Feb 23, 2026 City Council

THANKS A LOT. DESPITE OUR

[Roll Call]

[00:00:05]

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU AND WELCOME TO OUR MEETING. WE HAVE ALL OF OUR COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR PRESENT.

SO, OUR FIRST ITEM

[Approval of Agenda]

WE HAVE A NUMBER OF ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. THESE ARE ROUTINE ITEMS THAT WILL BE VOTED ON WITH ONE MOTION, BUT ANY COUNCILMEMBER OR STAFF CAN PULL ANY OF THESE ITEMS OUT FOR SEPARATE DISCUSSION AND CONSIDERATION.

SO, TONIGHT'S CONSENT AGENDA

[Consent Agenda]

OKAY, ANY OTHERS? IF NOT, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE REST OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. SO MOVED. I'LL SECOND.

I'LL SECOND. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? IF NOT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. AND WE ALSO HAVE TWO PRESENTATIONS HERE TONIGHT,

[14. DECA Student Advocacy]

SO PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM.

ALL RIGHT, GOOD EVENING, CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS JOE HUBER.

I'M THE DECA ADVISOR AT ORONO HIGH SCHOOL RIGHT OVER HERE AND BUSINESS TEACHER. I HAVE WITH ME SYDNEY NGUYEN FROM, SHE IS OUR ADVOCACY, WHAT DID WE TALK ABOUT? ADVOCACY LEAD, YEAH. SHE'S HERE IN ORDER TO ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF OUR DECA BUSINESS CLUB.

I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE A BRIEF INTRODUCTION AND LET HER CARRY IT BECAUSE YOU'D MUCH RATHER HEAR FROM HER, I'M SURE, THAN ME. I'M JUST GOING TO PASS OUT SOME MATERIALS ONCE SHE GETS STARTED, BUT I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO HER TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT DECA IS AND HOW WE CAN GET INTEGRATED HERE WITHIN THE CITY TO HELP BUILD AND STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY TIES. GREAT, THANK YOU.

HI, AGAIN, MY NAME IS SYDNEY NGUYEN. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY. AND I'M A SENIOR AT ORONO HIGH SCHOOL AND AGAIN, THE LEAD OF THE ORONO DECA ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN.

I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT OUR CAREER READINESS ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN, CTE CREATES FUTURES ONE STUDENT AT A TIME, AND HOW STUDENTS, LOCAL BUSINESSES, AND OUR CITY CAN WORK TOGETHER TO STRENGTHEN CAREER-READY EDUCATION. A LOT OF PEOPLE HEAR THE TERM CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, OR CTE, AND AREN'T ALWAYS SURE WHAT IT MEANS OR WHY IT MATTERS.

MY GOAL TODAY IS TO BRIEFLY EXPLAIN WHAT CTE IS, WHY IT'S CRITICAL RIGHT NOW, AND HOW WE'RE ASKING FOR THE CITY'S PARTNERSHIP MOVING FORWARD. WHILE CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, OR CTE, WAS ONCE VIEWED AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO A 4-YEAR DEGREE, IT HAS EVOLVED TO INCLUDE A DUAL-TRACK PATHWAY. TODAY'S CTE INTEGRATES ADVANCED TECHNICAL TRAINING WITH COLLEGE PREP ACADEMICS, ENSURING STUDENTS ARE CAREER READY AND COLLEGE READY AT THE SAME TIME.

TODAY, CTE PREPARES STUDENTS FOR, TO STEP CONFIDENTLY INTO CAREERS, COLLEGE, AND THE WORKFORCE WITH SKILLS THAT ACTUALLY MATTER. IT COMBINES ACADEMIC LEARNING WITH REAL-WORLD SKILLS AND PREPARES STUDENTS FOR HIGH-DEMAND, HIGH-WAGE CAREERS ACROSS NEARLY EVERY INDUSTRY.

IT'S NOT JUST FOR ONE TYPE OF STUDENT.

IT SUPPORTS FUTURE CONSTRUCTION LEADERS, ENGINEERS, HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS, ENTREPRENEURS, AND BUSINESS LEADERS ALIKE. CTE SPANS 6 MAJOR CAREER PATHWAYS,

[00:05:02]

INSTEAD OF JUST LEARNING CONCEPTS, WE ARE GAINING EXPERIENCE.

THEY BUILD CONFIDENCE, CAREER DIRECTION, AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS BEFORE GRADUATING. RESEARCH CONSISTENTLY SHOWS THAT STUDENTS WHO TAKE CTE COURSES GRADUATE AT HIGHER RATES, PERFORM BETTER ACADEMICALLY, AND ARE MORE PREPARED FOR LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL.

LOOKING AHEAD, ABOUT 65% OF JOBS REQUIRE EDUCATION OR TRAINING BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL, AND CTE HELPS ENSURE THAT STUDENTS ARE READY FOR THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.

BUT THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT STUDENTS, IT'S ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY.

ORONO DECA IS A PART OF A GLOBAL ORGANIZATION OF 317,000 STUDENTS, AND THEY ARE PREPARING FOR CAREERS IN BUSINESS, FINANCE, MARKETING, AND MANAGEMENT.

OUR CHAPTER HAS 110 MEMBERS, AND WE FOCUS ON TURNING CLASSROOM LEARNING INTO REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE.

THROUGH OUR ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN, WE ARE WORKING AT 3 LEVELS.

FIRST IS SCHOOL OUTREACH, WORKING WITH STUDENTS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND TEACHERS.

NEXT IS COMMUNITY OUTREACH, WORKING WITH FAMILIES AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS. AND FINALLY, WORKING ON PUBLIC POLICY OUTREACH, ENGAGING CITY LEADERS LIKE YOURSELVES AND STATE REPRESENTATIVES. THIS FEBRUARY, DURING CTE MONTH, WE ARE LEADING EFFORTS TO RAISE AWARENESS, PROMOTE FINANCIAL LITERACY, CONNECT STUDENTS WITH PROFESSIONALS, AND ADVOCATE FOR STRONGER CTE OPPORTUNITIES AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL.

WE'VE ALREADY SEEN MEANINGFUL RESULTS. WE'VE SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATED FOR TWO NEW AP BUSINESS COURSES. AP BUSINESS WITH PERSONAL FINANCE AND AP MACROECONOMICS. WITH MUCH OF THE STUDENT BODY EXPRESSING INTEREST.

WE'VE ALSO ORGANIZED CAREER EXPLORATION DAYS TO WORKPLACES LIKE PIPER SANDLER AND A LINKEDIN WORKSHOP WHERE STUDENTS RECEIVE DIRECT FEEDBACK FROM AN HR PROFESSIONAL. THESE OPPORTUNITIES HELP STUDENTS SEE CLEAR CONNECTIONS BETWEEN EDUCATION AND CAREERS.

AS ONE ORONO SENIOR SHARED WITH US, CTE HELPED HIM IDENTIFY HIS INTEREST AND GAIN REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE THAT PREPARED HIM FOR HIS FUTURE.

THIS IS WHERE WE'D LOVE YOUR INPUT AND PARTNERSHIP. WE'RE LOOKING TO FIRST IDENTIFY COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE STUDENTS CAN SUPPORT REAL NEEDS WITHIN THE CITY. NEXT IS TO BUILD PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES FOR INTERNSHIPS OR JOB SHADOWING FOR STUDENTS AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, LEARN WHAT THE CITY NEEDS SO STUDENTS CAN DESIGN CTE-BASED PROJECTS TO ADDRESS THEM.

I ALSO HAVE ONE VERY SPECIFIC ASK TODAY. WE'RE CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS FOR OUR MINNESOTA DECA STATE COMPETITION. WE'D LOVE IF YOU GUYS WERE ABLE TO VOLUNTEER AS JUDGES WHERE YOU WOULD, REVIEW STUDENT PRESENTATIONS, GIVING REAL-WORLD FEEDBACK AND THESE JUDGES WILL BE NEEDED MONDAY, MARCH 2ND.

NO BUSINESS EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED, JUST A PROFESSIONAL INSIGHT AND A WILLINGNESS TO SUPPORT STUDENTS. EVEN A FEW HOURS CAN MAKE A LASTING IMPACT. BEFORE I WRAP UP, I WILL BE PASSING OUT MATERIALS THAT INCLUDE OUR CONTACT INFORMATION SO YOU KNOW HOW TO REACH US, AS WELL AS A FLYER WITH A JUDGE SIGN-UP LINK.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, FOR SUPPORTING STUDENTS, AND CONSIDERING HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO STRENGTHEN CAREER READINESS IN OUR COMMUNITY. I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THIS IS MAYBE MORE OF A QUESTION FOR STAFF, IN TERMS OF INTERNSHIPS OR OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO HELP OUT.

HAVE WE TYPICALLY DONE THAT IN THE PAST? WE HAVE NOT AT THE, NOT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL. SOME OPPORTUNITIES ARISE AT THE COLLEGIATE LEVEL, WHICH GENERALLY, EVEN THOSE WE HAVEN'T, JUST BECAUSE OF COST BUT. THANK YOU. OTHER QUESTIONS? IS THERE ANY JOB SHADOWING GOING ON RIGHT NOW? BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, AT LEAST FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, IS VERY, VERY HELPFUL FOR STUDENTS DURING THEIR HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE.

IS THAT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS RIGHT NOW? SO CURRENTLY, THERE'S NOT ANY STUDENTS JOB SHADOWING RIGHT NOW, BUT LAST YEAR THROUGH THE SENIOR SPARTAN EXPERIENCE, WE HAD MANY STUDENTS JOB SHADOWING WHICH HELPED A LOT OF STUDENTS UNDERSTAND THEIR MAJOR AND WHAT THEIR LIFE LOOKED LIKE IF THEY

[00:10:02]

OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAVE ONE OTHER ONE. GREAT WORK, I LOVE WHAT YOU GUYS DO. I HAVE ONE OTHER ONE.

THANK YOU. I FEEL LIKE I READ SOMEWHERE ABOUT DECA THAT ONE OF THE EXPERIENCES ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STUDENTS ARE LEARNING IS HOW TO COME TO A CITY OR MUNICIPAL MEETING AND ADDRESS COUNCIL. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS TYPICALLY WITH DECA STUDENTS? I FEEL LIKE TYPICALLY IT'S NOT VERY COMMON.

I THINK THAT RECENTLY THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO ADVOCATE FOR THAT MORE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN.

SO, YEAH, THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING THOUGH. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT.

I, I WANT TO TELL YOU, SYDNEY, THAT YOU'VE DONE A VERY GOOD JOB TONIGHT, AND AS I THINK MANY OF US HAVE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HERE OR CLOSE BY, IT'S NOT EASY TO GET UP AND ADDRESS THE COUNCIL. I THINK YOU'VE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB PRESENTING, AND I WOULD PERSONALLY BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO PARTICIPATE WITH DECA AS A JUDGE.

PERFECT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US TONIGHT.

[15. Community Day at Saints CHS Field]

GOOD EVENING EVERYONE, THANKS FOR HAVING ME. FIRST OFF, I WANT TO SAY SYDNEY DID A GREAT JOB. I HAVE TO FOLLOW THAT NOW, WHICH IS REALLY TOUGH.

WONDERFUL JOB, REALLY, REALLY GREAT. SO, MY NAME IS WILL, I'M HERE WITH THE SAINTS. WHO'S THIS GUY? THAT'S ME.

I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW, YOU GUYS ALL PROBABLY KNOW WHO THE SAINTS ARE. BUT I WANT TO TAKE SOME TIME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF, THAT I'M NOT JUST COMING HERE OUT OF NOWHERE. IT'S MY 8TH SEASON IN MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL.

BEEN DOING THIS SINCE 2019 HERE IN MINNESOTA. MOVED OUT TO NEW YORK FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS, WORKED IN THE YANKEES MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM. STARTED OUT JUST KIND OF HOW MOST PEOPLE IN SPORTS START OUT, SELLING TICKETS, COMING UP WITH NEW IDEAS.

WORKED MY WAY UP IN THAT ORGANIZATION AS A DIRECTOR OF TICKET SALES, EVENTUALLY AS THE ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER.

IN THE YANKEES MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM. JUST MOVED BACK HERE TO MINNESOTA.

I GREW UP IN CRYSTAL. JUST MOVED BACK HERE THIS SEPTEMBER. BEEN HERE FOR THE LAST 7 MONTHS.

SO, FEEL FREE TO KEEP GOING.

HERE'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO. WHAT WE REALLY WANT TO DO IS WORK WITH DIFFERENT, REALLY, CITIES ALL OVER THE TWIN CITIES.

I THINK SOMETIMES WE FALL INTO THE TRAP, AND WE AS THE SAINTS DO THIS ALL THE TIME, OF WE THINK OF ST. PAUL AND WE THINK OF MINNEAPOLIS. AND WHAT I REALLY WANT TO DO IS THERE'S SO MANY GREAT, WONDERFUL AREAS OUTSIDE OF ST.

PAUL AND MINNEAPOLIS THAT WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, AND WE NEVER WANT TO FORGET ABOUT ALL OF THE GREAT, WONDERFUL CITIES OUTSIDE OF MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL. SO, WHAT A COMMUNITY DAY IS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I DEVELOPED IN NEW YORK AND WANT TO BRING HERE TO MINNESOTA.

IT'S A NO-COST, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. IT'S OF NO COST TO THE CITY, IT'S OF NO COST TO THE BUSINESSES THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT.

IT IS ALL ABOUT BRINGING THE COMMUNITY TO CHS FIELD AND HIGHLIGHTING ALL OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT YOUR COMMUNITY ALREADY DOES.

SO, THE THINGS WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT TODAY. A COMMUNITY STAR, HONORING LOCAL DIGNITARIES, HIGHLIGHTING LOCAL BUSINESSES, CREATING A TICKET OFFER FOR RESIDENTS, WHICH WE CAN HAVE A LOT OF FUN WITH, HAVING A COMMUNITY GIVE-BACK PROGRAM, AND THEN HAVING PARTICIPATION FROM YOUTH GROUP, JUST LIKE DECA, SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD BE GREAT. SO, COMMUNITY STAR IS THE FIRST THING THAT WE'LL TOUCH ON.

SO, WHAT A COMMUNITY STAR IS, I PROVIDED AN EXAMPLE FROM NEW YORK OF WHAT WE USED.

THIS IS RACHEL LEAHY. IT WAS A PRETTY BIG STORY AT ARMY WEST POINT. THIS WAS 2 YEARS AGO.

ONE OF THE HOCKEY PLAYERS HAD A VERY UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT ON THE FIELD THAT THREATENED HIS LIFE. SHE JUMPED IN REALLY QUICKLY AND WAS ABLE TO SAVE HIS LIFE. SO, WE HONORED HER AT THE BALLPARK, GIVING HER AN AWARD, SHOWING ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT SHE DID.

