The St. Louis Park City Council’s May 4, 2026, meeting honored local PTOs with the 2025 Human Rights Award, advanced Option B for the Minnetonka Boulevard reconstruction, and reviewed The Axtell Group’s strategic report recommending increased financial allocation for the police department to maintain community-based services.

This week saw a crowded city council meeting, as there were two major items on the agenda St. Louis Park residents were eager to participate in.

2025 Human Rights Award

First was the presentation of the 2025 Human Rights Award by the St. Louis Park Human Rights Commission to the following groups in recognition of their significant contributions and organizing efforts to keep St. Louis Park students safe at the peak of the immigration surge:

• Aquilla Elementary School PTO
• Susan Lindgren Elementary School PTO
• Peter Hobart Elementary School PTO
• Park Spanish Immersion Elementary School
• St. Louis Park Middle School Site Council

These PTO groups across St. Louis Park stepped up during an enormously difficult time, and made sure that students throughout St. Louis Park were safe and cared for.

The efforts of these groups are an example of the strength we all have within us to care for our neighbors and come together during times of fear and uncertainty.

Minnetonka Boulevard Reconstruction

This week’s city council meeting also provided an opportunity for public comment on phase 2 of the Minnetonka Boulevard reconstruction project. Currently, city staff is advising the council to proceed with Option B of the 3 proposed plans.

This plan would create two shared-use trails on either side of Minnetonka Boulevard, open to both cyclists and pedestrians.

While some members of the St. Louis Park community voiced concern about the danger of cyclists and pedestrians sharing the same space, there were also concerns brought up regarding the annual cost of snow removal if the council decided to proceed with one of the other proposed concepts. 

The city council will be making their final decision on how this project will proceed at the June 1 council meeting. For a more in-depth breakdown of this project and the proposed concepts, feel free to review the presentation that was shown at Monday’s council meeting.

Special Study Session: Police Department Strategic Planning Report

After the regular city council meeting, a special study session was held to review a police department strategic planning report that had been prepared by The Axtell Group. The Axtell Group was founded by former St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell, and aims to assist law enforcement organizations in “achieving growth, facilitating transformation, and safeguarding their reputations”.

In summary, The Axtell Group’s report found that due to staffing issues and budget issues, it will become unsustainable for the St. Louis Park Police Department to deliver the community based policing services that are desired of the department.

The council was asked whether they would like to address this issue by either 1) reducing services or 2) planning for an increased financial allocation to the St. Louis Park PD. All members of the council expressed a desire to provide further support to the SLP PD.

The presentation from this week’s Special Study Session can be found here, and begin on slide 21.