BEMIDJI 鈥� Housing needs and public safety were among the top 2024 priorities discussed by the Bemidji City Council during its work session Monday evening.
The council met to discuss what it hopes to accomplish this year, along with strategies and actions it can take toward meeting those goals.
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The first priority listed was to understand and respond to housing needs in Bemidji, with the council discussing conducting a housing study as a first step. Councilors also shared their concerns with not just the lack of housing stock but the quality of the existing housing.
These concerns may have been related to recent reports of two apartment complexes with deteriorating conditions in Bemidji, and the unfortunate two housing emergencies that occurred in 2022 and 2023 at the Ridgeway and Red Pine apartments, respectively.
鈥淚 am concerned about the quality and livability of our current housing stock,鈥� said Ward 5 Councilor Lynn Eaton.鈥漈he lack of reinvestment in those housing properties is concerning for me and others.鈥�
To address these concerns the council discussed revisiting the rental code, which was updated last year with a plan to reevaluate the document in the near future.
Ward 4 Councilor Emelie Rivera brought up the possibility of supporting statewide solutions to housing challenges, particularly in the realm of subsidized and affordable housing. She explained that a number of measures could be on the table for the Minnesota Legislature, including bans on discrimination against renters using public assistance and housing vouchers.
鈥淭hese are things I think we鈥檝e heard from different members of the community,鈥� Rivera said. 鈥淚t might bring our community a long way because we鈥檇 have a statewide solution to local problems.鈥�
Closing out the discussion on housing, councilors expressed a desire to partner with local organizations to better understand and address the shortage, along with possibilities of partnerships and incentives for landlords and developers to provide more affordable housing.
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Public safety
Another priority outlined by the city council was public safety, with councilors noting the difficulty in recruitment and retention of the city鈥檚 first responders, particularly for law enforcement.
鈥淲hat are some things we can do now for retention in our police department?鈥� shared Ward 1 Councilor Gwenia Fiskevold Gould. 鈥淛ust to be able to hang onto officers, we need to address that retention issue.鈥�
Rivera noted support needs for public safety, including the conditions of Fire Station One. The city鈥檚 main fire station has been deteriorating for years with ongoing maintenance not able to fully address the problems.
鈥淚f (it gets to the point where) the fire doors don鈥檛 open, they can鈥檛 get the fire trucks out,鈥� Rivera said. 鈥淚 feel like we have an obligation there to really make it a priority.鈥�
Rivera suggested paying attention to opportunities for state money to help with funding, something Ward 3 Councilor Ron Johnson echoed.
The council鈥檚 discussion on public safety also revisited the concept of a fire district, which has been brought to the table before as a potential solution to several challenges in the realm of firefighting.
Other priorities discussed during the work session included supporting economic development, seeking ways to increase funding for street reconstruction and infrastructure maintenance and finding additional ways to partner with tribal nations in the area.
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