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NEW <br />BRIGHTON <br />building tomorrow today <br />Council Worksession <br />March 23, 2021 <br />5:00 pm <br />Present: Mayor Kari Niedfeldt-Thomas <br />Councilmember Abdullahi Abdulle <br />Councilmember Graeme Allen <br />Councilmember Pam Axberg <br />Councilmember Emily Dunsworth <br />Absent: <br />Staff in Attendance: Devin Massopust, Jennifer Fink, Jason Hicks, Brenda Davitt <br />Guests in Attendance: <br />Due to the COVID-19 pandemic this meeting was held virtually. <br />New Brighton Community Center HVAC Upgrades <br />Fink stated in 2019, the New Brighton Community Center had 540,000 visitors. These are people using the <br />fitness facilities, the Eagles Nest, the Ramsey County Library, and meeting spaces. Despite total closure in <br />April and May, and limited uses throughout most of 2020 — attendance still topped 182,000. It is home to City- <br />wide and Community building events such as voting, Senior High School graduation night parties, weddings, <br />funerals and is home to several churches. The New Brighton Community Center was built in 1994 and the <br />current HVAC system was installed in 2016. At that time, council implemented a forward thinking UV <br />treatment on two of the rooftop units that service the Eagles Nest, Gym and Fitness Center. The entire system <br />is scheduled to be replaced in 2036. <br />Fink explained at the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic, City staff worked with Trane to discuss the <br />ability of our HVAC system to upgrade the filters to a MERV 13. After assisting the City with that, Trane <br />approached the City of New Brighton about the opportunity to perform an Indoor Air Quality Assessment. The <br />Trane Indoor Air Quality Assessment provided concrete guidance based on the overall system performance. <br />The assessment identified areas for improvement to meet industry guidelines and optimize indoor air quality. <br />At the time of the assessment, the transmission of COVID-19 was less known. However, since that time, <br />ventilation and circulation of the air have been identified as major contributors in providing a safe environment <br />for visitors. The assessment and the purchasing of the MERV 13 filters were funded by CARES Act dollars. <br />CDC Recommendations as of February 9, 2021 for HVAC and ventilation mitigation strategies that apply to <br />the New Brighton Community Center: <br />• Increase outdoor air ventilation, using caution in highly polluted areas. <br />• Ensure ventilation systems operate properly and provide acceptable indoor air quality for the current <br />occupancy level for each space. <br />• Increase airflow to occupied spaces when possible. <br />• Turn off any demand -controlled ventilation (DCV) controls that reduce air supply based on Agenda <br />Section: Worksession Report Date: 03/16/2021 Council Meeting Date: 03/23/2021 occupancy or <br />