Minnetonka City Council — Transcript
Monday, September 29, 2025
Story
Minnetonka Council approves $8M housing bond, salary increases
City Photo Contest and Community Events
Solicitor Awareness Post-Storms
Minnetonka-Hopkins Chili Cookoff
Gun Violence and Mental Health
Non-Public Safety Traffic Stops
Police Officer Swearing-in
Habad Center and Erruv Establishment
CDBG Program for Low-Income Residents
Public Safety Grants
Rezoning 14915 Margaret Place
Mayor and Council Salaries
Temporary Liquor License for Boom Island Brewing
Special Assessments for Nuisance Abatements
Villas at Chasewood HIA Bonds
Water and Sewer Service to Eden Prairie Property
Votes (14)
Addendum to Agenda: Economic Development Advisory Commission (EDAC) Appointment (15B)
Moved by Council Member Romey [0:03:13] · Seconded by Council Member Calbertt [0:03:19]
City Manager Funk requested adding an item for an EDAC appointment due to a midyear vacancy and potential quorum issues. The Mayor would later recommend a candidate from the existing application pool.
Approval of Minutes (July 21, 2025 Study Session; August 18, 2025 Study Session; September 8, 2025 Regular Meeting)
Moved by Council Member Calbertt [0:04:19] · Seconded by Council Member Romey [0:04:47]
The three sets of minutes were presented for approval. Council members moved and seconded their approval without further discussion.
2025 Sanitary Sewer Lining Project (Project #25908) - Rejection of Bids
Moved by Council Member Wilburn [0:20:25] · Seconded by Council Member Calbertt [0:20:46]
Public Works staff recommended rejecting the single bid received for the project, citing a desire for comparable bids and market conditions (full contractor schedules). The project aims to reduce Inflow and Infiltration (I&I) in the sewer system. Staff suggested re-bidding in spring 2026, potentially combining it with next year's work.
Consent Agenda Items (10A, 10C, 10D)
Moved by Council Member Calbertt [0:23:44] · Seconded by Council Member Kley [0:23:54]
Items 10A (Interim Use Permit for Glen Lake Elementary), 10C (2026 City Council calendar), and 10D (Election Judges/Absentee Ballot Board appointment) were approved. Council Member Calbertt thanked staff and election judges for their work on the election process.
Consent Agenda Item (10B) - Transfer of Existing CDBG Program Income to Hennepin County
Moved by Council Member Kley [0:26:47] · Seconded by Council Member Calbertt [0:26:55]
Council Member Kley pulled this item to express concerns about the CDBG program's accessibility for low-income individuals, particularly those in land trust housing, who sometimes face denials. She requested a future study session to explore ways to better support these residents. Staff confirmed this discussion was already planned.
Consent Agenda Items Requiring Five Votes (11A, 11B) - DWI Traffic Safety Officer Grant & Towards Zero Deaths Traffic Enforcement Grant
Moved by Council Member Shaq [0:27:36] · Seconded by Council Member Romey [0:29:08]
These two public safety grant items were approved. Council Member Shaq highlighted them as excellent examples of the city's diligent work in securing state and federal resources to enhance community safety and reduce financial pressures on police and fire departments. The Mayor noted the DWI grant fully funds a patrol officer.
Introduction of Ordinance Rezoning Property at 14915 Margaret Place (I1 to R1)
Moved by Council Member Wilburn [0:42:52] · Seconded by Council Member Romey [0:43:40]
Staff introduced an ordinance to rezone a property with an existing single-family home from industrial (I1) to residential (R1). This corrects an old zoning oversight, aligns with the comprehensive guide plan, and removes the non-conforming status of the home, which the owner intends to use as a licensed residential care facility for six or fewer residents. Discussion revolved around the appropriate zoning, concerns about residential care facility clustering, and the city's limited regulatory authority over state-licensed group homes. Council decided to refer the land use aspect to the planning commission, separate from the group home use.
Introduction of Ordinance Establishing Mayor and Council Salaries
Moved by Council Member Calbertt [0:54:57] · Seconded by Council Member Foster Bolton [0:55:18]
An ordinance was introduced to adjust mayor and council salaries, effective January 1, 2026. The proposed increase included 3% cost-of-living for 2024 and 2025, plus market adjustments. Council members debated the extent of the increase, with some supporting the full proposal to attract diverse candidates, particularly those with lower incomes, while others suggested a more modest increase tied to the levy increase to protect taxpayer interests and reflect economic uncertainty.
