Okay, we'll bring the January 26, 2026 regular council meeting to order. Please rise if you can for the pledge. >> I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation indivisibley and justice for all. Make a motion that we adopt tonight's agenda. >> Second. >> Have a motion. Second. All in favor? I >> I >> presentations. Sheriff's office. >> Well, uh, good evening, mayor and councel. December had a total of 350 calls in our city. We had seven assaults and one theft report. We made a total of 33 arrests for a number of different miscellaneous offenses. Uh we conducted 98 traffic stops uh which resulted in the issuance of 13 traffic citations on our roadway. Uh on the 8th of December at 10:34 p.m. our deputies were dispatched to Northway Sports uh of a regarding a male stealing tires and fleeing in a green ATV. The suspect was located nearby uh and a traffic stop was conducted. The driver had an ATV tire and a snowmobile track strapped to the vehicle he claimed he had retrieved from a dumpster. After reviewing the surveillance surveillance video, the deputies confirmed that the items came from a business dumpsters area which was posted with no trespassing signs. Male suspect was issued a trespass notice. Further investigation revealed that the ATV he was driving had been reported as stolen out of Iani County as well. So the ATV was recovered from that scene, returned to its owner, and the male was advised he would be charged for receiving stolen property and then transported to jail. So uh good allound arrest there. Little we were lucky as that came out. Uh our guys were nearby and were able to get there quickly and locate this person. So, it's a good ending to that for sure. On the 9th of December at 4:23 a.m., our deputies responded to a verbal domestic in the 24100 block of [snorts] Skyllock Drive on a report of a dispute occurring inside of the residence over a loud TV. While speaking with uh the people that were involved, our deputies learned that there was a female at the residence who provided multiple false names before finally identifying herself, who was a known runaway. Her identity was confirmed through her mother who was not able to pick her up from the scene. So, the female was later arrested for providing a false name and transported to uh Lino Lakes Juvenile Detention Facility. As no additional crime had been committed, all the parties were advised to separate for the remainder of the night. And then finally, on the 14th of December at 10:26 p.m., Deputy Martinez responded to a vehicle in the ditch in the area of Highway 65 in Viking. He located a vehicle stuck in deep snow on the center median. The male driver stated that he was drunk, immediately admitted to that, and had missed his turn. He also admitted he had did had not had a valid driver's license for years. Our guard driver in this uh incident showed multiple signs of impairment and was unable to perform any standardized field sobriety testing. So, he was arrested for DWI and his license status was confirmed as uh canceled and imical to public safety. He later provided a breath sample of 0.20 within two hours. So due to that prior DWI conviction in the extremely high uh breath alcohol concentration, the offense was enhanced to secondderee DWI. The driver was booked on those charges. So, uh, rounding up 2025, uh, for total calls for service, we were at 4,867, which was down from 5,127 in 2024. Our property crimes remained relatively steady with minimal changes on that. Either way, uh, thefts were slightly up again this year, while assaults and damage to property offenses were down, which is good to see. We did see a decrease in traffic crashes with injuries while property related crash crashes also just stayed the same. So we saw an increase in traffic stops and traffic contacts but saw a similar number of traffic arrests in 2024. So I hope uh everybody's having a good start to the new year. Stand for any questions if you have them. >> Any questions here? Have you had any complaints at all in neighborhoods that people coming up your driveway to basically uh sales people trying to be salespeople? >> I'm not aware of anything recent. Have you guys been getting some concerned citizens? >> I'm just curious. I had one uh last week and guy was coming up my driveway. No vehicle I could see anywhere. I wasn't at home at the time. We got him out of camera and he's whistling away and he's got a green vest. He's got a mask and ski goggles on and he came halfway up and right at my deck. I got a camera on the corner and he seen it and immediately turned around and bailed out of there and I seen other ones walking down the street that I got on my camera too. So just curious. >> Do you think he was a solicitor or >> you know maybe pretending to be? That's my thought. >> Sure. >> Just kind of different. It was strange because I had seen some different things on social media with people saying similar