City Council Meeting Date: September 23, 2025
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Ben Martig, City Administrator
Sara Hoffman, Deputy City Clerk/Executive Assistant
Title
Consider First Reading of Ordinance 1090 Amending City Code Chapter 2, Related to City Boards and Commissions (Elimination and Modification of Boards/Commission).
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council Considers First Reading of Ordinance 1088 Amending City Code Chapter 2, Related to City Boards and Commissions.
Summary Report:
At the September 9, 2025 City Council meeting, the Council approved Ordinance 1081, which updated and standardized code related to the City’s boards and commissions. This was the second round of code updates related to the Board and Commission Governance Review process.
As part of the governance discussions and the annual budget discussion, additional changes to code have been proposed by staff and discussed by the Council at the September 16, 2025 City Council Work Session.
The changes contained in this update to code include the following:
• Eliminate the Park and Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB)
• Eliminate the Arts and Culture Commission/Public Arts Commission
• Reconfigure the Northfield Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention/Youth Substance Prevention Alliance Task Force. This group will be disbanded as a commission but will remain as a task force. A resolution establishing them as a task force is a separate item on this meeting’s consent agenda.
• Transition membership of the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) to the City Council. A resolution transitioning membership of the HRA to the City Council will be included as a separate item on this meeting’s consent agenda.
Alternative Options:
Motion to approve with amendment to leave the Parks and Recreation Board (PRAB) as an active board. If amendment is passed. Staff will incorporate the changes with the second reading.
Financial Impacts:
There will be no significant financial impact related to elimination or reconfiguration of boards or commissions. However, there will be savings in staff time that will allow those staff members to focus on other initiatives and projects.
Tentative Timelines:
First Reading September 23, 2025
Second Reading October 7, 2025
Publication October 15, 2025
Ordinance Takes Effect January 1, 2026