zones in order to space people out. Councilmember Jacobsen indicated his worry with only having one polling location would be the wait times that could be created. He suggested several different polling locations be selected to assist with easing voter wait times. He stated he appreciated Councilmember Fynewever’s suggestion to space out voters. Councilmember Fynewever asked if there was any legal way to have smaller polling places available and one general polling place (the Community Center). Spangrud stated this would not be an option as each resident was assigned to a polling location based on their address. She reported she would work on a plan for the City’s polling locations and would report back to the Council at the June 23rd meeting. Massopust thanked the Council for its feedback and noted staff would work to have a plan with four larger polling places. Update from Public Safety Director Tony Paetznick Massopust reported the recent death of George Floyd has caused an outcry on policing services and how they are being done. He commented as an organization the City was open to and embracing that challenge. He explained Director Paetznick would be providing the Council with an update on how the City was working to bring about change. Paetznick provided the Council with an update from the Public Safety Department. He thanked the City of New Brighton for their cooperation during the last few weeks when a curfew was in place. He appreciated the community coming together to report suspicious activity and was proud of how well the community looked out for each other. He reported New Brighton was celebrating its 20th year of providing public safety services in the City. Paetznick encouraged the Council and members of the public to view the Public Safety Commission meeting from June 8th where he gave a presentation on 21st Century Policing. He discussed the six pillars of 21st Century Policing and how they were advancing policing in the community. These pillars included building trust and legitimacy, policy and oversight, technology and social media, community policing and crime