things happening. >> Just curious if you had anything. >> Yeah, >> I think the same thing happened over by Breezy Point last week. Some people called me on it. They were had hard hats and lights on them, orange coats, >> and they were only targeting targeting houses with no lights on. >> Yeah. >> Do you know if those people made reports with us? >> I don't know if they called it in or not. Well, if anybody is listening or watching and that happens to you, definitely give us give us a call because our deputies will come out and then we'll just take the information that you have, which we're we're just recording at this point in time. We're recording that information. What we can do is build a paper trail when something else kind of comes up. We can figure out who these people are, you know, uh verify whether or not what they're there for is legitimate or not. >> So, that would be my recommendation. >> Okay. Say someone does come to a house. What kind of credentials should our residents be looking for that they have? >> Well, some of our other cities, and I'm not sure if East Bethl does, but um they need the solicitor's license, right? So, I think there's a there's probably a process through the city. So, a lot of our other cities, you have to have that badge visibly viewable, you know, if we end up having contact with them um on patrol. And they >> we will require them to show documentation of that. So, Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, [clears throat] >> Fire Chief. >> Mayor, members of the council, thanks for having me tonight. Um, over the past month, uh, we had 83 total calls. Um, four of them were structure fires. Uh that includes our mutual aid uh fires uh where we're bringing our apparatus and personnel to a neighboring city requesting help. Um [clears throat] we had uh structure fire last uh Friday uh which was the 23rd at approximately 5:30 in the morning. Onseen air temp was - 255. Um we were the crews that responded were able to make a uh a good stop uh containing it to the chimney and the attic space of this house. Um should not be a total loss of this house by any means should be repairable. Uh the departments that helped with us or helped us on that fire were Ham Lake, Lynwood, uh Rum River Fire District, which is now a combination of St. Francis and Bethl fire departments, Stacy Lent, Iani, Oak Grove and Forest Lake Alina also stood by for our people and then uh Noa County Sheriff's Office was there for a couple hours as well helping with uh whatever we needed help with. Uh the medical calls, um there were various medical calls that we covered um over the past month. Uh the majority of them were difficulty breathing, possible heart problems, and falls. Uh there is a year-end report coming. I was hoping to have it done for this meeting, but uh that didn't happen. So, I'll get it to you guys next uh uh next meeting. Uh but we did end the year with 918 calls uh which is approximately um 100 shy just over 100 shy of uh last year's. Um we did make minor adjustments but nothing to equal that. Uh I did talk with Alina and they just actually said they weren't in the east area for the past you know the last six weeks to two months. Um the floors are complete at all the stations. So that project has been completed. The floors turned out great. Uh Polytech did great work. They worked with us uh logistically to keep the stations up and running and making sure we had apparatus at every station to be able to respond while they were doing the work. Um we have an update on the duty crew. Uh we changed back to um daytime all calls. uh we're running into some staffing challenges uh with being able to cover the shifts. Uh with that being said, um there are people that are picking them up uh when they do uh they are helping u test equipment and maintenance and that kind of stuff. Um the deputy chief and I are re-evaluating that program and seeing how we can better utilize it uh and and make uh make it a a positive program. And then uh this [clears throat] coming Saturday the 31st [snorts] we have the uh East Bethl Fire Department auxiliary breakfast. Starts at 8:00. Uh goes until I think it's 11 or noon. Can't remember. Uh but encourage everybody to come down have breakfast with us. It's at station one. It'll be in the apparatus bay. With that, I would uh open it up. Any questions? Any questions? >> Thank you, sir. >> I just want to say I've been to that breakfast a few times. It's definitely worth going to. Definitely stop in. Uh, it's being catered by Route 65. >> Yesterday on that again >> this Saturday, >> the 31st. This Saturday. >> Thanks, G. [clears throat] >> Consent agenda. >> I'll make a motion to adopt the consent agenda. And I'd like to pull E, F, I, and J. E F I J. Any others need to be pulled? >> Well, I was going to pull E, but since you pulled it, >> we got >> Did you make a motion? >> She made a motion. We need a second. >> Second