Temporary On-Sale License for Boom Island Brewing Company
Moved by Council member Romey [0:59:08] · Seconded by Council Member Calbertt [0:59:36]
A public hearing was held for a temporary on-sale liquor license for Boom Island Brewing Company's Fall Fest and 'Drink or Treat' event on October 25th. The event will feature family-friendly activities in the afternoon and a ticketed adult beer sampling in the evening with other local breweries. No complaints have been received from previous events, and staff recommended approval.
Resolutions Approving Special Assessments for 2024-2025 Projects
Moved by Council Member Calbertt [1:02:40] · Seconded by Council Member Romey [1:02:59]
A public hearing was held to approve the collection of special assessments for nuisance abatements (one, three, and five-year terms). These are standard annual procedures, and property owners had been notified. No appeals were received. The interest rate was set at 7.25% based on the US prime rate.
Villas at Chasewood HIA Call for Sale of Bonds
Moved by Council Member Romey [1:10:49] · Seconded by Council Member Calbertt [1:12:35]
A resolution was adopted for the sale of Housing Improvement Area (HIA) bonds totaling $8,080,000 for the Villas at Chasewood project. This follows earlier approval of the HIA to assist with significant building improvements. Final project costs came in lower than estimated, and 49 owners prepaid, significantly reducing the bond amount and individual assessments. The 21-year bond term has an anticipated 7% interest rate. Council members lauded the project as a critical tool for preserving naturally occurring affordable housing without direct cost to the city.
Request to Provide Water and Sewer Service to an Unaddressed Eden Prairie Property
Staff requested feedback on a request from Eden Prairie to extend water and sewer services to a vacant 3.5-acre parcel south of Yellow Circle Drive and north of Highway 62, which is proposing 200 rental units. Minnetonka already provides services to adjacent Eden Prairie parcels under a 1977 joint powers agreement due to the geographic isolation of the area from Eden Prairie's main infrastructure. Council members expressed general support for continued discussion with Eden Prairie, emphasizing the need to protect Minnetonka taxpayer interests, ensure fair cost-sharing for infrastructure maintenance and future capacity, and potentially explore compensation for ancillary services (e.g., snow plowing, public safety). Discussions also touched on the feasibility of land swaps or annexation.
DEI Commission Young Adult Appointment
Moved by Mayor Wearsome [1:30:17] · Seconded by Councilor Shaq [1:30:26]
The Mayor recommended the appointment of Muhammad Omar to the DEI Commission, noting his strong interest and the general need to support youth appointments to commissions, drawing comparisons to practices in other cities.
Economic Development Advisory Commission (EDAC) Appointment
Moved by Mayor Wearsome [1:32:51] · Seconded by Council member Romey [1:32:58]
The Mayor recommended the appointment of Genie Pebbles to the EDAC to fill a midyear vacancy. Ms. Pebbles was identified from the existing application pool as next on the list based on previous interviews and expressed enthusiasm for the role. The appointment is effective September 30, 2025, and expires January 31, 2026.
Notable Quotes (25)
So, this would be 15B for an economic development advisory commission appointment. And so, we're looking to add an appointment.
We did only receive one bid which is primarily the reason for staff's recommendation to reject bids. Um we like to make sure we have comparables in situations like this.
What we heard was there's a lot of work out there and their schedules were full. sort of meet the schedule. Uh fall is a tougher time sometimes to bid because winter is coming... and so spring is an ideal time to rebid is what we heard and more folks would be interested.
I just want to thank our uh city clerk staff and all of the election uh judges and the absentee ballot board for stepping up and getting this done. It's literally it's our democracy in action and it makes me really proud to see that long list of election judges.
However, there's some I feel like there's some problems with it for people who have low income... I would like to u maybe for the future... add a conversation around uh in the study session around how do we assist people who um have low income to get approved for this CD CDBG um um program.
We're a step ahead. Okay, that's good.
I think these items are a great example of how we work diligently to find resources through um, state and federal... and help make our community safer.
The DWI traffic safety officer grant agreement essentially funds an entire patrol officer for our police department. So, I think that's why Captain Mian is here because she is in charge of patrol and um and the the fact that we can have um a full a full-time officer fully covered by this grant is significant.
The property's uh comprehensive guide plan designation was not however changed. And so we have a situation where we have a existing single family home that's been in place since the 1950s and used as a residence that is zoned I1 industrial but guided lowdensity um residential.
It is a residential property that's zoned incorrectly. and the next step of what these owners want to do with it is immaterial to the conversation about whether we're going to fix the zoning. Now, that being said, I agree with everything that was said regarding issues that we're experiencing in the community regarding group homes. And so from from my perspective, what we really need to do is have that conversation separate from this conversation.
