Paul Bolin

The Fridley Public Art Plan aims to guide future investment in public art within the city. Its mission is to empower the community by cultivating a cityscape that celebrates diversity, creativity, and shared experiences, fostering a sense of belonging, and enhancing the quality of life for all residents and visitors. Key focus areas include defining public art, securing ongoing funding, integrating public art into city-wide planning processes, fostering inter-agency cooperation, ensuring strong leadership and community involvement, and establishing effective management and governance. The plan also outlines recommendations such as creating a task force, implementing small demonstration projects, planning for long-term maintenance, and encouraging partnerships.

The 2026 Budget for the City outlines the financial plan for the upcoming year. Key priorities include investments in parks, infrastructure, equipment, and personnel development. Personnel costs continue to be a significant expense, with a notable increase in the General Fund. The budget addresses inflationary pressures and the Park System Improvement Plan. There was a reduction of local government aid from the State of Minnesota, which was partially offset by an increase in the levy. The budget also outlines the revenues and expenditures for all budgeted funds, including governmental and enterprise funds.

The City Council received the final report and recommendations from the Park System Improvement Plan Refinement Task Force. The plan, developed through a community engagement process, aims to improve city parks by upgrading playgrounds and amenities. The council will hold a public hearing before funding the plan, which has a proposed cost of \$30 million over 10 years, beginning in 2023. A presentation on the plan's development will be given by Candace Amberg of WSB Engineering, Inc.