I AM SURE EVERY ONE OF YOU CAN THINK OF SOMEONE IN THE CITY OF ORONO THAT YOU THINK DOESN'T DESERVE, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T GET THE RECOGNITION THAT THEY DESERVE. AND THIS IS A WAY TO PROVIDE THEM WITH THAT RECOGNITION. WE WOULD BRING THEM DOWN INTO THE FIELD, YOU KNOW, SHOW, SHOW SOME PICTURES UP ON THE VIDEO BOARD OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'VE DONE.

GIVE SOMEONE THE CHANCE FROM THE CITY TO PRESENT THEM WITH THIS AWARD, TO SAY, HEY, THIS IS, WE'RE RECOGNIZING YOU IN FRONT OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT AREN'T JUST FROM YOUR CITY, TO SHOW YOU WHAT GREAT WORK YOU'RE DOING IN THE COMMUNITY. SO, THIS COULD BE SOMEONE WHO VOLUNTEERS THEIR TIME AT A FOOD SHELTER, OR SOMEONE WHO VOLUNTEERS AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

REALLY, AGAIN, I'M SURE PEOPLE COME TO MIND.

ANYONE YOU THINK OF THAT GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND. HOW WE HELP WITH THAT, AGAIN, SHOWING US

[00:15:02]

WE'RE GONNA KEEP GOING. SO, HONORING LOCAL DIGNITARIES, THIS WOULD BE IN A SIMILAR WAY TO THE COMMUNITY STAR. LOCAL FIRE CHIEF, POLICE CHIEF, MAYOR, ANY OF YOU GUYS THAT WOULD LIKE TO COME OUT CAN COME ONTO THE FIELD BEFORE THE GAME, THROW OUT A FIRST PITCH, HAVE THE CHANCE TO ADDRESS THE CROWD FOR 60 TO 90 SECONDS, BEING ABLE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, JUST GIVE YOU A PLATFORM TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE FANS AT THE GAME.

THIS ONE'S ONE OF MY FAVORITES.

SO, WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES EVERY GAME, ALL 75 GAMES WE HAVE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, TO HAVE BUSINESSES COME OUT AND PROMOTE WHAT THEY DO AND PROMOTE TO THE FANS THAT WE HAVE HERE.

AGAIN, THIS IS A, WE CAN RESERVE UP TO 4 OF THOSE SPOTS FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES FREE OF CHARGE TO COME OUT AND PROMOTE WHAT THEY DO.

I SAY THIS A LOT, THE MOST SUCCESS WE EVER HAD WITHIN THIS IN NEW YORK WAS RESTAURANTS, PLACES THAT PEOPLE WILL MAKE THE TRIP TO COME SEE.

I ALWAYS USE THE EXAMPLE, LIKE, PROBABLY NOT BEST FOR, YOU KNOW, LIKE A HARDWARE STORE TO DO THIS, BECAUSE EVERY CITY HAS A HARDWARE STORE, BUT IF YOU HAVE A GREAT LOCAL ITALIAN RESTAURANT OR A GREAT LOCAL ANTIQUITIES SHOP OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT YOU CAN ONLY FIND IN ORONO, WE WANT TO SHARE THAT WITH EVERYONE THAT'S COMING TO OUR GAME, WHICH OUR REACH OF FANS SPREADS OUT WELL PAST ORONO, BUT IT'S ALL OF THE TWIN CITIES AND PEOPLE WOULD MAKE THE TRIP TO WANT TO COME SEE THAT BUSINESS.

SO, THIS ONE WE HAVE A LOT OF FUN WITH.

SO, WE CREATE A TICKET OFFER FOR RESIDENTS. SO, WHAT I LIKE TO DO WITH THIS IS IF THERE'S A CERTAIN AREA CODE OR ZIP CODE OR A TOWN SAYING OR SOMETHING THAT IS VERY UNIQUE TO ORONO THAT WE CAN TIE IN, WE WOULD CREATE A SPECIFIC TICKET OFFER FOR YOU GUYS THAT WOULD BE LIMITED TO THE CITY OF ORONO.

SO, ANY RESIDENT, ANYONE THAT WANTS TO COME, ANYONE THAT HASN'T BEEN TO A SAINTS GAME BEFORE OR IS AN AVID FAN HAS THE CHANCE TO BUY TICKETS.

WE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN NEW YORK, WE PUT THE CITY SEAL ON ONE SIDE OF A HAT AND THE SAINTS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HAT, AND EVERYBODY HAD THE CHANCE TO BUY IT. SO, IT WAS REALLY COOL GETTING TO SEE THEM AT THE GAME, ALL REPPING THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR CITY AND THEIR TEAM TOO.

WHICH WAS A LOT OF FUN.

SO, WE WOULD WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE WHAT WOULD BE A FUN, CREATIVE WAY TO DO THAT. SO, THE COMMUNITY GIVE BACK, REALLY WITH THIS, WE WANT, USUALLY WE TIE IT INTO THE COMMUNITY STAR, WHAT THEY'RE DOING ALREADY AND HOW THE FANS CAN RALLY BEHIND THEM AND SUPPORT THAT.

WE WOULD THEN PROMOTE THAT ON OUR END AS WELL.

SO, IF IT WAS A FOOD DRIVE FOR A FOOD SHELTER, SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR A LOCAL, LOCAL SCHOOL THAT NEEDS IT, CLOTHING DRIVE, ANYTHING LIKE THAT, WE WOULD WORK WITH YOU ON FINDING WHO THAT WOULD BE, AND THEN WE WOULD PROMOTE THAT AS WELL AS YOU GUYS PROMOTING IT TO YOUR COMMUNITY. BUT WE WOULD PROMOTE THAT AS WELL TO THE OTHER 5,000 PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING TO THIS GAME. SAY, HEY, THIS IS A WAY TO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY.

LOVE THAT. AND FINALLY, THIS IS WHERE WE GET TO HAVE A LOT OF FUN, AND I'M GOING TO START ADDING DECA TO THIS PRESENTATION NOW. BUT GETTING YOUTH GROUPS INVOLVED, SO WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE JUST A FEW DIFFERENT EXAMPLES, BUT WE HAVE A NATIONAL ANTHEM SINGER EVERY GAME.

THIS SHOULD BE SOMEONE FROM ORONO OR A GROUP FROM ORONO.

WE HAVE PEOPLE SING TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME, DOING DANCE AND CHEER ROUTINES PREGAME, GETTING ON THE FIELD TO TAKE THE FIELD WITH OUR PLAYERS FOR LOCAL LITTLE LEAGUES.

THERE'S A TON OF DIFFERENT WAYS WE LIKE TO GET THE KIDS INVOLVED, GIVE THEM THAT ADDED EXPERIENCE WHERE IT'S NOT JUST SITTING AT THE GAME, HAVING A HOT DOG, EATING SOME ICE CREAM.

THEY GET TO RUN HOME AND SAY THAT THEY WERE ON THE FIELD FOR THE NATIONAL ANTHEM, OR THEY GOT TO SING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM.

SO, LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CAN GET ORONO INVOLVED.

SO, FINALLY, THIS IS JUST A SYNOPSIS OF EVERYTHING.

WHAT I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT AND TO REALLY ASK FROM YOU GUYS IS I DON'T WANT TO ADD ANY EXTRA WORK TO ANYONE'S PLATE. WHAT I'M HERE TO DO IS JUST SHOW YOU THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO GIVE YOU GUYS. AND I'M HERE TO PUT IT TOGETHER.

WHAT I CAN USE EVERYONE'S HELP FROM THE CITY AND COMMUNITY IS CONNECTING ME WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE. IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO DO, I'M THE ONE WHO CAN BOOK THE NATIONAL ANTHEM SINGER AND GET THEM TICKETS. I CAN HELP, YOU KNOW, COORDINATE WITH THE COMMUNITY STAR, GET THEM TICKETS TO COME HERE.

IT'S REALLY, YOU GUYS ARE THE ONES WHO KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY BETTER THAN ANYONE. I'M A TRAVELER HERE. I'M, YOU KNOW, I LIVE IN INVER GROVE HEIGHTS.

I DON'T I'M NOT HERE EVERY DAY.

YOU GUYS KNOW WHO ALL OF THESE PEOPLE ARE AND CAN HELP ME FIND THEM. SO, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS OF INTEREST, WE CAN, WE HAVE 75 GAMES THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER.

RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE 6 CITIES THAT ARE ON BOARD. I'M LOOKING TO GET MORE. JUST STARTED THIS PROGRAM ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO.

SO REALLY LOOKING TO GET THIS GOING. I'M HERE TO HELP. AND IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.

THANK YOU. I LOVE THIS IDEA, REALLY. AND WHEN YOU SAY

[00:20:01]

IF WE WERE TO SAY YES, WE WANT TO DO THIS, STAFF MAKE IT HAPPEN. ARE YOU THE PERSON THAT MAKES IT HAPPEN AS LONG AS WE JUST CONNECT YOU WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN TOWN? YEP. SO, I JUST HAD, TO REFERENCE SOMEONE ELSE, JUST HAD A MEETING WITH PRIOR LAKE TODAY, THEIR FIRST MEETING OF THE, THE PLANNING.

THEY HAD 3 MEMBERS OF THEIR STAFF, THEY HAD THEIR CITY MANAGER, THEIR CITY CLERK, AND THEIR COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER. WHAT I DID WAS JUST CREATE A CHECKLIST FOR THEM, WHICH I HAVE. IT WAS EVERYTHING ON THERE IS ME SAYING, HERE'S ALL THE THINGS THAT I'M DOING, I'M LETTING YOU KNOW THEM.

SO, I ASK FOR 30 MINUTES OF THEIR TIME ONCE A MONTH TO JUST SAY, HERE ARE THE THINGS THAT I COULD USE FROM YOU. CAN YOU, FOR THEM, MY NOTES WERE, CAN YOU CONNECT ME WITH THEIR POLICE AND FIRE CHIEF? THEY DO AN AWARD CALLED THE SPIRIT OF PRIOR LAKE, WHICH I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT. SO, I LEARNED ABOUT THOSE THINGS.

I'M REALLY, I'M ASKING FOR 3 HOURS OVER 4 MONTHS OF YOUR TIME TO JUST LET ME PICK YOUR BRAIN AND MAKE CONNECTIONS WITH THOSE THINGS. SO, THAT'S, I GUESS THAT'S THE WORK, IS I'M ASKING FOR 3 HOURS.

DATES ARE AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE SEASON.

YEAH, SO OUR FIRST GAME IS MARCH 31ST, LAST GAME IS SEPTEMBER 13TH. WE HAVE GAMES ALL THE WAY THROUGHOUT.

OBVIOUSLY RIGHT NOW IT'S, PEOPLE ARE PICKING THEIR DATES, SO AS DATES GET SELECTED, THEN WE, WE DON'T WANT TO DO MULTIPLES OF THESE ON ONE DAY.

WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE THE CITY OF CHAMPLIN, CRYSTAL, AND MAPLE GROVE ALL ON ONE DAY.

LIKE, WE WANT EVERYONE TO HAVE THEIR OWN DATE.

BUT YEAH, IT RUNS ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE SUMMER.

GREAT. HOW MANY GAMES DO YOU GUYS PLAY? 75 AT HOME. IT'S 150 TOTAL.

WE PLAY JUST 12 LESS THAN, THAN THE TWINS DO. WOW.

YEAH, A LOT.

YEAH. HAVE YOU HAD OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST SO FAR? YEAH, YEAH, FOR SURE. 6 WE HAVE RIGHT NOW ARE PRIOR LAKE, CHAMPLIN, GOLDEN VALLEY, INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, CHASKA, AND OSSEO HAVE ALL COMMITTED THAT THEY'RE, THIS IS SOMETHING THEY'RE INTERESTED IN.

MY JOB IS TO DO EXACTLY WHAT I'M DOING RIGHT NOW, IS TO GO OUT AND TRY TO FIND AS MANY AS WE CAN.

SO, YOU'D BE LOOKING FOR COUNCILMEMBERS OR FIRE CHIEFS OR MAYORS OR WHOEVER ELSE FROM EACH OF THESE CITIES TO BE PRESENT DURING THAT DAY? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. AND IT'S, IT'S REALLY HOW INVOLVED YOU WANT TO BE.

YOU KNOW, YOU CAN COME TO THE GAME OR NOT COME TO THE GAME. YOU CAN BE PART OF THE PLANNING COMMITTEE OR NOT BE A PART OF THE PLANNING COMMITTEE.

IT'S REALLY JUST TO HAVE THE BACKING FROM THE CITY OF JUST SAYING LIKE, HEY, THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE DOING, THIS IS SOMETHING WE SUPPORT, WE SUPPORT THESE EFFORTS, WE'RE SUPPORTING THESE BUSINESSES, THESE ORGANIZATIONS.

IT'S REALLY THAT COMMITMENT.

AND AGAIN, THE WORK, IT'S MY JOB TO MAKE IT COME TOGETHER. IT'S YOUR JOB TO HOPEFULLY JUST SIT BACK AND ENJOY THE GAME.

THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO.

YEAH. SO, SOME THINGS THAT WE, THAT WE SET AS OUR GOALS THIS YEAR WERE TO HAVE MORE COMMUNITY EVENTS, AND I THINK THIS WOULD FIT IN WITH THAT, WITH THAT GOAL, ALBEIT NOT IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT, YOU KNOW, OUR COMMUNITY GATHERING IN ST.

PAUL FOR A GAME. I THINK IT SOUNDS GREAT. YES.

SO, SINCE THIS IS KIND OF SPIRITED AROUND BASEBALL AND, AND OUR BASEBALL PROGRAM IN ORONO IS SPIRITED AROUND A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES KIND OF FEEDING INTO OUR ORONO YOUTH BASEBALL, HAS THERE EVER BEEN ANY THOUGHT AROUND MAKING THIS A MULTI-CITY DAY, FOR EXAMPLE. SO, I KNOW A LOT OF KIDS FROM MAPLE PLAIN PLAY IN ORONO BASEBALL, AND A LOT OF KIDS IN LONG LAKE PLAY IN ORONO BASEBALL. AND I KNOW YOU'RE PRESENTING TO US, I JUST, I DON'T WANT TO LOSE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE, BECAUSE MY IMPRESSION IS THAT AT SOME POINT YOUTH BASEBALL, YOUTH SOFTBALL IS MAYBE BROUGHT IN TO BE TALKED TO ABOUT THEIR INTEREST AND INVOLVEMENT.

AND, YOU KNOW, AS A, AS A POOL OF RESTAURANTS OR BUSINESSES THAT WANT TO COME DOWN AND PRESENT, I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THERE'S EVER BEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT YOU DID WHERE THERE WAS, IT WAS SURROUNDING LIKE AN ASSOCIATION OF BASEBALL WITH MULTIPLE CITIES AND THAT, LIKE, THAT APPROACH IN NEW YORK, FOR EXAMPLE, WAS THAT EVER KICKED AROUND? FOR SURE. SO, WHERE I WAS IN NEW YORK, I WAS IN THE HUDSON VALLEY. THAT WAS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THIS.