motion. >> Okay. All those in favor of the consent agenda as amended? >> I >> I item E. Item E is um I just want to thank Tanner Belfany and Sue Jefferson for their service on our planning commission. I really appreciate they've been on for quite a while and um since 2011 and 1990 respectively and I really appreciate their service to this city. >> Yeah. On E, I'd like to say thank you to Sue Jefferson. U she's actually on the parks committee. Uh it's been a pleasure working with her over the last three years. Uh she's moving outside the city, so there's going to be a vacancy on the parks. Parks is an excellent commission to work with and work for. I've been liaison there for three years and I really enjoy working with this commission and I look forward to great things coming down the pipe from them. But thank you, Sue. She's been there since 1990 and she's really done a great job for our city. With that, I'll make a motion to approve item E on the consent agenda. >> Second. >> We have a motion, a second. Any further discussion? >> Hearing none. All in favor? >> I >> I. Motion passes. >> Item F is the Arbor Day uh for April 24th. I think this is a really great thing that the city does, but I do just have a question. How many trees do they usually plant every annually on this for this Arbor Day? Does anybody on here know? >> Good evening, mayor and council. Uh to answer your question there, uh we typically have one ceremonial tree that we plant for it. Um we've done it in the past with the scouting groups. Uh a couple years ago we did we did three or four in the park, but we typically just have one kind of ceremonial tree that we do. Uh it's usually a bit more expensive tree and then we take pictures and it's part of the uh requirement too for our Arbor Day um Tree City USA award. So >> Okay. So pretty much just one do they periodically just plant trees throughout year then? Okay. Because I'm like one tree a year we lose more than that. [laughter] >> Okay. Thank you. With that, I'll make a motion to approve item F on the consent agenda. >> Second. Have a motion. Second. Any further discussion? >> Hearing none. All those in favor? >> I. Motion pass. >> All right. And then item I is a purchasing of a forestry mulching head. I think this is such a great idea because I think it's really needed. I actually just have a question. Do we let other communities ever borrow our equipment? Do we switch and um trade and borrow their stuff and they borrow our stuff to collaborate that kind of way? >> Absolutely. Yes. Uh we've got a pretty good working relationship with the city of Ham Lake. They actually have a lot of equipment that we borrow from them. We're kind of the the neighbor that borrows more than we give right now. We're trying to kind of this this piece I think would kind of help that. They'd probably want to use it a little bit too, but they we use their truck. Um they we borrow their water truck. They have a aerial bucket truck that we use once in a while for stuff up in the air. So we do share we work with Oak Grove. Uh when our motor grader went down they let us use theirs for a while. We borrowed stuff to them as well. A little bit with St. Francis and Columbus and Lynwood too, but not not as much as anymore. But >> fantastic. Thank you for that information. With that, I'll approve item I of the consent agenda. Second >> motion a second. Any further discussion on being heard? All those in favor? >> I. >> Motion passes. >> And item J is approval of the hire of the senior city planner. Well, I think this went pretty faster than I thought it was going to go, so I'm excited about that. I have a question regarding this, though. I heard that this person is going to be spending uh time working from home too and what are those um time frames that they will be working and is there any chance it will affect our residents? Because I did hear have a resident contact me and they were a little concerned that well what if I need them you know it's all kind of what's in it for me with the residents too. >> Yeah. Um, Mr. Mayor and council members, uh, the the original request was two days in the office, three remote. Uh, we negotiated three days in the office, two remote. And and that's going to be, you know, I think a little bit fluid in that, let's say during the wintertime things are real slow, [snorts] but during the summertime things are really, really busy. Um, the applicant had indicated that whatever time is needed, they'll they'll definitely accommodate that. Currently right now um Kendra with Landform is pretty much all remote and emails that come in or telephone calls that come in get directed right to their right to her phone as would be to this gentleman's phone and uh and they can handle things, you know, without necessarily being in the office. There are times when people want to be in the office and at that point we would just ask that they schedule an