Given state law and the fact that um any home can be converted to a group home for six or fewer residents with absolutely no input from the city. I mean, we have been preempted on that. Um and um and and it's state law and that's the way it is. And so um the group home use of this is is not an issue for us.
Council consensus was any um was any salary increase commiserates with non-UN employees due to the adjustment limits of when we can approve council mayor salaries. Um council would receive two years of increases at once. So it'd be a 3% cost of living for 2024, a 3% cost of living for 2025, and then up to 2% each year with market adjustments.
I'm not so sure that the market increase piece, although we tied it to the employee indexing, um, is necessary or really applies the same way to council as it does to employees. That's that's a different consideration. So I guess from my perspective, I think we have an obligation to future councils to continue with the cost of living piece.
I like the idea of what is suggested because this is why I think it's important although my situation have changed I think about people who want to run for city council um I really think about low-income um folks who would like to serve in this position but sometimes don't because it does not it's not conducive for their family and it's it's not a lot of income to be working in this.
I think one benchmark that I would like to keep in mind is and I just throw this out as a compromised position is keep the increase the two-year increase below the increase of the levy. Uh because then it's not then it's not um then it's not inflationary to the levy.
From noon until 4 that day on the 25th of October. Um, we'll have a car show, pumpkin painting. Um, just a lot of fun, familyfriendly activities to celebrate the season. And then later on in the evening, we will transition into what we're calling drink or treat. It is an adult version of trunk-or-treating. And we actually have invited five other breweries from the local area to come and join us.
This is an annual process that we hold the public hearing to approve the collection of these special assessments. Typically um we hear nuisance property nuisance abatements, disease trees, and city court fines.
This chart is um good news for the association and for those owners. Uh it's came the numbers came in better than what was originally anticipated and really that equates to not using their contingency.
The people who prepaid, how do they get their um overpayment credited to them?
The reason that we we undertook this was because we had uh over a hundred I can't remember how many units there are in that... that are naturally occurring affordable housing and you know this was helping uh us to as a city preserve those units.
In reviewing the request, staff has determined that we do have capacity as currently constructed. Our utilities currently constructed in the area. Specifically the water distribution system is adequate uh in the area and the sewer system as is noted here has 50% capacity remaining.
Is there ever a scenario especially with all this conversation about how great Eden Prairie is doing on their budget. Um a scenario where we ask for something in return. one and two I'd like to have and an and it doesn't have to be precise but I assume there are areas throughout the city where perhaps we are using services from another city you know are is this kind of one of these things where we it's kind of like customary that cities will do this or is this unusual
I'll certainly want to talk with our staff a little bit further in terms of just the amount of city services provided because really this is landlocked um in the city of Minnetonka. So, there are some probably some ancillary benefits they're receiving. um certainly don't want to hold that against our neighboring city, but I think there might be an avenue to pursue in terms of like a payment in lie of taxes, just some sort of type of recognition for the services that we're providing for the development of these parcels.
I did speak with um uh um Muhammad Omar um a young man um very bright young man who was strongly interested in being in our DEI commission. And so I recommend his appointment to the DEI commission.
With the current uh vacancy, we do have some business coming up and we're concerned about quorum. And so in talking uh our staff talking with uh Mayor Whisam about that appointment uh we are recommending or at least I'm sorry not we the mayor is recommending appointment of the Genie Pebbles to the EDAC to fill a vacancy effective starting September 30th 2025 expiring on January third 31st 2026.
Ordinances & Resolutions (22)
An additional item added to the agenda for an appointment.
Annual photo contest to highlight the city.
Required for businesses like roofing contractors to solicit in the city.
Highlights demographics, including residents' long-term residency plans.
Event held by Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty.
Signed by the Mayor to establish an erroo for the Habad Center per Jewish law.
Project for improving sewer reliability and efficiency, bids for which were rejected.
Authorized improvements, accepted plans/specs, and authorized ad for bids for the sewer lining project.
Permit for Glen Lake Elementary School.
Community Development Block Grant program funds, with discussion on access for low-income individuals.
Administrative calendar for the upcoming year.
For the November 4, 2025 municipal general election.
State grant funding an entire patrol officer position.
State grant for traffic enforcement initiatives.
Corrects the zoning of an existing single-family home.
Sets the compensation for elected officials.
For Boom Island Brewing Company's Fall Fest event.
For nuisance abatements.
Issuance of bonds to fund improvements for affordable housing units.
Authorizing the sale of bonds for Villas at Chasewood HIA.
Previous agreement between Minnetonka and Eden Prairie for utility services to specific parcels.
Environmental review conducted for the Opus area, modeling maximum buildout scenarios.