WE HAD, SO I HAD COMMUNITY DAYS FOR THE TOWN OF WAPPINGERS, THE TOWN OF FISHKILL, BUT WE ALSO HAD THE HUDSON VALLEY COMMUNITY DAY. AND THAT'S 17 CITIES PARTICIPATED IN THAT. THAT'S WHERE, AGAIN, THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF YOU KNOW WAY MORE THAN I DO ABOUT THE COMMUNITY ITSELF, WHERE IF IT, YOU KNOW, IF IT MAKES MORE SENSE TO HAVE 4 OR 5 TOWNS THAT ARE ALL PART OF THE GREATER COMMUNITY THAT'S YOUR COMMUNITY, THAT'S WHERE I DEFER TO YOU.

YOU TELL, IF YOU TELL ME THAT THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO GO ABOUT THIS WITH YOUR, AGAIN, COMMUNITY THAT YOU HAVE, I THINK THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WANT TO DO. BUT AGAIN, THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD TALK AND WORK ON, HEY, IS IT, IS IT JUST WITH BASEBALL WE DO THAT? DO WE WANT TO WORK, WORRY ABOUT THAT WITH ALL OF THE BUSINESSES,

[00:25:02]

YEAH, OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT ENCOMPASSES 6 DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES, RIGHT? IT'S ALL CALLED ORONO HIGH SCHOOL, BUT IT INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, LONG LAKE, MAPLE PLAIN, ORONO, MINNETONKA BEACH, MEDINA, AND MINI TRISTAN. SO, DEFINITELY, WE CAN ABSOLUTELY DO THAT. I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA.

I THINK, I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED TO DO FROM HERE TO KIND OF MOVE IT FORWARD.

YEAH, YEAH, I KNOW I WAS IN CONTACT WITH CHRISTINE TO GET THIS STARTED AND CHATTED WITH HER. I THINK MY NEXT STEPS, I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH HER AGAIN.

I APPRECIATE YOU ALL GIVING ME THE TIME, I REALLY DO. I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH HER, AND AS YOU GUYS ARE LIKE, HEY, LET'S START TALKING ABOUT THIS, SEND OVER A SCHEDULE, LOOK AT DATES. YEAH, THAT'S GREAT.

ANY OBJECTION TO IT? NO, NO, NOT AT ALL. I THINK IT'S A GREAT, I THINK IT'S JUST THE LOGISTICS OF DO WE DO MULTI-COMMUNITY? YEAH, WE SAY ORONO, MEANING THE GREATER ORONO COMMUNITY. I DON'T KNOW.

EXACTLY. I THINK IT'S A HOME RUN. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

LOVE IT. THANK YOU GUYS, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. SO, THANKS FOR COMING OUT AND, AND FOR WILLING, YOUR WILLINGNESS TO WORK WITH US.

I THINK THIS IS THIS IS A GREAT IDEA AND WE'LL HAVE SOME FUN PUTTING IT TOGETHER. THANK YOU ALL. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SO, NOW WE WILL GET TO PUBLIC COMMENTS, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO ADDRESS A CONCERN WITH THE COUNCIL.

DON'T EXPECT IT TO BE A DIALOGUE, BUT LET US KNOW YOUR CONCERNS AND WE WILL FOLLOW UP ON ANYTHING THAT'S RAISED.

SO, WITH THAT, ANY, ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS TONIGHT? SEEING NO ONE, WE WILL GO ON TO, I'D SAY LET'S, LET'S START WITH ITEM NUMBER, OR AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 2, WHICH

[2. Claims/Bills]

THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO ASK WE HAVE A BOLTON AND MENK PAYMENT FOR $9,340, AND SO I GUESS I'M DIRECTING THIS TO YOU, ADAM, AS TO WHAT THAT IS FOR AND HOW FAR ALONG WE ARE BECAUSE WITH THE PLANNING AND STUFF, BECAUSE THIS IS A BIG PROJECT FOR, AND THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN IT FROM THE COMMUNITY. SO, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND JUST GIVING US A LITTLE BIT ON THAT.

SURE. SO, THAT, YEAH, SO THAT PARTICULAR INVOICE, IS ACTUALLY A KIND OF A LARGER ONE, INCLUDES A PORTION OF THE SURVEYING, TOPOGRAPHIC SURVEYING, THAT WAS NECESSARY FOR THE PROJECT, GETTING THE HYDROCAD AND ALL THE DRAINING MODELS SET UP. IN THE, FINAL DESIGN AND SPECIFICATIONS, SOME SITE LAYOUT GRADING MEETING, MORE SITE LAYOUT MEETINGS WITH ME THAT, THAT THE CONSULTANT HAD TO GET THE GRADING AND GET THE PERMIT STUFF SET UP TO GO TO THE WATERSHED DISTRICT.

THERE'S TIME ON THAT PARTICULAR INVOICE FOR A MEETING BETWEEN THE CONSULTANT AND THE WATERSHED TO DO THE PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF THE PERMIT. A BUNCH MORE STORMWATER. AGAIN, A MEETING WITH ME ON STORMWATER, UPDATES TO THE GRADING SHEETS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH STORMWATER, AND THEN THERE'S A SERIES OF SITE ADJUSTMENTS THAT WERE RESPONSES TO FEEDBACK FROM LATER, LATER IN THE FALL FROM THE COMMITTEE THAT WAS SET UP FOR THE PROJECT. SO, THAT'S KIND OF A SNAPSHOT OF THE ITEMS THAT WERE ON THAT PARTICULAR INVOICE.

WE GET INVOICES PRICES MONTHLY, SO THEY VARY BASED ON THE PROJECT DEPENDING WHERE THE PROJECT IS. SO, DO WE HAVE ANY DATES OF STARTING, OR HAVE YOU GOT ANYTHING TO SHOW US YET AS FAR, BECAUSE I KNOW PART OF THIS TIES INTO A DRAINAGE PROJECT AND A STREET PROJECT, CORRECT? THIS WOULD, WE'D TRY TO LINK IT WITH THE STREETS PROJECT.

YEAH.

BUT YES, A BIG PART OF THIS OVERALL PROJECT IS THE, THE SITE GRADING AND DRAINAGE.

WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY GOT TO KIND OF WORK FROM THE BOTTOM UP, RIGHT, FOR THE SITE. SO, A LOT OF THIS IS THAT THE TOPOGRAPHIC WORK, FIGURING OUT HOW WE GET THE SITE TO GO TO DRAIN, AND THEN GETTING THE RELEVANT PERMITS AND SO THAT WE CAN MEET ALL THE STORMWATER REQUIREMENTS.

OKAY, SO HOW FAR ALONG ARE WE ON THAT? THE, THE PERMIT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED WITH THE WATERSHED, THE BORINGS HAVE BEEN DONE, ALL THE PRELIMINARY WORK TO DO THAT. THAT'S KIND OF THE BIGGEST LIFT AS FAR AS EXTERNAL PERMIT PERMITTING THAT WE HAVE TO DO AS PART OF THE PROJECT. I WOULD SAY, I WAS ON VACATION LAST WEEK.

THE WEEK BEFORE THAT, OUR LEAD CONSULTANT WAS ON VACATION, AND WE AGREED TO RECONNECT THIS WEEK, TO, TO GET SOME, TWEAKS DONE. SO HOPEFULLY CAN GET A, A GRADING

[00:30:02]

AND I'LL BE BRIEF ABOUT TALKING WITH THE DESIGN COMMITTEE BEFORE WE, BEFORE WE PULL THE FINAL TRIGGER ON PREPARING ALL THOSE DOCUMENTS BUT... OKAY, THANK YOU. I'M STILL SHOOTING FOR BEING ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE SOMETHING THAT COULD GO OUT FOR BID HERE THIS SPRING, WITH, WITH THE POTENTIAL OF BEING CONSTRUCTIBLE DURING THIS CONSTRUCTION SEASON. OKAY, IF NOT THE NEXT.

OKAY, THANKS. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE CHECK REGISTER? NO, THAT WAS THE ONLY ONE. THANK YOU.

I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 2, OUR CHECK REGISTER FOR... I'D MAKE A MOTION AS SUCH. SECOND.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? NOT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE. ALL OPPOSED, SAME SIGN.

MOTION CARRIES. NEXT, WE WILL LOOK AT 3590 NORTH SHORE

[13. LA26-000004, 3590 North Shore Drive, Variances - Resolution 7667]

HE DID. I'LL SEND THAT BACK OVER TO YOU. THANK YOU.

THE REASON I PULLED THIS ONE IS I ATTENDED THE PLANNING COMMITTEE'S MEETING LAST WEEK, AND THERE WAS ONE ITEM FROM THIS THAT I THOUGHT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE APPLICANT WAS GOING TO FOLLOW UP WITH, AND THAT WAS THE REQUEST BY THE DNR FOR TREE PLANTING, NATIVE TREES PLANTING. SO, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO AGREE WITH? I KNOW THEY SEEM TO BE VACILLATING A LITTLE BIT ON WHETHER THEY WANTED TO DO THAT OR NOT. YES, I SPOKE WITH THE APPLICANT AFTER THE MEETING, AND IN THE RESOLUTION I NOTED THAT THEY WOULD BE SUBMITTING A TREE, THE, THE TREE PLAN WITH THEIR BUILDING PERMIT.

THEY'VE AGREED TO DO THAT, SO I THINK THE, THE DNR'S COMMENTS HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED.

OKAY, THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I HAD ON THAT.

OKAY, THAT, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 13. SO MOVE. I'LL SECOND.

SECOND. FURTHER DISCUSSION? I JUST WANT TO MAKE ONE POINT, WHICH IS THAT I'M VERY GLAD THAT THIS DISCUSSION WAS HAD. I WATCHED THAT PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING, AND LOOKING AT THE PROPERTY, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF VEGETATION THERE.

I WOULD SAY, HAZARD A GUESS, THAT THERE WERE NO TREES POTENTIALLY IN THAT LAKESIDE OF THE HOME, BACK IN THAT YARD. SO, I THINK THIS IS A IT WAS A GOOD RECOMMENDATION ON THE PART OF THE DNR. I'M GLAD WE'RE SUPPORTING IT AS A CITY.

I'M GLAD THE APPLICANT IS WILLING TO WORK WITH US BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY ABOUT STABILIZATION, IMPROVING THE SOIL QUALITY, DEALING WITH RUNOFF. AND I DID ACTUALLY ALSO NOTE THAT APRIL 24TH IS ARBOR DAY, WHICH EXTENDS IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA INTO THE MONTH OF MAY AS ARBOR MONTH. SO, IT'LL BE TIMELY.

IS, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WILL MOVE THROUGH, FAIRLY QUICKLY IN TERMS OF THE APPLICATION AT THIS POINT, MELANIE? WHEN WOULD THE APPLICANT NEED TO RETURN THAT PLAN TO STAFF? WITH THEIR BUILDING PERMIT PACKET. OKAY. THEY'VE AGREED TO PLANT 2 TREES FROM THE NATIVE TREE LIST, SO.

OKAY.

BEING THAT IT WAS JUST 2 TREES, I DIDN'T FEEL THAT IT, WE NEEDED TO HAVE THE LANDSCAPE PLAN THIS EVENING. YEP.

OKAY.

THEY'VE AGREED TO PROVIDE THAT FOR THE PERMIT. SO, WE WON'T BE SEEING THIS AGAIN. THEY'RE JUST GOING TO... YOU WILL NOT BE SEEING THIS AGAIN.

IT'LL JUST BE PLANTED IN ONE OF THE EXPECTATIONS OF THEIR COMPLETION OF THEIR PROJECT. OKAY, THAT'S GREAT. NO FURTHER DISCUSSION THEN FROM ME.

THANK YOU. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THAT MOTION SAY AYE. AYE.

ALL OPPOSED, SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT, WE WILL MOVE ON NOW TO ITEM 16.

[16. LA25-000036, 1200 Wildhurst Trail, After-the-Fact Variances and Conditional Use Permit]

I WILL BE LEAVING THE MEETING ABOUT 10 TO 7 TONIGHT. MY SON IS BEING RECOGNIZED ACROSS THE STREET, SO I'M GOING TO POP OVER THERE FOR THEIR BOARD MEETING AND THEN BE BACK SHORTLY, AND I WILL MAKE THAT AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE. OKAY, THANK YOU FOR LETTING US KNOW.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. ALL RIGHT, FOR THIS ONE, LET'S SEE, WE WILL HAVE, MELANIE CURTIS.

THANK YOU.

ADDRESS IT. THANK YOU. IN JULY OF '24, THE CITY RECEIVED A COMPLAINT, REGARDING SEVERAL IMPROVEMENTS CONDUCT, CONSTRUCTED ON THE PROPERTY AT 1200 WILD HORSE TRAIL WITHOUT PERMITS.

EACH OF THE IMPROVEMENTS REQUIRED LAND USE APPROVALS, INCLUDING VARIANCES SETBACK ENCROACHMENTS AND A CONDITIONAL

[00:35:01]

STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER TO RESOLVE THIS MATTER THROUGH AFTER-THE-FACT LAND USE APPROVAL. THE APPLICANT MADE AN APPLICATION FOR THE AFTER-THE-FACT APPROVALS THIS PAST JULY FOR THE PATIO AREA, STAIRS, AND LOW RETAINING WALLS ON THE LAKESIDE OF THE HOME, AND TIERED RETAINING WALLS LOCATED WITHIN THE 75-FOOT LAKESHORE SETBACK, AND WITH WITHIN THE 5-FOOT SIDE SETBACK.

ADDITIONALLY, DURING THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING, A SHED WAS IDENTIFIED WITHIN THE AVERAGE LAKESHORE SETBACK.

THAT EVENING, THE PLANNING COMMISSION TABLED THE APPLICATION, ASKING THE APPLICANT TO PROVIDE A SURVEY AND UPDATED PLANS FOR THOSE AREAS. MULTIPLE PUBLIC COMMENT SUBMISSIONS WERE PROVIDED, AND THEY ARE ALL INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET.

WE RECEIVED ONE ADDITIONAL COMMENT THAT WAS PLACED AT YOUR SEATS. STAFF RECEIVED THE UPDATED SURVEY ON THE SCREEN FROM THE APPLICANT JUST TONIGHT BEFORE THE MEETING. STAFF HASN'T REALLY HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE INFORMATION ON THE SURVEY. WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED PLANS FOR THE WALLS OR PATIO AS DIRECTED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION, NOR HAS THE APPLICANT PROVIDED ANY DETAILS REGARDING THE SHED.