appointment with him. He'll he'll give them the available slots when they'll be in and they can coordinate schedules, that sort of thing. So there shouldn't be any deficiency in service. >> Well, that's good to hear. What about technology? Does he have the technology at his house currently or are we going to provide it for them? >> We'll provide him with a laptop and and connect him to whatever he needs to be connected to. He has he has a wide range of experience with all the programs that he'll be needing. So, um I think he'll be able to hit the ground running. >> Okay, good to know. All right. With that, I will approve item J on the consent agenda. Make a motion to approve item J. >> Second. >> Okay. We have a motion, a second. Any further discussion? >> Yeah, Matt, I would like to know what kind of a schedule we're talking about. >> I know you said three days on. Do we do we know what our prime days are to have in the office? Are they going to be Monday, Wednesday, Friday? Are they going to be >> No. >> Wednesday, Thursday, Friday? >> Yeah. Um, mayor and council, it'll be uh Monday, Wednesday, Friday, I'm sorry, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday will be in the office. Thursday, and Friday will be off um uh remote. So, Fridays are generally slower. Um so, we figured that that would work fine. Thursday can be on the bubble then in terms of whether things get busy [clears throat] or not. But, um but again, um he may trade if he knows he's got a busy Thursday coming up, he may trade a a Monday or something like that or a Wednesday. Tuesday, we want to have them in for um the staff meeting that we have so we can kind of keep keep up to date on everything that's that's cooking. >> So, okay. So, all those in favor? I >> I motion passes. Item E, public works. >> [clears throat] >> Item 8E1 is our 2026 class 5 gravel road reservicing projects. Um, in 2006, the city began a six-year uh cycle of gravel road resurfacing. We currently have 14 and a half miles of gravel roads, 30 uh 30 actual roads spread out kind of evenly throughout the city. Um last year we did the five uh roads that are listed there. Skylark, Allen, Monroe, Van Beerren, and Palisade Street. This year we are recommending that we go out for bid to do Klondike Drive. So it's a mile and 3/4. I think everybody's kind of familiar with Klondike, so I didn't provide a map, but um it's due for a resurfacing. And uh if the council approves, we'd like to send that out for bids and we'd bring that back once we get the bid numbers to finalize the actual amount. So, you're not planning on paving the gravel part. This is for the paved part. >> This will be just to reggravel this current uh dirt portion. >> Okay. >> So, roughly $50,000 I think is what we kind of figure. We got a $55,000 budget. I think we'll be a little bit below that. We put an application of chloride on there as well. We do that every year. We do that after the the uh road was resurfaced. So we need a motion then you're hiring this out. >> Yeah. The city will do the uh prep work. The delivery of the material will be placed by the contractor and then our staff levels it out and rolls it after it's dropped on the ground. So basically we're just paying for the delivery and they drop it off and then we take it from there. >> So you guys just like you say the preliminary we're crowning it and right crown and everything. >> Correct. Yep. Reshape some of the ditching drainage issues stuff like that. >> Okay. I'll make a motion to approve the proposed gravel roads for classified resurfacing 2026. >> I'll second it. >> Any further discussion? >> No. >> None being heard. All those in favor? >> I opposed. >> Not heard. Motion passes. Staff report. >> Mr. Mayor and Council have a few updates here. I wanted to just pull up the section 18-231 for um as it deals with peddlers and um and essentially uh under licensing we would require them to have state or county licenses as required and a city license as well. Uh they would need 30 days to apply for that. uh we do background checks um and um and then notify them whether they are um approved or not. So essentially um to answer the question of earlier, yes, they would need a a license for uh pedalling uh or selling or there's definitions up here of everybody that uh would qualify. Um, so at any rate, um, yeah, if there's people coming to your door and they don't have this requirement, you can notify them that they'll need to get this. Um, and if they're nefarious looking, then of course call the call the police. So, okay. So, want to clarify that one. Um, then also we have on u the local board of adjustments going to be in April this year. We have two council members. Uh Jim and Tim are both uh good in terms of their training through July 1st, 2028. If there's anybody else on the council that would like to get this training, it's an online training. Uh they would need to complete it this week. It's