St. Louis Park council approves consent agenda; one-year school resource officer contract to be revisited

The St. Louis Park City Council approved a consent agenda that included grant applications for housing programs and a one-year contract to provide school resource officers (SROs) in Saint Louis Park schools.

Mayor Pro Tem Bodwin noted the SRO contract is for one year "because they would really like to come back and revisit it," and said the city needs the short-term contract because SROs are already working in schools. "We do have some work to do still on this," Bodwin added, saying the council and school board will continue discussions over the coming year.

Council members also commented on grant applications included in the consent agenda, noting those proposals create revenue opportunities tied to housing programs in the community. The consent agenda was approved after one item (agenda item 5a) was pulled for separate consideration; that item later became the council salary amendment discussed separately.

Earlier in the meeting the Economic Development Authority (EDA) convened and approved two sets of minutes and a consent agenda covering housing-related grant applications and other routine business. The EDA items were approved without objection.

The council also approved minutes from prior meetings after a council member provided a transcription-based amendment to the September 15 minutes related to comments about EDA and HRA levies and possible tax impacts. The amended minutes were approved by the council.

The meeting record shows the consent agenda and minutes votes were carried by voice vote with no recorded dissent for the consent items; the SRO contract was described repeatedly as a one-year arrangement that city and school leaders intend to revisit.