LOCATED WITHIN THE AVERAGE LAKE SHORE SETBACK, BUT IT IS SHOWN ON THE SURVEY ALONG WITH THE OTHER IMPROVEMENTS. THE APPLICANT'S, EXTENSION OF THE STATUTORY REVIEW PERIOD EXPIRES ON MARCH 20TH, AND THERE IS NOT, SUFFICIENT TIME REMAINING AVAILABLE TO SCHEDULE AND COMPLETE BOTH A PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING AND A COUNCIL REVIEW BEFORE THIS EXTENSION EXPIRES. THE APPLICANT HAD NOT PROVIDED THE REQUIRED MATERIALS WITHIN THE ALLOTTED TIME FRAME, AND AS A RESULT STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY DENY THE APPLICATION FOR THE AFTER-THE-FACT VARIANCES AND THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.

STAFF RECOMMENDS TONIGHT THAT THE COUNCIL MAKE A MOTION TO DIRECT STAFF TO PREPARE A RESOLUTION WITH FINDINGS FOR DENIAL FOR FORMAL ACTION AT YOUR NEXT MEETING ON MARCH 9TH. THE APPLICANT IS HERE AND WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK. THAT IS ALL I HAVE OTHER THAN THE MATERIALS FROM THE PLANNING PACKET, AN UPDATED SITE, PLAN KIND OF SHOWING THE SETBACK AND THE RETAINING WALL AND PATIO AREA.

BUT I'M, AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS, AND AS I SAID, THE APPLICANT IS HERE. OKAY, ANY QUESTIONS? I DO HAVE A QUESTION. SHOULD THE COUNCIL VOTE TO DENY TONIGHT, WHAT ARE NEXT STEPS IF THE APPLICANT, WOULD THE, IS THE APPLICANT ABLE TO BRING THIS BACK TO THE CITY ANOTHER TIME, OR IS THIS, IF THE RESOLUTION IS PASSED, WOULD IT BE AN ENFORCEMENT ISSUE? IT WOULD BE AN ENFORCEMENT ISSUE.

SO ONCE THIS RESOLUTION IS PASSED, THIS ITEM CAN'T, IS NOT GOING TO COME TO THE CITY AGAIN? NO. I MEAN, I THINK PLAY OUT THE DISCUSSION, BUT I, YOU KNOW, OUR RECOMMENDATION TONIGHT WAS FOR DENIAL. WE DID RECEIVE THE SURVEY FROM THE APPLICANT.

WE ARE STILL MISSING THE, YOU KNOW, THE CORRECTIONS OR THE PLANS THAT WERE DISCUSSED AT PLANNING COMMISSION. WE ARE REQUESTING THAT YOU DIRECT US TO DRAFT DENIAL FINDINGS FOR ADOPTION. THE APPLICANT COULD EXTEND THE TIMELINE FURTHER IF THAT IS WHAT COUNCIL WISHES.

BUT IF IT, IF IT WERE TO BE DENIED, THEN THE CITY WOULD COMMENCE THE ENFORCEMENT ACTION. YES. OKAY, THAT ANSWERS MY QUESTION.

THANK YOU. AND THAT WOULD THEN PUT THE APPLICANT IN THE POSITION OF HAVING TO CORRECT THIS. PARDON? IT WOULD PUT THEM IN THE POSITION OF HAVING TO CORRECT THE, YES, THE VARIANCES.

YEP, THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY.

AND OVER WHAT PERIOD OF TIME DOES THAT OCCUR? DO WE TYPICALLY SAY 90 DAYS, 60 DAYS? YOU COULD MAKE A DETERMINATION, BUT I WOULD DEFER TO SOREN.

TYPICALLY ONCE WE'VE EXPLORED THE SORT OF SELF-CORRECTION VIA APPROVALS, THERE'S AN OPTION.

TYPICALLY STAFF WOULD SEND A LETTER SAYING, LOOK, THESE ARE THE VIOLATIONS THAT EXIST.

THEY NEED TO GO AWAY.

AT THIS POINT THEY'RE UNAUTHORIZED. I THINK TYPICALLY THAT IS IN THE, DEPENDING ON THE INFRACTION, BUT IN THAT 10 TO 30 DAY RANGE.

IT ALSO DEPENDS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHETHER, I MEAN, IT'S A THING, RIGHT? SO WE DO TRY AND DEVELOP A REALISTIC TIME FRAME, AND THEN FROM THERE IT DEPENDS, YOU KNOW, IF PROGRESS IS MADE, WE'RE THERE TO WORK. VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE IS THE MOST, THE BEST WAY TO PROCEED. BUT IF WE DON'T RECEIVE ANY COOPERATION, THEN IT GETS SENT TO OUR OFFICE, AND THEN THERE'S A DETERMINATION MADE ON THE BEST WAY TO PROCEED.

IF THERE'S, IF THERE'S COOPERATION, YEAH, WE LET THE PROCESS PLAY OUT.

CORRECT. YEAH, THE CITY'S LONG-STANDING POLICY HAS BEEN TRYING TO GET VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE

[00:40:02]

SO BEING REASONABLE, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING AND WE'VE STILL GOT 6 INCHES OF SNOW ON THE GROUND. YEAH, OF COURSE. YEAH, WE WOULD, WE WOULD WANT TO GIVE REASONABLE TIMELINES FOR THE, THE WORK THAT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO MAKE THE CORRECTION.

YEP. THE APPLICANT IS HERE IF YOU'D LIKE TO ADDRESS US.

GREAT.

IF YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO. BRIAN ROTH, 1200 WILD EARTH TRAIL. NOT GOING TO BE, I DON'T HAVE A LOT TO SAY. I DO WANT TO EXPLAIN THAT THERE WERE SOME PERSONAL FAMILY ISSUES THAT, THAT I HAD TO TEND TO THAT LED TO ME MISSING THE FEBRUARY 2ND DEADLINE.

THAT WAS REQUIRED IN ORDER TO GET TO LAST WEEK'S PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING.

OKAY. BUT NOTWITHSTANDING THAT, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I'M HERE TO COOPERATE.

I'M NOT HERE TO FIGHT THIS. I WANT A RESOLUTION AND I WANT TO GET INTO COMPLIANCE. SO WE REALIZED THAT MAYBE THE QUICKEST WAY TO, CONSIDERING THE COMPLEXITY OF THESE ISSUES, AND THE QUICKEST WAY TO GET BACK ON TRACK AND GET TO A RESOLUTION IS FOR US TO HIRE AN ATTORNEY TO REPRESENT US THROUGH THIS PROCESS, SOMEONE WHO CAN KIND OF PUSH THIS FORWARD.

AND CAN, HE HAS PROVIDED THE SURVEY TO, TO MELANIE AND WANTS TO SET UP A MEETING WITH HER TO DISCUSS MORE DETAILED OPTIONS FOR VARIANCE AND CONTINUOUS USE PERMIT, CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT. SO, WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THIS MATTER BE TABLED TONIGHT AND TO ALLOW TIME FOR OUR ATTORNEY TO WORK WITH THE CITY TO DETERMINE A WORKABLE TIMELINE SO WE CAN GET THIS DONE.

QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT? I GUESS I'M CONFUSED WHY YOU HAVE AN ATTORNEY WORKING ON THIS NOW WHEN WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS IN JULY? CORRECT.

WHY IS IT TAKING YOU THIS LONG TO FINALLY DECIDE TO WORK? IT'S TAKEN ME THIS LONG TO DECIDE THAT I DON'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CONTINUOUS USE PERMIT, A VARIANCE, OR ANY OF THE OTHER CODE ISSUES THAT ARE RELATED HERE.

LIKE I SAID, THIS IS COMPLEX, AND SO I DID TAKE IT MYSELF TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN SEPTEMBER AND END OF AUGUST, I THINK IT WAS, AND SOON REALIZED THAT, I MEAN, AFTER AN HOUR AND A HALF OF THEM TAKING THIS UP, THAT THIS WAS PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT, THAT I NEED SOMEONE TO HELP PUSH ME, PUSH THIS TO THE TOP, TO THE END FOR.

OTHER QUESTIONS? SO WHAT, WHAT IS THE GOAL AT THIS POINT FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE WITH THIS APPLICATION? TO HAVE COUNCIL TABLE IT? THAT'S, THAT'S THE REQUEST TONIGHT? TONIGHT, YEP.

AND THERE'S, WHAT I KNOW ABOUT OUR STAFF IS THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT A MOMENT AGO THAT OUR STAFF WORKS VERY WELL WITH APPLICANTS TO BE ABLE TO GUIDE THROUGH THE PROCESS, TO EDUCATE ABOUT WHAT'S NEEDED. SO, WHAT I'M INTERESTED TO KNOW IS, WAS THERE SOME CONFUSION IN THE PROCESS ABOUT A SURVEY WHEN IT WAS REQUIRED BEING PRESENTED TO STAFF, OR OTHER SORTS OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS? WAS THERE CONFUSION ABOUT THAT? THIS HAS BEEN A LENGTHY PROCESS, AS COUNCILMEMBER RICKS JUST MENTIONED, AND WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS, IS THERE SOMETHING WITHIN THE PROCESS THAT, THAT HAS HAPPENED IN 7 MONTHS THAT YOU AS THE APPLICANT HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE HOW TO BEST PROCEED FROM, FROM THE BEGINNING WITH THIS PROCESS. I'M STILL CONFUSED ON WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.

I MEAN, I THINK MELANIE JUST BROUGHT UP A GOOD QUESTION, SOREN, ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. OR I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE BOB ASKED THE QUESTION, CAN I BRING THIS BACK AS A DIFFERENT APPLICATION? I KNOW THAT THIS, THE APPLICATION, FOR INSTANCE, THE APPLICATION THAT THAT I SUBMITTED BEFORE REQUESTED THAT THE WALL CONTINUE WHERE IT IS.

THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE, AND I LEARNED THAT FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO BRING BACK ANOTHER APPLICATION THAT DOESN'T REQUEST THAT THE WALL CONTINUE ON TO MY NEIGHBOR'S PROPERTY.

[00:45:02]

YES. I VISITED THE PROPERTY BEFORE THE SNOW CAME THIS FALL WITH, WITH STAFF, ACTUALLY, AND YES, THE NEIGHBORS WHOSE PROPERTY WAS AFFECTED REMOVED WHATEVER WAS THERE AND HAVE REVEGETATED.

SO THAT'S WHAT I SAW, AT LEAST WHILE I WAS THERE, WHERE WE DID. SO, SO YES, THERE WAS, THERE CONTINUES TO BE SOME CONFUSION ABOUT THE PROCESS. AND FOR INSTANCE, THE EXTENSION GOT ME THROUGH MARCH 20TH.

I UNDERSTAND THERE'S SOME STEPS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN BEFORE THAT, BUT I WAS, YEAH, BUT FEBRUARY 2ND DEADLINE TO THE MARCH 20TH, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT. SO, THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING FOR SOME HELP TO PUSH THIS THROUGH. SO, YEAH.

WHEN DID YOU INSTALL THE SHED? WHAT YEAR WAS THAT, OR DO WE KNOW? IS THAT ON FILE? NO? I'M NOT AWARE WHEN THE SHED WAS PUT IN PLACE. OKAY. I UNDERSTAND THAT'S NOT PART OF THE APPLICATION. MY, MY PERSPECTIVE ON THIS IS THAT BETWEEN THE SHED, WHICH IS NOT PART OF THIS APPLICATION, BUT IT'S BEEN IDENTIFIED NOW AS ADDED HARDCOVER IN THE AVERAGE LAKESHORE SETBACK, THE PATIO EXTENSION, AND NOW THE WALL, THROUGH NONE OF THESE PROCESSES ON A LAKESHORE LOT HAS THE CITY BEEN NOTIFIED, PERMITS PULLED, STAFF INVOLVED, SURVEYS HAD, OR, THE LIKE.

SO I CAN UNDERSTAND, OR I'M HEARING YOU, THAT THERE'S CONFUSION NOW, BUT WHAT I SEE HERE IS A PROCESS BY WHICH OVER THE COURSE OF YEARS CITY CODE HAS NOT, WE, WE'VE NOT BEEN HEARING FROM YOU AS A RESIDENT, ALONG THE LINE THROUGH MULTIPLE PROJECTS.

SO, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR YOU. THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT IS MAKING ME HESITANT AT THIS POINT ABOUT TABLING THIS ISSUE.

BECAUSE WHAT I WOULD SAY IS, 7 MONTHS, KNOWING HOW HARD OUR STAFF DOES WORK WITH APPLICANTS THAT WE SEE ALL THE TIME, IT'S CONFUSING TO ME, WHY THERE'S SO MUCH CONFUSION.

BECAUSE WE COMMUNICATE, I BELIEVE, QUITE WELL AS A DEPARTMENT.

AND, AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION, THE MEETING I DID WATCH, AND THAT WAS ALSO VERY CLEAR, THE QUESTIONS BEING ASKED AND THE DIRECTION GIVEN AT THAT MEETING WHICH WAS IN AUGUST, THE DIRECTION WAS QUITE CLEAR AT THAT MEETING.

SO I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS THOUGH.

THANK YOU. AND I GUESS I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED TOO.

YOU KNOW, WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS BEFORE THE MEETING, AND IT SOUNDED LIKE YOU WERE PREPARED TO, TO FIX THE, THE VARIANCES.

WHAT I'M HEARING FROM YOU NOW IS YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE ANOTHER SHOT AT GETTING A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO FIX THE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO COMPLY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO FIX THESE VARIANCES. NO, THAT APPROVAL FOR THAT, YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT, ABOUT THE WALL AND THE PLACEMENT OF THE WALL, THAT THERE ARE SOME MATURE TREES THERE.

YEAH. SO, THE NEXT APPLICATION WOULD PROBABLY BE TO GET INTO COMPLIANCE AND HONOR THE SETBACK, THE SIDE SETBACK BY REQUESTING THAT I CAN TAKE OUT THESE TREES. OKAY, WHICH WOULD BE ANOTHER SEPARATE APPLICATION BECAUSE, YEAH.

WHY ARE WE TAKING TREES DOWN IF THEY'RE STILL ALIVE? JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE TAKING THE WALL DOWN? YOU HAVE AN ILLEGAL WALL DOWN, UP.

IT DOESN'T MEET ANY OF THE CRITERIA. IT'S A DANGEROUS WALL. I MEAN, SOMEBODY COULD FALL OFF OF THERE AND GET VERY HURT.

AND THOSE TREES WERE DOING JUST FINE BEFORE YOU PUT THAT RETAINING WALL UP. I'M GOING TO HAVE TO BE WITH BOB ON THAT.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU'RE ASKING FOR MORE TIME.

I MEAN, THIS HAS BEEN DRAGGING ON FOR QUITE A WHILE, AND I'VE WATCHED THE PLANNING COMMISSION. I'VE BEEN AT THE MEETINGS. THEY WERE ALL QUITE CLEAR.

