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Regular City Council Meeting <br /> Monday, June 3, 2019 <br /> Page 8 <br /> Mayor Roe stated in talking with a resident he wondered if the existing homes on <br /> the site are occupied at this time. <br /> Ms. Stockstrom stated it was her understanding that the seller lives in one of the <br /> homes and one home is vacant and the seller is renting one of the other homes <br /> out. <br /> Mayor Roe asked if there has been any discussion about displacement of those <br /> tenants on that particular site. <br /> Ms. Stockstrom stated the single-family houses will be demolished and she has <br /> not talked to the tenants themselves because CommonBond has to go through the <br /> seller in order to do that and are not at that point yet. She stated if approved, <br /> CommonBond is receiving Federal financing through the County so if there are <br /> any Federal guidelines for relocation assistance, CommonBond would be required <br /> to follow those. <br /> Mayor Roe encouraged CommonBond to be conscious of that aspect of this po- <br /> tential project. He noticed in the preliminary plans that there did not seem to be <br /> an indication of street trees on Rice Street and he wondered if that was intentional <br /> or would CommonBond be open to looking at that as part of the project. <br /> Ms. Stockstrom did not think it was intentional but was really early in the process. <br /> Councilmember Willmus asked what the breakdown was on the type of unit. <br /> Ms. Stockstrom stated originally CommonBond was thinking half and half, one <br /> bedroom/two bedroom but recently CommonBond has been talking to property <br /> management and it was suggested that seniors actually prefer one bedroom, so the <br /> unit count was switched to 41 one-bedroom units and 22 two-bedroom units. <br /> Mayor Roe offered an opportunity for public comment <br /> Public Comment <br /> Ms. Julie Strahan, 1260 Shryer Ave <br /> Ms. Strahan she is at the meeting as a member of several non-profits, including <br /> MICAH (Metropolitan Interfaith Council on Affordable Housing), and ISAIHA <br /> which is a nonpartisan coalition of faith communities fighting for racial and eco- <br /> nomic justice. Both of which find affordable housing to be especially important. <br /> She has also worked for the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis for over twenty <br /> years and as some may know, CommonBond originated as part of that entity. It is <br /> within that social justice vein that she feels compelled to speak on behalf of af- <br /> fordable housing. She felt that in the Planning Commission meeting the unheard <br /> constituency was those in need of affordable housing. She felt that the part about <br />