due by um January 31st. So we have enough people to conduct the meeting. Um but if other people are interested in getting that training to better understand how the inner workings of this um I would definitely recommend doing that and um and uh Carrie can send you a link to that and it's pretty straightforward. I know um I'm not sure exactly the amount of time it took for you two guys to do it but I don't think >> I don't think it was too lengthy. >> So that's going to be renewed every year. >> Uh theirs is good till 2028. So you get um I think you did it last year so seven years or so. >> Yeah, I did mine last year. >> Yeah. Yeah. So >> Okay. >> So it has it's the renewal is how often? Every other year or >> No. So theirs is good till 2028. So I would assume it's around seven years is is it'll last for that period of time. I'm sorry not seven years. uh they did in 2025 four 2024 25 >> so it' be three years my apologies >> uh three years and um and then you'd have to go back and get another renewal on that um but essentially like I say we have enough in terms of the required number just if other council members are interested in in understanding that whole process and the and the training that goes with that we can set show up with that and um and then everyone of course participates in April for the local board of adjustments meeting. So >> I would like to attend it as a renewal because I've done it before. Okay. >> And I just want to see if anything's changed honestly. So >> Sure. Okay. I will have um Carrie send you the link. >> Thank you. >> For that. Yep. Uh and then the only other thing is the local government officials meeting uh reminder is on the 28th. So, on Wednesday at 6 PM, if you plan on going, please RSVP. Um, and I can I can RSVP for you if you'd like. Um, sometimes the topics are mundane. This time the topic's going to be about um um rifle versus shotgun uh changes that the legislature did. So, that impacts our community. Um, and just as a kind of a primer, um, anything south of Highway 95 was shotgun only. North of 95, you could use rifle, uh, for hunting. And now the state has changed it to you can do either. And the local municipalities, county, cities have to decide what they want. Um, the fundamental belief was that years ago when this went into effect that shotguns were less lethal or accurate or whatever, however you want to look at it, and the numbers for deer were down. So, it kind of gave the deer the advantage at that point. Now, the numbers are of course through the roof in a lot of areas. and um and uh and so your shotgun and your rifle today two to 300 yards each. It's pretty much uh the technology has advanced to the point either through ammunition or scopes that uh that you have that long distance shooting. Arguably around here, people are hunting on woods lines and you've got 50 yards stops maybe. Uh but at any rate, it's still a discussion that the the sheriff wants to establish to determine some continuity in the area because we don't want to get hunters confused. Oh, Andover has this, but we have this and they have that, you know. So, anyways, I think it'll be a good discussion. Um I will not be able to make it uh that evening, but I think it will be a good discussion and um and it voices should be heard on this one. I did register to go to that. >> So, okay. And that is all I have unless you have questions. >> All right. Council reports. >> Nobody. >> I um attended a um airport meeting and a senior meeting this month. Um I think the senior meeting was a week ago. uh the airport meeting uh they up increased them to quarterly they were first they were bianually and then they were three times a year now they're four times a year which means I go eight times a year because we have the planning meeting in advance and our election for chair and co-chair are will be at the March 4th meeting um and the senior dance is coming up February 6 Friday from 1 to 4 so if you're over 55 and you're not working, come on by and have a good time. Bring a date and dance your little feet off. And I think that's all I have. Uh we had a we had a good parks commission meeting this month. Um got some great help from um Capstone moving forward with our parks in the city. Um we ordered all the playground equip equipment for phase one in there. Uh it's really going to be a nice park. the city's really going to enjoy this. Um, I also want to point out once again about Sue Jeff with us since 1990. Uh, we will have a position available, but I want to thank her once again for all the hard work she's put in on that committee through the years. And u uh 29th, we've got the Upper Rum River budget meeting. That's going to be a fun one. So, we'll be there on the 29th and that's all I have. Thank you, Jim. Anything with that? I'll entertain a motion to adjurnn. >> Make a motion to adjourn. Second. >> You guys go right ahead. [laughter] >> All those in favor? I