AND I'VE WORKED WITH MELANIE BEFORE. SHE IS VERY CLEAR ABOUT STEPS, PROCESS. I, I HAVE A VERY HARD TIME TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ASK HERE, AND THE CITY HAS ASKED FOR A DENIAL.

I'M, I'M, I KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT THIS. I, I'M GONNA, I JUST FEEL LIKE THIS HAS BEEN A LARGE WASTE OF STAFF TIME, AND YOU PULLED PERMITS FOR THINGS INSIDE YOUR HOUSE, BUT YOU DIDN'T PULL PERMITS FOR THINGS OUTSIDE. ON THE LAKESHORE.

I JUST FIND THAT VERY HARD TO BELIEVE. WANT

[00:50:03]

BUT HE DOESN'T NEED TO APPLY FOR A NEW APPLICATION. WE AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION WERE REQUESTING, THE SURVEY, WHICH WE DID RECEIVE, AND NOW WE ARE INFORMED ABOUT WHAT THE SIDE SETBACK REQUIREMENT IS.

WE KNOW WHAT'S ON THE PROPERTY.

THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS WORKING WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER ON WHAT CHANGES NEED TO BE MADE TO THE PATIO STAIR AREA UP BY THE HOME.

TO MAKE THAT FUNCTION, TO MAINTAIN THE FUNCTIONALITY THAT'S NEEDED.

AND THEN WHATEVER CHANGES THE PROPERTY OWNER WANTS TO MAKE TO THE RETAINING WALL OR REQUESTS TO MAKE TO THE RETAINING WALL THAT WOULD MEET THE SETBACK WITH WHATEVER HEIGHT THE WALLS COULD BE REDUCED TO OR WHATEVER. WE'RE WAITING FOR THE PLAN FOR THAT. SO, THAT'S, SO THAT WAS THE, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT STEP IS TO GET THE SURVEY TO INFORM US ABOUT WHAT'S ON THE SITE AND WHAT THE DIMENSIONS OF THE LOT ARE FOR THE SETBACK, AND THEN WORKING WITH HIM TO AMEND WHAT'S ON THE SITE TO MEET CODE OR AMEND WHAT'S ON THERE AS MUCH AS CAN BE AND STILL NEEDS VARIANCES.

WE'RE NOT REALLY SURE WHAT CAN BE CHANGED WITH THAT AREA.

EXCUSE ME, IS IT NECESSARY FOR US TO TABLE THE MOTION TONIGHT IN ORDER TO ALLOW THAT PROCESS, OR DO WE GO AHEAD AND ACT ON THIS IN ACCORDANCE WITH WHAT STAFF'S RECOMMENDING, I.E., DENYING IT, AND THEN ALLOW THAT PROCESS TO HAPPEN? I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT HOW THAT MIGHT WORK.

IT'S ONE OR THE OTHER. IT'S IF YOU ARE WILLING TO LET HIM CONTINUE TO WORK WITH STAFF TO GET INTO COMPLIANCE, THEN YOU COULD TABLE THE APPLICATION.

TECHNICALLY, WHERE THIS APPLICATION SHOULD HAVE GONE WOULD HAVE BEEN THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

THEY CAN CONTINUE THEIR PUBLIC HEARING AND PROVIDE THE RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL, AND THEN IT WOULD ULTIMATELY COME BEFORE YOU. SO, IF COUNCIL'S WILLING TO DO THAT, IT WOULD BE A TABLING AND AN EXTENSION BY THE APPLICANT. AND IF WE DIDN'T DO THAT, IF WE DIDN'T EXTEND IT, THEN IT WOULD JUST BE THE APPLICANT PROVING THAT HE HAS CORRECTED THE VARIANT, THE, YEP, THE, THE ITEMS IN, IN VIOLATION.

YEAH, YEAH. OKAY, PERMITS WOULD BE NEEDED TO MAKE THOSE CORRECTIONS.

OKAY, A PERMIT WOULD BE NEEDED, SO YOU NEED TO PULL ANOTHER PERMIT.

WE, WE DIDN'T, AN ACTUAL PERMIT. SO, HE APPLIED FOR VARIANCE. OH, GOT IT. AND CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, WHICH IS, WHICH IS THE, THE COUNCIL'S ACTION.

ADMINISTRATIVE PERMITS FOR CONSTRUCTION WOULD BE REQUIRED TO MAKE CHANGES ON SITE. GOT IT. OKAY.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR ANYBODY WANT TO MAKE A MOTION? I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. I MAKE A MOTION FOR DENIAL. SECOND.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? MR. MAYOR, MAY I ASK A QUESTION ON THAT? SO THE RECOMMENDATION IS FOR, TO DIRECT, I BELIEVE, DIRECT STAFF TO PREPARE FINDINGS FOR DENIAL. SO, THE MOTION IS IN CONFORMANCE WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION TO BRING THE FINDINGS BACK, IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH, THAT'S CORRECT.

YEAH, OKAY, THANK YOU JUST FOR CLARIFICATION. THANKS FOR CLARIFYING IT. YEAH, WELL, THIS WOULDN'T BE A FINAL ACTION AND IT WOULD BE A RECOMMENDATION.

STAFF TO REPAIR SOMETHING.

OKAY, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SO THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO MONITOR HOW THAT IS BASED ON, THEM TAKING OUT PERMITS AND SO FORTH TO GET THAT WORK DONE BASED ON OUR DENIAL, AND THEN OVERSIGHT WOULD BE, WELL, SO I, I THINK IT'LL COME DOWN TO, YOU KNOW, IF, IF, IF THESE APPLICATIONS ARE DENIED WHICH WOULD HAPPEN IN 2 WEEKS FROM NOW, THEN WHAT WE HAVE ARE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WERE MADE NOT IN CONFORMANCE OR ILLEGALLY BASED ON YOUR CODE. THAT'S WHEN WE SEND OUT THE LETTER.

IT STARTS WITH STAFF SAYING THESE NEED TO BE CORRECTED. THERE STILL MAY NEED TO BE, AND I DEFER TO MELANIE ON THIS, BUT PERMITS PULLED JUST BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF MOVING EARTH, REMOVING THINGS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. YEAH, SO IT DOESN'T IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THE INTERACTION WITH THE, BETWEEN THE APPLICANT AND THE CITY ENDS WITH THIS ACTION AT ALL.

[00:55:01]

THE, THE APPLICANT, THE RESIDENT THEN HAS MULTIPLE MEANS TO COME COMPLIANCE. ONE OF THE WAYS TO COME INTO COMPLIANCE IS TO JUST PHYSICALLY CHANGE WHATEVER IT IS THAT'S OUT OF COMPLIANCE UNTIL YOU'RE IN COMPLIANCE. OR IN THIS CASE, THE APPLICANT ASKED FOR SOME VARIANCES AND CUP, WHICH IF APPROVED WOULD HAVE, WOULD HAVE BROUGHT THE ITEM INTO COMPLIANCE.

ONCE THAT AVENUE IS, IN THIS CASE, IF THAT AVENUE IS DENIED, THEN THEN IN ESSENCE WE'RE GOING DOWN THE OTHER AVENUE, WHICH IS NOW, NOW, RESIDENT, YOU HAVE TO FIX IT. AND WE HAVE TO, IS THE STAFF WILL WORK WITH THE, I THINK IS WHERE IT WAS HEADING TO BEGIN WITH ANYWAY, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT I TOOK, THAT THE NEED TO FIX IT AND NOT JUST APPROVE WHAT HAS BEEN DONE. WELL, IT STARTS OFF WITH THE NEED TO FIX IT.

ONE OF THE AVENUES IS, TO, TO USE THE, USE THE VARIANCE IN IN THE, IN THE CUP PROCESS TO GET AN APPROVAL FOR SOMETHING THAT'S NOT IN COMPLIANCE TO BE ALLOWED.

SO, IN ESSENCE, IF YOU, IF YOU DENY THIS DIRECT STAFF AND BRING A RESOLUTION AND YOU DENY IT, THEN THAT AVENUE IS NO LONGER OPEN. SO, BASICALLY ALL WE HAVE LEFT IS PHYSICALLY FIX IT.

YES, I JUST WANT, IT'S KIND OF A, IT'S A LITTLE BIT COMPLICATED, BUT IT IS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS OPEN TO OUR RESIDENT IF THERE IS IF THERE IS AN ADMINISTRATIVE MEANS TO COME INTO COMPLIANCE, CERTAINLY ABLE TO AT LEAST SEEK THAT, WHICH IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THIS CASE. MR. MAYOR, I HATE TO DO THIS, I, I NEED TO LEAVE WITHIN A MINUTE HERE.

WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR AND A SECOND, SO I, I EITHER, CAN I, CAN I MAKE A COMMENT BEFORE YOU, YEAH, PLEASE DO, BUT KEEP IN MIND I DO HAVE TO, I HAVE TO LEAVE. LIKE, YEAH, IF YOU NEED TO VOTE, YOU NEED YOU NEED TO VOTE. I WANTED TO JUST REACT TO SOME THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT HERE.

I APOLOGIZE. I DON'T HAVE MORE THAN A MINUTE, SO I DO NEED TO VOTE. SO, THERE'S A MOTION ON THE TABLE, SO I WILL NEED TO LEAVE THIS MEETING NOW.

SO CAN WE FINISH IT UP? I THINK WE CAN FINISH THE VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE TABLE, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE.

OPPOSED, SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. MY APOLOGIES.

YEAH, NO, THAT'S OKAY.

BUT I WILL ALLOW YOU TO SPEAK, EVEN THOUGH IT'S AFTER THE VOTE. I'M NOT ASKING TO NOT BE IN COMPLIANCE.

YEAH, RIGHT. AND I'M, I'M TRYING TO, I'M NOT ASKING TO LEAVE EVERYTHING THE WAY IT IS. OKAY, RIGHT.

I BELIEVE THAT THAT'S WHAT THE APPLICATION WAS ASKING FOR, IS TO LEAVE EVERYTHING THE WAY IT IS. OKAY, WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M ASKING CLARIFICATION ON IS, AM I ALLOWED TO COME BACK AND ASK FOR A VARIANCE, CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, WHATEVER IT IS THAT FIXES IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY THAN WHAT I WAS PROPOSING BEFORE? SO THIS QUESTION FOR COUNCIL, REALLY, I THINK. YEAH, I WAS TRYING TO LOOK IN THE CODE AND I JUST DIDN'T FIND IT.

WHAT I DON'T RECALL, AND MELANIE, MAYBE YOU REMEMBER, IS THERE, IT'S NOT UNCOMMON TO HAVE A PROVISION IN YOUR CODE THAT SAYS ONCE YOU'VE BEEN DENIED THAT THERE'S SORT OF A COOLING-OFF PERIOD. YOU NEED 6 MONTHS OR SO BEFORE YOU CAN REAPPLY FOR SOMETHING SIMILAR.

MELANIE, I DON'T RECALL IF YOUR CODE HAS THAT OR NOT.

I BELIEVE WE DO. SO, THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST THING WE WOULD NEED TO LOOK AT. SO, IF IN 2 WEEKS YOU ACTUALLY DENY THE APPLICATION, THEN THERE IS A WINDOW, OR NOT A WINDOW, 6 MONTHS OR SO WHEN THERE WOULD BE NO NEW APPLICATIONS ALLOWED AND WE'RE IN THAT ENFORCEMENT PERIOD.

OKAY. SO, I DO THINK IF, IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO DO SOMETHING NEW, THE APP, THE CURRENT APPLICATION HASN'T BEEN DENIED. THAT WOULD PRESUMABLY HAPPEN 2 WEEKS FROM NOW.

SO IF YOU HAVE OTHER IDEAS, I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT TO BRING THOSE WITHIN THE NEXT 2 WEEKS.

OTHERWISE, WE ARE STUCK IN THE ENFORCEMENT REALM.

YEAH.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU.

UPCOMING WORK SESSIONS IS

[17. Upcoming Work Sessions]

[01:00:05]

MOSTLY WE TALKED ABOUT CANCELING THE MARCH 23RD COUNCIL MEETING, WHICH WOULD THEN ALSO CANCEL THE WORK SESSION. SO, WE DID REMOVE THAT, CANCELED DUE TO LACK OF QUORUM, MOVED SOME THINGS THERE. THE OTHER THING IS IN ITALICS THERE, WORKED WITH MAGGIE, OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR, ON ACTUALLY MOVING SOME OF OUR NORMAL WORK SESSIONS THAT WE DO AS PART OF THE BUDGETING PROCESS FORWARD.

THAT'S WHAT THOSE, INDICATE. ALSO TRYING TO MOVE THEM FORWARD, JUST COUNCIL KNOWS, WE WILL HAVE A PROLONGED LEAVE OF ABSENCE FOR OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR FOR MATERNITY PURPOSES COMING IN THE SUMMER. SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE BIG ONES DONE BEFORE THAT HAPPENS.

YEAH. THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT IS WE, AT THE LAST, COUNCIL MEETING WE TALKED ABOUT TRYING TO DO AN INTERVIEW SESSION FOR PARKS COMMISSIONERS AND PLANNING COMMISSIONERS. I DID SEND OUT A DOODLE POLL, AND I HAD ONE, ONE TIME SLOT OF ALL THOSE AVAILABLE THAT SEEMED TO WORK FOR EVERYONE.

I SENT YOU ALL A CALENDAR INVITE THIS MORNING, AND TWO OF YOU ALL RESPONDED THAT THINGS HAD CHANGED AND THAT WAS NO LONGER GOING TO WORK. SO, WANTED TO HOPEFULLY TAKE A QUICK OPPORTUNITY HERE TO KIND OF CHAT WITH THE COUNCIL ABOUT WHAT WE MIGHT, WHAT WE MIGHT LOOK AT TRYING TO DO TO, TO ACCOMPLISH THAT. I THINK IDEALLY WE'D LIKE TO DO ANY INTERVIEW TYPE PROCESS, SELECTION PROCESS FOR THOSE COMMISSIONERS BEFORE THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING SO WE COULD GET THEM APPOINTED IN MARCH AND FILL THOSE VACANCIES.

HOW DO PEOPLE LOOK? THAT ONLY LEAVES US THE REST OF THIS WEEK AND NEXT WEEK TO FIGURE THAT OUT. I AM HERE THE REST OF THIS WEEK. I LEAVE SUNDAY FOR THE, AND I'LL BE BACK THE 7TH.

COULD WE MEET THIS WEEK, LIKE THURSDAY? ARE YOU STILL AROUND THURSDAY? I'M AROUND THURSDAY. AVAILABLE THURSDAY? I THINK FRIDAY MORNING, YEP.

THURSDAY'S GOOD. UP UNTIL 4:00.

I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW.

LET ME SEE. THURSDAY THE 26TH.

SO, THURSDAY THE 26TH, LOOKING AT STAFF CALENDARS, WE COULD PROBABLY DO EARLY AFTERNOON.

I HAVE MEETINGS THROUGH 1:00, BUT THEN I'M FREE AFTER THAT.

COULD YOU DO AFTERNOON? I'M GOOD TILL 4. UP TILL 4? YEAH.

WE DO 2 TO 4? YEAH, THAT WORKS FOR ME. 2 TO 4 WORKS FOR ME THURSDAY. YEAH.

OKAY, WE'LL, I WILL MOVE THE CALENDAR INVITE AND WE'LL, AND PUT THAT WITH THE LIAISON, COUNCILMEMBER BENSON. YEAH. AND THEN WE CAN, ALSO DOUBLE, DOUBLE CHECK WITH THE, THE APPLICANTS CONFIRM THEIR, THEIR AVAILABILITY FOR THAT TIME.

ADAM, COULD I ALSO ASK, AND I GUESS I'M ASKING THE COUNCIL AT THIS TIME, COULD WE ADD TO A WORK SESSION A MEETING ON BUFFER ZONES AND TREE ORDINANCE? I, AFTER THE LAST MEETING WHEN WE WERE DISCUSSING THE PROJECT ON FOX STREET, I FELT REALLY BAD THAT WE COULDN'T HELP THE RESIDENTS OUT. WE HAD TO TELL THEM NO, AND THE APPLICANT, DIDN'T REALLY ANSWER A LOT OF MY QUESTIONS, JUST QUOTED OUR CODE AND SAID THEY DID EVERYTHING THAT WAS REQUIRED OF THEM. SO, I'M WONDERING IF WE SHOULDN'T, RELOOK AT AT TREE ORDINANCES AND BUFFER ZONES.

I KNOW I JUST GOT A COPY LAST WEEK OF THE NEW TREE ORDINANCES THAT MINNETONKA BEACH HAS WRITTEN UP AND STUFF, AND I SHARED THOSE WITH LAURA. SO, STARTED KIND OF LOOKING AT IT, BUT I WOULD REALLY LIKE SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I WOULD, I DON'T WANT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED AT THE LAST MEETING TO KIND OF CATCH US OFF GUARD AGAIN.

WE'VE GOT TWO OPEN SESSIONS IN MAY AT THIS POINT, AS I READ THE CALENDAR. COULD WE DEVOTE ONE OF THOSE MEETINGS TO DISCUSSING THAT AND DIRECT STAFF TO LOOK AT WHAT SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES HAVE DONE? I'M LOOKING AT LAURA IN THE BACK.

IS THAT ENOUGH TIME? I'M JUST GOING TO CARRY THAT LOAD AND MAKE SURE THAT TIMING WORKS.

I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA

[01:05:01]

I'M HAPPY TO PUT TOGETHER A WORK SESSION ON THAT. JUST OF NOTE, WE WILL, I'LL BE DOING THE TWO APRIL WORK SESSION MEETINGS. I'M HAPPY TO ALSO DO ONE IN MAY, AND TENTATIVELY I'LL HAVE ANOTHER COMP PLAN ONE COMING PROBABLY IN SPRING, EARLY PART OF SUMMER.

OKAY. SO, IF YOU'RE HAPPY FRONT LOAD A BUNCH OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WORK SESSIONS, I'M, I, WE CAN ACCOMMODATE. SURE, THAT'D BE GREAT. I THINK HAS OPTED ONE TOO.

SO THAT WOULD BE GREAT. THANK YOU, LAURA. THANK YOU.

YEAH, THANK YOU. SHOULD WE PLAN FOR THE 11TH OR THE 25TH? I WILL BE ACTUALLY GONE ON THE 11TH. I DON'T KNOW THAT I NEED TO BE HERE, BUT, COULD WE DO THE, COULD WE DO THE 25TH JUST TO GIVE LAURA A LITTLE BREAK FROM FROM THE PREVIOUS TWO.

THAT'S GREAT. OK. AND I'D LIKE TO PROPOSE ONE SOMETIME LATER IN THE YEAR THAT KIND OF DOES A CHECK-IN ON OUR GOALS AND WHAT WE SET.

ABSOLUTELY.

FOR THE YEAR. SO, JUNE OR JULY TIME FRAME. YEAH, AND I THINK WE HAD ASKED IF WE COULD MAYBE DO A, GET A SCORE SHEET AS TO HOW WE'RE DOING AGAINST THAT.

YEAH, AND WE TALKED ABOUT DOING THAT TIMING-WISE.

CONCURRENT WITH, WITH THE QUARTERLY FINANCIAL UPDATE.

THAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S RIGHT.

ADDING IT TO THOSE SAME MEETINGS SO WE CAN DO THAT.

BUT IF WE WANT TO HAVE A KIND OF A, ARE YOU LOOKING FOR LIKE A DEEPER DIVE MID-YEAR OR LATE MID-YEAR? YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK SO, PROBABLY MID-YEAR. AND I'D LIKE TO SEE IF WE GET MORE OF THE FULL STAFF THERE TO KIND OF COMMENT ON THEIR ASPECTS OF THE GOALS AND HOW THAT PLAYED OUT.

AND ONE OTHER ONE I THOUGHT WOULD BE HELPFUL, MID-YEAR AS WELL IS MAYBE INVITING THE LEADERSHIP OF THE SHORELINE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO COME IN AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THEM. I KNOW COUNCILMEMBER BENSON WAS LOOKING AT A POSSIBLE, MEETING AND TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC WORKS, AND I DON'T REMEMBER HER EXACTLY, EVERYTHING, BUT KIND OF THE SPENDING THAT'S BEEN DONE AND WHAT IS LOOKED AT THE FUTURE AND KIND OF DOING A COMPARISON WITH, I GUESS, WITH HISTORICALLY AND WHERE WE PLAN TO BE IN THE FUTURE WITH THAT.

IF YOU GUYS WOULD BE WILLING TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

PUBLIC WORKS THE DEPARTMENT OR PUBLIC WORKS THE FACILITY? WHAT'S THE, WELL, BOTH THEN, IF YOU'RE GOING TO PUT IT THAT WAY. OH NO, I MEAN, ARE WE LOOKING AT PUBLIC WORKS OPERATIONS AND SERVICES PROVIDED? YES. AND THE BUILDING.

OKAY, I HAVE THOSE. WHAT I'LL DO IS I'LL TAKE SOME OF THESE SUBJECTS, SMATTER THEM THROUGH THE CHART, AND THEN THAT'D BE GREAT.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

SO WE, DO WE NEED TO TAKE ANY ACTION ON THIS TONIGHT? NO, I THINK I HAVE DIRECTION FROM THE COUNCIL, SO I'LL JUST, THANK YOU. AND THEN, SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM 18,

[18. Lilac Lane Pavement Restoration]

AND IN PARTICULAR, SHOWN HERE ON THIS DIAGRAM IS LILAC LANE. THIS IS OLD CRYSTAL BAY. THIS IS LILAC LANE.

INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, ALL THE PROPERTIES ON LILAC LANE ACTUALLY HAVE OLD CRYSTAL BAY ADDRESSES. LILAC LANE EXTENDS FROM OLD CRYSTAL BAY ROAD AROUND TO THE FRENCH CREEK PARK, WHICH IS OVER HERE, AND THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL'S PUMPING STATION. SO, THE REASON THAT THE AREA NEEDS TO BE RESTORED IS, AS PART OF THEIR, THEIR GREATER PROJECT, THEY WILL BE REPLACING THEIR SEWER INTERCEPTOR, WHICH IS A BIG FORCE MAIN THAT RUNS UNDERNEATH THE PROPERTY OR UNDERNEATH THE ROADWAY AND WITHIN THE RIGHT-OF-WAY TO THE PUMPING STATION, AND THEN BACK.

AND SO AS PART OF THAT, SINCE THEY'RE, THEY ARE TEARING UP OUR ROADWAY, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO RESTORE IT. SO, I DID ASK THEM TO RESTORE ALL OF IT WITH ASPHALT AS A FINAL COATING.

SO, THESE ARE TYPICAL SECTIONS.

IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THE DETAILS OF WHAT THE ROAD SECTIONS LOOK LIKE, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, WE CAN COME BACK TO THAT.

JUST, THIS IS AN AERIAL IMAGE OF THE SAME AREA JUST TO KIND OF HELP SHOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. CURRENTLY, THE SECTION FROM OLD CRYSTAL BAY ROAD TO JUST PAST THIS DRIVEWAY AT

[01:10:01]

LITTLE PICTURE LOOKING FROM THAT SAME POINT.

AND SO WE WOULD, THEY'RE TEARING ALL THIS UP, SO ALL THIS WOULD GO. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE ASPHALT'S IN NOT GREAT CONDITION ANYWAY.

THAT WOULD ALL BE TORN UP AND REPLACED, AND I DID ASK THEM TO REPLACE THAT TO INCLUDE THE CUL-DE-SAC AND PARKING SPACE THAT IS AT THE END OF THE ROAD.

I DID ASK THEIR ENGINEERS TO LOOK AT THE POTENTIAL OF EXPANDING THE CUL-DE-SAC AND THE TURN-IN ROUND SO THAT WE COULD GET TO FULL COMPLIANCE WITH FIRE CODE. WE COULD, BUT THE AMOUNT OF ADDITIONAL ASPHALT HARDCOVER AND DISTURBANCE TO THE AREA WAS, WELL, AT LEAST IN MY OPINION WAS NOT WARRANTED FOR A SITUATION THAT'S EXISTED FOR A LONG TIME.

BUT BY DOING THE ASPHALT THING AND SQUARING THIS OFF DOWN HERE, WE GET TO A POINT WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY TURN ONE OF OUR CURRENT FIRE TRUCKS OR A SCHOOL BUS AROUND IF NEEDED.

AND THEN I DID ASK THEM, WE INCLUDED, I THINK YOU SEE IT IN THE SITE PLAN, IS WE WOULD STRIPE OFF SOME OF THE, THE PROPOSED PARKING SPOTS.

RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST KIND OF PARK WHEREVER IF YOU PARK DOWN THERE.

SO I BELIEVE, SO THAT IS AN ACCESS POINT FOR FRENCH CREEK PARK? CORRECT. YEAH, SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE IN THE PICTURE OVERHEAD HERE, HERE ARE THE BOLLARDS THAT KIND OF DELINEATE THE, THE EDGE.

THAT, I'M ASSUMING WHENEVER THIS IMAGE WAS TAKEN, THAT'S ONE OF OUR PARKS TRUCKS DOING SERVICE. THAT'S NOT A NORMAL PARKING SPOT.

YEAH, BUT, YEAH, THERE'S A SIGN RIGHT THERE YOU CAN KIND OF SEE, AND THEN A TRAIL. AND THEN FOR THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH FRENCH CREEK PARK, FRENCH CREEK PARK IS BASICALLY OUR OLD SEWAGE LAGOON. THIS USED TO BE THE ORONO SEWAGE PLANT.

THIS USED TO BE THE ORONO SEWAGE LAGOON, YOU KNOW, BACK IN THE '70S BEFORE THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL EXTENDED OUT HERE, IN WHICH CASE THE PLANT WAS CONVERTED INTO A PUMP STATION FOR THE MET COUNCIL, AND THEN THE SEWAGE LAGOON WAS ALLOWED TO BE A WETLAND.

BUT YOU CAN TELL FROM THE SHAPE AND EVERYTHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT WAS. AND THEN JUST, HERE'S AN IMAGE JUST TO KIND OF SHOW YOU A BROADER CONTEXT.

THERE'S THAT, THE SEWAGE LAGOON IN THE FRENCH CREEK PARK, WHICH IS THIS TRAIL. AND IT'S FAIRLY NICE WHEN ACTUALLY WE HAVE WET YEARS AND THE LAGOON IS FULL.

IT IS, WE DO GET A LOT OF BIRDS, WATER BIRDS.

AND OVER THE YEARS WE'VE HAD A FEW THINGS LIKE, WE'VE HAD, I THINK, BOY SCOUT PROJECTS TO PUT IN SOME LITTLE SITTING BENCHES AND THINGS LIKE THAT SO YOU COULD OBSERVE THE BIRDS.

PARKS COMMISSION OVER TIME, AT VARIOUS TIMES, HAS ALSO CONTEMPLATED SOME DIFFERENT PROJECTS THERE THAT NEVER CAME TO FRUITION. WE WERE LOOKING AT DOING A BIG TREE PROJECT THERE BECAUSE A LOT OF THE TREES ARE, THIS ALL SITS ON A BERM.

THE TREES ARE EITHER FALLING IN THE WATER OR FALLING IN THE WETLAND. SO, BUT THAT IS STILL, I THINK, ON THE CIP. AND THEN JUST, I WOULD JUST NOTE FOR THE RECORD THAT, THAT COUNCILMEMBER BENSON HAS, HAS REJOINED THE MEETING.

EXCUSE ME. YEP. AND THEN, JUST, I THREW ON HERE JUST IN THE GREEN, I JUST, THAT'S KIND OF THE EXTENT OF WHAT THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL IS DOING.

THEY'RE REPLACING THEIR INTERCEPTOR ALONG THAT, THAT PATHWAY. SO, TO AND FROM, THEIR PUMP STATION HERE DOWN ALONG NORTH SHORE DRIVE.

BACK, THEY'LL THEN ADD A COMPLETELY NEW INTERCEPTOR BECAUSE THE EXISTING INTERCEPTOR GOES DOWN ALONG THE SHORELINE.

THAT WILL STAY, BUT A SECOND ONE WILL BE INSTALLED THAT WILL GO ALONG THE DAKOTA TRAIL. AND THEN TWO OF THEM WILL REJOIN AT THE WARNER ORCHARD. ARE THEY DIGGING UP THE TRAIL TO DO THAT? NO, MOST OF THE TRAIL, THERE IS SOME EXCAVATION.

THE POINTS ALONG LIKE THE DAKOTA TRAIL, MOST OF THAT IS BEING DONE WITH TRENCHLESS. SO, THEY'RE NOT DIGGING A TRENCH, THEY'RE DIGGING PITS WHERE THEY BORE THE NEW PIPE AND PULL IT UNDERNEATH. THERE WILL BE PERIODS, AND I'M GETTING INTO THEIR PROJECT, WHICH IS A BIT MORE THAN THIS, BUT THERE WILL BE PERIODS WHERE PARTICULARLY MOST OF THAT WORK IS BEING DONE ALONG THE TRAIL, THE DAKOTA TRAIL, IN THE WINTER.

IT WILL BE CLOSED BECAUSE THEY'LL HAVE HUGE LONG SECTIONS OF PIPE LAID OUT ON THE TRAIL BEFORE THEY GET, YOU KNOW, PULLED INTO THE, INTO THE BORE PITS AND PUT INTO PLACE. BUT THE PIECE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, FOR, THAT IMPACT, LILAC IS THIS LITTLE SECTION HERE, WHICH THEY ARE DOING AS AN OPEN CUT FOR WHAT THEY NEED TO DO THERE. CAN WE JUST ASK THEM TO REPLACE IT LIKE IT IS NOW AND HAVE IT ASPHALT PAST THE RESIDENCE DRIVEWAY AND THEN JUST HAVE THE REST OF IT GRAVEL, GIVEN THAT IT'S KIND OF A NATURE, NATURAL AREA? WE COULD CERTAINLY ASK THEM TO DO THAT.

WE COULD LEAVE THE WHOLE ROAD GRAVEL IF WE WANTED. I JUST, I GUESS I'M SURE THIS IS ONE OF OUR FEW REMAINING GRAVEL INTERSECTIONS WITH, ALONG WITH THE SEGMENT, A PORTION

[01:15:02]

IS THIS A PRIVATE ROAD? BUT IT'S BECAUSE IT'S A, IS IT COUNTY? THE CITY. IT'S A CITY ROAD. OKAY.

WHICH IS WHY WE'RE TELLING THEM TO FIX IT WHEN THEY'RE DONE.

AND AS I UNDERSTAND IT, DOESN'T THE CITY CONSIDER GRAVEL TO BE HARDCOVER IN THE SAME WAY THAT ASPHALT IS CONSIDERED? YES, YES. A STANDARD GRAVEL ROAD IS IMPERVIOUS SURFACE.

SO THE REASON I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THIS IS BECAUSE FRENCH CREEK PARK IS ONE OF THOSE AREAS, I MEAN, I SEE PARK, IT IS A PRESERVE. AND AS WE TALK ABOUT THE COMP PLAN, AS WE TALK ABOUT WHAT OUR CITY IS ABOUT, OUR PRESERVATION PROTECTION MINDSET, I THINK IT'S JUST IMPORTANT TO NOT LUMP THIS PARTICULAR AREA IN WITH A RESURFACING OR REPAVING PROJECT BECAUSE, IF YOU'VE SPENT TIME THERE, IT DOES HAVE A DIFFERENT FEEL.

WE TALK ABOUT OUR RURAL CHARACTER.

WE TALK ABOUT THE IDEA OF OUR CITY HAVING UNIQUE AND SPECIAL FEATURES. I WOULD ARGUE THAT THAT IS AN EXAMPLE OF IT AT THIS PARK. WHEN YOU PULL INTO A PARK LIKE THAT AND YOU HEAR MORE QUIET, IT'S NOT IN A BUSY AREA, AND YOU HAVE THAT SENSE OF GRAVEL, IT DOES SET THE TONE FOR A DIFFERENT TYPE OF EXPERIENCE THAN A PAVED LOT.

I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT HEAT INDEXES ARE INCREASED WHEN YOU HAVE PAVEMENT. IT HAS TO BE MAINTAINED, LIKE OTHER TYPES OF ROADWAYS.

AND I DON'T KNOW, IT IS CONSIDERED HARDCOVER, GRAVEL IS, BUT IT ALSO HAS, REACTS DIFFERENTLY WITH STORMWATER, WITH RUNOFF.

THIS IS NEAR THE LAKE, AND I JUST WANTED TO AT LEAST BRING THIS UP OR BE BRIEFED ON THIS, AS OPPOSED TO JUST LUMPING IT IN WITH A PROJECT AND JUST SAYING, WELL, THEY'RE OFFERING IT FOR FREE, SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO IT. I THINK THIS IS THE TYPE OF INTENTION THAT IF WE WANT TO DO THIS AS A COUNCIL, IF THE MAJORITY FEELS STRONGLY THAT A MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION, THAT IT'D BE A CONSCIOUS CHOICE TO DO SO RATHER THAN SAYING WELL IT'S FREE AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE IN THERE ANYWAY. BECAUSE IF YOU'VE NOT SPENT TIME AT THAT PARK, I WOULD, YOU KNOW, SUGGEST DOING IT BECAUSE IT DOES HAVE A DIFFERENT FEELING THAN OTHERS WHERE WE HAVE PAVEMENT SURROUNDING THEM.

AND, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY, LIKE COUNCILMEMBER RICKS SUGGESTED, I, I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO HAVE THE PAVEMENT END AT SOME POINT AND THEN HAVE THAT AREA CLOSER TO THE PARK, THAT TURNAROUND OR WHATNOT, BE MAINTAINED DIFFERENTLY.

SO, THOSE ARE MY TWO CENTS, JUST BECAUSE, I DO THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE DISTINCTION WITH SOME OF OUR PARKS AND PRESERVES, AND THEY ARE DIFFERENT SPACES, AND AND I THINK IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD GIVE SOME CONSIDERATION TO, SO.

AND JUST, SO ONE OF THE REASONS WE RECOMMEND, PAVING THIS IS FOR THOSE SAME REASONS THAT YOU JUST BROUGHT UP, IS WE ELIMINATE ALL THE EROSION AND ISSUES THAT WE HAVE WITH THE GRAVEL ROAD AS WELL AS THE ADDITIONAL MAINTENANCE THERE.

SO, BY PROVIDING A PAVED PAVEMENT, ASPHALT PAVEMENT MEMBRANE, WE STOP ALL THAT, THAT GRAVEL AND SEDIMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CONSTANTLY HAVE TO RENEW AS PART OF OUR MAINTENANCE PLAN FROM RUNNING OFF THE ROAD. AND IF FOR SOME REASON WE WANTED TO LEAVE PART OF IT GRAVEL, I WOULD RECOMMEND WE DO THAT FURTHER DOWN TO THE END. YOU CAN KIND OF SEE FROM THE IMAGE HERE, WE DO HAVE A WATER CROSSING HERE.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE PICTURE, YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE EROSION PROBLEMS THERE IN THAT VICINITY. AND SO, I WANT TO TRY TO DO SOMETHING TO PRECLUDE ALL THAT GRAVEL WASHING OFF INTO THIS, INTO THESE WATERWAYS WHEN WE HAVE BIG RAIN EVENTS. IS THAT A CULVERT AT THIS TIME? SAY AGAIN? IS THAT A CULVERT AT THIS TIME? CULVERT THERE.

OKAY. YEAH, BUT YOU CAN JUST, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE WHERE THE CULVERT GOES AND HOW WE'VE GOT STUFF. ADAM, WHERE ARE THE EROSION, WHERE IS THE EROSION OCCURRING AT THIS AREA? WELL, YOU GET IT ALL ALONG THE, THE PAVEMENT.

THAT'S THE REASON WE HAVE TO IN AND CONSTANTLY REFRESH IT AND REPAVE IT. THIS IS NOT AS BAD AS SOME OF OUR OTHER SPOTS BECAUSE IT'S RELATIVELY FLAT.

BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.

IF WE WANTED TO LEAVE SOME GRAVEL, I WOULD RECOMMEND LET'S DO IT SOMEWHERE AFTER THIS CULVERT CROSSING SO THAT WE CAN MINIMIZE THAT. I'D BE FINE WITH THAT. I MEAN, ULTIMATELY, I'D SAY PAVE THE WHOLE THING WHILE WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY.

PUT OUR BEST FACE FORWARD.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE PAVEMENT TO HERE ANYWAY, AND THEY'RE GOING TO REPAVE THEIR FACILITY AT THE END. AND THEN WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE THIS KIND OF WEIRD GAP IN THE ROAD WHERE WE GO FROM PAVEMENT TO GRAVEL TO PAVEMENT.

BUT I WOULD GUESS THERE'S A LOT MORE MAINTENANCE INVOLVED IN MAINTAINING A GRAVEL ROAD THAN A PAVED ROAD, RIGHT? WELL, CORRECT, YES. I MEAN, EVEN JUST IF YOU THINK ABOUT OUR PLOWING OPERATIONS, IT'S MUCH EASIER TO PLOW THE ASPHALT FOR THE SNOW, WE'RE NOT KICKING A WHOLE BUNCH OF ROCKS AND DEBRIS INTO THE SHOULDERS AND STUFF

[01:20:01]

SO, IS YOUR CONCERN MORE OF AN AESTHETIC THAN ENVIRONMENTAL? I THINK IT'S BOTH. AND I DON'T KNOW. WE HAVEN'T SEEN, IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE, I HAVEN'T HEARD ABOUT EROSION PROBLEMS THERE.

WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT IT REALLY. SO, IF THERE'S CONCERNS ABOUT EROSION OR STORMWATER RUNOFF, WHAT COULD WE BE DOING DIFFERENTLY TO MAINTAIN SOME OF THAT CHARACTER? WOULD IT BE PLANTING THE CULVERT DIFFERENTLY? HOW COULD WE MITIGATE THAT? I THINK IT IS AN ARGUMENT FOR AESTHETICS OR CHARACTER, I GUESS, AT THE END OF THE DAY.

AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, CHANGE HAPPENS, BUT I THINK IT, IT'S ALSO SOME OF THESE MICRO, YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T SAY CLIMATE, BUT SPACES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY THAT I THINK ARE, FEEL AND ARE DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE OF INTENTION.

AND I THINK ABOUT THAT WITH SEVEN NATIONS PARK. WE COULD GO IN THERE AND PAVE THAT. THAT WOULD CHANGE THE CHARACTER OF A PARK THAT IS AT THIS TIME NATURAL.

SO, I GUESS WHAT I'M THINKING IS I DON'T I WOULD RATHER THAT WE NOT USE THE THREAT OF EROSION TO BE THE REASON THAT WE PAVE SOMETHING OVER.

IF, IF THERE ARE STATS AND DATA TO SAY THIS IS A COMPLETE ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER LEAVING THIS AREA AS IS, THAT I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THAT FURTHER.

BUT IF WE HAVE SPACE HERE TO BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT PLANNING OUR COMMUNITY AND LEAVING A SPACE THAT IS CURRENTLY CLEARLY A FEELING OF NATURAL AREA, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY FOLKS HAVE BEEN DOWN THERE, SPENT TIME THERE.

IF YOU HAVEN'T, I THINK IT'S HARD TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION WITHOUT HAVING SPENT SOME TIME THERE BECAUSE IT IS A DIFFERENT FEEL.

SO, I DROVE DOWN THERE AND, YOU KNOW, I GUESS WHAT CROSSES MY MIND IS WHAT'S THE BEST PRACTICE FOR TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPLACE THIS ROAD IF WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING WORK DOWN THERE. IT DOESN'T STRIKE ME THAT THE PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCE OF USING THIS PARK WOULD CHANGE DRAMATICALLY BY PUTTING IN ASPHALT ALL THE WAY TO THE END AND IMPROVING THAT AND PUTTING PARKING STRIPES IN THERE AND MAKING IT, YOU KNOW, FUNCTIONAL FOR THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE TO GO BACK THERE AND VISIT THIS, YOU KNOW, PUMP STATION OR WHATEVER IT'S CALLED BY HENNEPIN COUNTY.

SO, I, TO ME, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF, IT SEEMS, IN MY OPINION, TO BE JUST FINE TO GO THAT EXTRA 100 FEET OF ASPHALT IF SOMEONE ELSE IS GOING TO PAY FOR IT. I DON'T SEE THAT AS CHANGING THE EXPERIENCE OF WALKING AROUND THAT PARK. THAT'S HOW I SEE IT.

I DO THINK THAT OTHER PARKS THAT WE HAVE, AS THE PARK COMMISSION STARTS TO IDENTIFY WHAT THOSE PARKS ARE, WHETHER IT'S A NATURE PARK, AN ACTIVE PARK, WHATEVER THE PARK IS, I THINK THAT A CONSIDERATION FOR THAT PARK WILL BE THE, THOSE TYPES OF AMENITIES, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE PARKING LOT, THE TRAIL ITSELF. WHAT ARE WE REALLY TRYING TO TARGET TO CREATE THE EXPERIENCE OF THE USER THAT VISITS THAT PARK? AND IF WE'RE TRYING TO DO THAT, ARE WE TRYING TO DO THAT FOR ALL OF THE PARK USERS, WHETHER THEY'RE PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE PHYSICALLY ABLE TO WALK AROUND OR THOSE THAT AREN'T? AND ARE WE CREATING THAT ENVIRONMENT FOR EVERYBODY TO BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THAT PARK? AND I JUST THINK WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT. YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THIS, I'VE DRIVEN DOWN THERE.

IT'S FRANKLY A TINY LITTLE CUL-DE-SAC WITH A TINY EXTENSION TO THE REST OF THE ROAD. AND SO, I DON'T PERSONALLY THINK ANYBODY'S EXPERIENCE WITH THAT PARK WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGE IF IT WAS ASPHALT. I GUESS I WOULD SAY IT COULD, BECAUSE EVERY TIME I'VE BEEN THERE, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE VISITING THIS PARK ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE WALKING THEIR DOGS.

AND ASPHALT CAN GET PRETTY HOT IN THE SUMMERTIME. SO, I GUESS THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY THING THAT, GOOD, JACKIE. I MEAN, I'VE BEEN DOWN THERE 3, 4 TIMES BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW.

I COULDN'T FIND IT UNTIL I DROVE DOWN THERE. I'VE NEVER SEEN ANOTHER CAR DOWN THERE EVERY TIME I VISITED.

SO, BUT AGAIN, THERE'S A POINT IN TIME, SO I UNDERSTAND.

I GUESS I'VE VISITED LIKE 3 OR 4 TIMES, AND EVERY TIME I'VE BEEN DOWN THERE, IT'S BEEN PEOPLE WITH DOGS, SO. ANY THOUGHTS, CHAIR? I, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'VE NOT BEEN DOWN THERE, NOT TO GO DOWN THERE AND SEE IT BEFOREHAND, SO PRACTICALITY OF IT WOULD BE CONTINUE ON, YOU KNOW, LET'S DO THAT FOR MAINTENANCE ASPECTS AND SO FORTH. BUT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I, IF, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A PASSION FOR IT IN THAT, I'M NOT ULTIMATELY, I JUST HAVE NOT HAD THE EXPERIENCE THAT, THE OTHERS HAVE HAD, SO I REALLY DON'T.

I TEND TO AGREE WITH COUNCILPERSON PERSIAN ON THIS. I THINK IT'S, IT WOULD BE KIND OF WEIRD TO HAVE IT THROUGH THE PAVEMENT. AND NOW ADMITTEDLY, I'VE NOT BEEN DOWN

[01:25:01]

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FEEL IS, THE CHARACTER OF IT, BUT I, I WOULD FIND IT KIND OF, HAVING GROWN UP IN GREW UP IN A TOWN THAT HAD GRAVEL ROADS UNTIL I WAS, I HAD MOVED AWAY AND THEY FINALLY PAVED THE STREETS. GRAVEL ROADS ARE A HASSLE. THEY GET POTHOLES, THEY GET EROSION.

I FIND THEM TO BE, FOR THE MOST PART, QUITE UNSIGHTLY. AND SO, TO ME, IF WE'VE GOT SOMEBODY THAT'S GOING TO PAY FOR FINISHING THE PAVEMENT OFF, I JUST DON'T DO THAT. AND NOW YOU BRING UP THAT EXPERIENCE.

I LIVE ON, I HAVE A GRAVEL DRIVEWAY.

YEAH, QUARTER OF A MILE.

YEAH, YEAH.

I MEAN, THE MAINTENANCE ON IT IS CONSIDERABLY MORE, RIGHT? YOU CAN'T, RIGHT, YOU CAN'T JUST DRAG A SNOWPLOW ACROSS IT BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO DRAG HALF YOUR GRAVEL OFF AND LEAVE IT IN A PILE THAT'S SITTING THERE AT THE END OF THE WINTER. WHAT DO YOU DO WITH IT THEN? AND THAT'S WHY I GO BACK TO ORIGINALLY WHEN I SAID THE PRACTICALITY OF IT. IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO VOTE ON, OR, I GUESS IF YOU'RE GOING TO DIRECT ME NOT TO PAVE A ROAD IN THE CITY, I WOULD LIKE FORMAL ACTION FROM THE COUNCIL, BECAUSE IT'S ALWAYS BEEN MY PRACTICE AND MY RECOMMENDATION AS A CITY ENGINEER.

YOU HAD OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE YOUR ROADWAYS. YOU IMPROVE YOUR ROADWAYS.

BUT I'M HAPPY TO COMPLY AND DO WHAT YOU WANT WITH THIS SECTION.

BUT WOULD ANY OF YOU LIKE TO MAKE A, ANYBODY WANT TO MAKE A MOTION HERE? OTHERWISE, RIGHT NOW IT'S GOING TO BE, IT'S IN THE PLAN THAT WHEN THEY RESTORE IT, THEY WILL PAVE IT. YEAH. I JUST HAVE TO SAY THAT I LIKE THE EXPERIENCE OF DRIVING ON THE GRAVEL.

AND RIGHT NOW, IT IS ASPHALT TO GRAVEL. TO ASPHALT, AND IT DOESN'T REALLY LOOK THAT STRANGE. BUT I THINK IT, I HAVEN'T BEEN DOWN THERE.

YEAH, I JUST THINK YOU ENTER A GRAVEL ROAD AND YOU KIND OF KNOW THAT YOU'RE HEADING INTO KIND OF BACKCOUNTRY. SO, THAT'S THE FEELING I HAVE WITH IT. SO, THAT'S WHERE I STAND ON IT.

AND I GUESS MY FINAL THOUGHT IS, IF IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR YOU TO VISIT, WE COULD CERTAINLY ENTERTAIN THIS A DIFFERENT TIME. FEELING IS THAT AT LEAST IN MY TIME ON COUNCIL, THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN FOLKS HAVE SAID, WHY DOES ORONO FEEL DIFFERENT? THINGS ARE CHANGING. I FEEL LIKE THE CITY IS DIFFERENT THAN IT USED TO BE.

AND TO ME, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THESE DECISION POINTS. I'D BE WILLING TO GO DOWN THERE BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT MEETING. YEAH, I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT.

I DON'T THINK THAT'LL SET US BACK IN ANY WAY, WILL IT? AS A PRACTICAL MATTER, WE HAVE UNTIL THE DAY THE ASPHALT MACHINE GOES DOWN THERE. OKAY. COOL.

SO YOU'RE SAYING WE HAVE A LITTLE TIME. YEAH. WE DO, BUT IF WE, STOP HERE AND THEN, I WILL PLEDGE TO, I MEAN, THEY WILL ALL LOOK AT ME VERY, VERY STRANGELY WHEN I SAY STOP HERE BEFORE YOU GET THERE, BUT, RIGHT.

YEAH, YEAH, NO, I GET IT. I GET IT. NO, I'D BE HAPPY TO DO THAT.

WE'RE SORRY TO CAUSE YOU THAT EMBARRASSMENT IF THAT'S WHAT IT COMES TO BE. AND IF I HAVE THAT SAME SORT OF FEELING OF THE AMBIANCE. I'M NOT SURE THAT I WILL, HAVING GROWN UP ON GRAVEL ROADS.

AND I HEAR YOU, AND I VISITED ONE QUITE FREQUENTLY IN THE CITY OF CORCORAN. AND WHAT THIS ISN'T IS DRIVING 35 MILES AN HOUR ON A GRAVEL ROAD. THAT'S WHAT THIS ISN'T.

IT'S, IT'S, YOU GOT A ROADWAY, YOU'RE COMING IN AND YOU'RE LANDING. SO, BUT ANYWAY, I DO WANT TO SAY THAT I, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN WORKING IN THE CITY FOR, FOR A LONG TIME NOW YOU KNOW, FRENCH CREEK'S A LITTLE BIT ODD BECAUSE IT IS JUST SOME PARKING AT THE END OF A ROAD, RIGHT? UNLIKE SOME OF OUR OTHER PLACES, LIKE, YOU KNOW, SEVEN NATIONS, YOU SPEAK OF, THAT'S, THAT'S A BESPOKE PARKING LOT.

COME OFF THE ROAD, WHICH IS WATERTOWN ROAD, AND YOU GO INTO A PARKING LOT.

AND IF YOU WANT TO LEAVE THAT GRAVEL, SURE.

THIS IS, THIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN SOME OTHER WHERE YOU'RE TURNING OFF A ROAD TO GO INTO A PARKING LOT. THIS IS SOME PARKING THAT HAPPENS TO BE AT THE END OF THE ROAD.

ROAD. AND SO THAT'S WHY IT'S KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY SAID, WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO DO WHEN WE RESTORE IT? I SAID, PAVE THE DARN THING. WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO GET OUR ROADS PAVED, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR A DECADE NOW.

SO, OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.

YEAH, BUT I LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU'VE NOT EXPANDED IT INTO A FULLY, YOU KNOW, FIRE DEPARTMENT COMPLIANT, TURNAROUND CUL-DE-SAC. IT WOULD FRANKLY NOT BE ALL THAT NECESSARY FOR THE FIRE TRUCK TO TURN AROUND THERE BECAUSE THEY CAN GO INTO EVERY, EVERY ONE OF THE PLACES THEY WOULD OTHERWISE BE GOING.

IT IS, BUT WE DO, YOU KNOW, THERE IS THE FIRE CODE OUT THERE. THIS IS AFTER 300 FEET, THERE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO NOW BE THINKING ABOUT HOW YOU'RE GOING TO GET A FIRE TRUCK TURNED AROUND. A LOT OF OUR ROADS AREN'T FULLY COMPLIANT, BUT GET AROUND THAT WITH THE FACT THAT PEOPLE HAVE

[01:30:02]

THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, IF NEEDED, CAN GET TURNED AROUND ON, YEAH, YEAH. IF THIS WAS A BRAND NEW ROAD, THEN WE WOULD SAY NO, YOU HAVE TO BE, HAVE TO DO THE, OKAY, GOT IT.

OKAY, THIS IS NOT A BRAND NEW ROAD.

SAVING IT OR NOT DOESN'T IMPACT THAT. NO, WE DID, BUT I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE DIDN'T LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER EVERY TIME YOU'RE DOING ONE OF THESE THINGS. IS THERE A WAY FOR IT TO BE FULLY COMPLIANT WITH THE FIRE CODE? IN THIS CASE, WE SAID NOT PRACTICALLY, NOT WITHOUT CAUSING DAMAGE.

GOT IT. YEAH. WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT.

I WILL, I THINK WE'LL JUST TABLE THIS UNTIL NEXT TIME, AND I'LL GO DOWN THERE AND, I WILL TOO CHECK IT OUT. YEAH.

HAPPY TO DO SO. OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE FROM YOU, MR. EDWARDS? I MEAN, I THINK MOST COUNCIL IS AWARE I WAS OUT ON VACATION, SO I'VE BEEN PLAYING CATCH-UP ON EMAILS ALL DAY, BUT NOTHING MAJOR. AND THEN THE OTHER THING, I KNOW IT WAS IN THE WEEKLY UPDATE, BUT CHIEF FARNIOK HAS NOW FORMALLY ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT IN MAY. AND SO, I DO HAVE ON MY AGENDA THIS WEEK TO PUT TOGETHER THE RECRUITMENT PLAN, WHICH I'LL BRING BACK TO THE COUNCIL HOPEFULLY THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING TO BRIEF YOU ON WHAT I THINK WE OUGHT TO DO AS FAR AS GOING FORWARD TO TRYING TO FIND A REPLACEMENT FOR THAT POSITION.

AND IT IS A BIT UNIQUE BECAUSE WE WILL, OR AT LEAST IN MY OPINION, WE SHOULD BE PARTNERING WITH OUR CONTRACT CITIES TO ENSURE THAT THEIR STAFF OR THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS GET TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT PROCESS. SO, WE'LL BE PUTTING SOMETHING TOGETHER TO THAT EFFECT. SO, OKAY, GREAT.

[Mayor and Council Report]

PRIOR TO SIGNING THIS. I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THE MAYORS THAT I'VE SPOKEN WITH SAY THAT THIS IS NOT, THIS IS MEANT TO BE NONPARTISAN. I REMAIN STEADFASTLY DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD IN TERMS OF MAKING THINGS NONPARTISAN FOR OUR CITY.

AND SO IF ANYBODY HAS OBJECTION TO THIS, I'D LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT IT, BUT OTHERWISE I I'M INCLINED TO SIGN IT. IT TALKS ABOUT BUILDING BACK WHAT OUR COMMUNITIES HAVE LOST. AND SO, I'M VERY MUCH IN SUPPORT OF ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO GET BACK TO NORMAL AND TO MAKE A STATEMENT, I GUESS, THAT THIS WAS AN ISSUE.

AND IT'S NOT AN ISSUE THAT'S GOING AWAY IF SOMEBODY SAYS, WELL, ICE IS BEING REDUCED. I THINK WE NEED TO DO SOME HEALING AND SOME BUILDING BACK.

SO, ANYWAY, I'D LOVE TO GET PEOPLE'S THOUGHTS ON IT.

IF PEOPLE THINK IT'S PARTISAN, I WILL NOT SIGN IT. IF PEOPLE ARE GENERALLY IN FAVOR OF IT, I WILL SIGN IT. NO, I FULLY SUPPORT THIS.

I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT STEP, AND I DO BELIEVE THIS TO BE A NONPARTISAN APPROACH, DE-ESCALATION, AND ALSO A RECOGNITION THAT WHILE WE MAY BE A SUBURB OUTSIDE OF THE CITY, THIS HAS ABSOLUTELY AFFECTED OUR CITY.

IT'S AFFECTED OUR COMMUNITY, OUR SCHOOLS, OUR BUSINESSES, AND I KNOW THROUGH CONVERSATIONS THAT THIS IS THE CASE. SO, I THINK THIS IS A GOOD TIME REGARDLESS OF THE DRAWDOWN, REGARDLESS OF THE CURRENT HAPPENINGS, TO COME TOGETHER ON THIS ISSUE AND TO JOIN IN OTHERS WHO HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO PUT FORTH THIS LETTER AND ALSO AS A STATEMENT MOVING FORWARD INTO THE FUTURE THAT THIS IS WHERE WE AS A CITY STAND AND THAT ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY OF OUR RESIDENTS AND ON THE HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY IS VERY IMPORTANT.

SO, I FULLY SUPPORT IT.

GREAT. OTHER THOUGHTS? NO, I MEAN, I SUPPORT IT AS WELL.

I ALSO SUPPORT IT. I AS WELL.

YEAH, OKAY.

YEAH, I WILL. AGAIN, NOT ASKING FOR A FORMAL ACTION, I JUST WANTED TO BE RESPECTFUL OF OTHER PEOPLE'S THOUGHTS ON IT, AND I WILL GO AHEAD AND SIGN IT. WELL, IT'S ACTUALLY JUST, I'M SIGNING AS THE MAYOR, NOT NECESSARILY SIGNING AS THE CITY, BUT CERTAINLY SIGNING AS MAYOR MEANS THE CITIES BEHIND.

SO AGAIN, I DIDN'T WANT TO DO THAT ON MY, ON MY OWN.

SO, THANK YOU ALL FOR THINKING ABOUT IT AND TAKING A LOOK AT IT. OTHER THINGS TO REPORT ON? I'LL START WITH, COUNCILOR, NO UPDATE.

YEAH, I, I HAD A MEETING,

[01:35:01]

THIS IS A THEME TONIGHT.

SOUNDS LIKE THAT. SO, I WAS HAPPY TO BE THERE AND WE EXCHANGED SOME GREAT IDEAS ABOUT OUR UPCOMING WORK HERE AT CITY HALL WITH THE PLANTINGS COMING THIS SPRING OUT FRONT AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES INTO THE FUTURE.

AND ALSO, AND THEY WERE GLAD TO HEAR ABOUT OUR COMMUNICATIONS STAFF AND THAT WE ARE ABLE TO PUT OUT GREAT MESSAGING ABOUT THIS TYPE OF THING, AND THEY DO THE SAME AS A SCHOOL SYSTEM. SO, I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAD. YEAH, THAT'S IT.

THANK YOU. NO, I JUST ATTENDED THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WHICH I THINK I ALREADY MENTIONED, SO.

I HAVE NOTHING TO REPORT.

GREAT. YEAH, THE ONLY THING I HAVE TO REPORT IS A COUPLE OF MEETINGS. WE HAD OUR MONTHLY, NORTHWEST HENNEPIN, MAYORS MEETING LAST WEEK.

ALSO, THE, I MET WITH AREA MAYORS WITH REPRESENTATIVE MORRISON LAST WEEK. AND THAT WAS A GREAT MEETING. SHE TRIES TO DO THAT QUARTERLY.

SO VERY HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND HER PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT THINGS ARE GOING ON IN WASHINGTON AND TO GET OUR FEEDBACK ON WHAT WE WANT TO SEE HAPPEN. SO, THOSE ARE ALWAYS VERY, VERY WELL ATTENDED, AND I APPRECIATE BEING ABLE TO ATTEND ALONG WITH THE OTHER MAYORS.

OTHER THAN THAT, I DON'T HAVE REALLY ANYTHING TO UPDATE COUNCIL ON. SO, WITH THAT, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN. SO MOVED.

ATTORNEY'S REPORT? WELL, I SHOULD ASK. WELL, I KNOW IT'S NOT ON HERE. NO, IT'S NOT, AND I HAVE NOTHING TO REPORT.

OKAY, THAT'S USUALLY GOOD NEWS WHEN THERE'S NOTHING TO REPORT FROM OUR COUNCIL, SO THANK YOU.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. OKAY. I'LL SECOND IT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY, AYE. AYE.

ALL THOSE OPPOSED, SAME SIGN.

MOTION CARRIES. WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 7:36.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.