So many >> not disclosing this. >> That's how he grew a beard. >> He heard that. >> He's witness protection. That's what he said. He he asked him before when he couldn't hear. I need to see my geot tracker. Joe is at >> live 360, buddy. >> Call to order the meeting on Monday, February 2nd, 2026 at 6 p.m. Please rise for the pledge. 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, with liberty and justice for all. >> Roll call, please. Jenny, >> Mayor Vogel, >> here. >> Council members Robinson >> here. >> Here. >> Fisbower >> here. >> Do I have a a motion to approve tonight's agenda? I make that motion, Mr. Mayor. >> Motion made by Councilman Odvveig. Do I have a second? >> I'll second it. >> Second by Councilman Defonis. Uh, roll call, please. Jenny. >> Mayor Vogle. >> I. >> Council members Malbower. >> Hi. >> Fis. >> I. Edvig. >> I. >> Robinson. >> I. >> On to tonight's consent agenda. Do I have a motion to accept tonight's consent agenda? >> Make that motion. Mayor. >> Motion by Councilman Robinson. Do I have a second? Councilman Muower. Roll call, please. Jenny. >> Mayor Vogle. >> I. >> Council members Edvig. >> Hi. >> Fis. >> I. >> Robinson. >> Hi. >> Neil. >> Hi. Discuss agenda. >> Hearing none. On to meeting open to the public. Seeing nobody here, I think we can move on from that one. We jumped all through. It's been a light week. We'll talk about that a little bit later here, but uh no special business, no public hearing, old business, new business, meeting open to the public. Again, there's nobody here. So, we're on to report, city administrator report. Kate. >> Yeah, mayor and council. So, I have a request for two uh work session dates. First would be February 23rd as we have some individual department business that we would like to discuss. The second date I'm looking for is March 23rd and that would be for interviews for the finance director position. >> You're going to pull up your calendar. >> I'm good with any of those dates and pretty much any times whether I got to zoom or >> Okay, thanks Joel. >> I'm good either way. >> The 23rd's good for me. Yep. Both work. Oh, me as well. >> March. What? 23rd as well. >> 23rd as well. Yep. Both of those. Are those both Mondays? >> Yes, they are. >> I'm good. >> I'm good for both those dates as well. >> So, mayor, would you like 5:30 or 6 o'clock? >> Defer the council whatever anybody wants. >> 5:30 is good. >> I like >> Joel. 5:30 work for you. >> Yeah. >> Okay. 5:30. And then additionally to let you know that I have heard from both Klobuchar Smith and Emmer's offices that the president has signed into law the $2 million for our utility water and sewer. >> That is great. >> We are making progress with that underground. Uh we'll keep we'll keep working on that. But without this this spring early summer I believe Paul right we're going to be bringing designs and some of the conversation in regards to that project to to council. So definitely more to come on that. I guess those are the three big things unless you do you want to talk a little bit about budget here? Do you want to wait till >> Well, we can talk about now. So Kate and I prior to the meeting here were just discussing because I know Kevin and Joan in particular have expressed interest in doing a deeper dive on the budget and have spent some time on it. >> But I here's here's my struggle with that. As I expressed before, it's not like I don't want to know more details. The more anybody knows, the better you are. But it just gets down into a thing of am I going to go to Darcy? Kevin going to go to Darcy? Amy gonna go are we all going to go to Darcy and say what's this and what's that on on the budget? And I just I struggle with that because I I don't think that gets us there. I'm still of the belief and I know I stand somewhat alone in this. I'm still of the belief that general is our job as mayor and council to give some overall budget guidance and goal. And then that doesn't mean we can't weigh in on the nitty-gritty, but I I I don't see it being productive. and each one of us going in and looking at line items and a lot of them that we're not going to know because I mean heck even when I see the check register a lot of times I'll have questions and have to go because I don't know all that stuff. So I I it's not like we're opposed to having some more more Kate. I don't know you can refine that. We were talking about some more budget discussions in advance. So >> correct. So Mayor and I were discussing you know really we need to come down to what is the goal. So are we looking at cutting a service? Are we looking at reducing events? Are we um you know pulling back the inflations? But if I was to bring you I'll use community development and the police department as two budgets. They both have a line item that says contracts. Well, contracts for both of those items is very different from one department to the other. And when you look at that budget, that's what you're going to see. Contracts. You're not going to see the one to 10 different contracts that fall under it that then all have a different use. So to look at the budget is is very generic. You I can show you amounts. I can show you the dollars. We have to then try to try to incorporate how we show you the the revenues that offset certain dollars. So, it's not an easy document to just go, yeah, we would really like to cut fuel by 10%. So, um what would be helpful is what what are some of those goals, right? We've talked as department heads about, you know, really pulling back. What can we pull back? We've talked about inflation. Darcy's looking at last year's numbers to see where we fell with our budget right now and through the the auditing process. She'll have more information on that. But is the goal to to slow down on on infrastructure repairs? Is it to use less salt? Is it to water less ranks? Is it to, you know, cut back code enforcement? Like what what is the goal? What do we want to look at pulling back on to kind of reduce those budget goals? And and and what are our priorities? Is our priority to to spend 50% of a staff person on on code enforcement? If not, are we willing to accept the consequences? And although it might not save you a ton of money, right? Do we do little increments? So, it's just what what is council looking for? What what do you want? How do you envision different priorities and goals? And like I told the mayor, I was looking at June to having a work session. By then, we should have a new finance director in and we can sit down and really dig into some of this. But even before that point if there's something that we can bring to you, something we can talk about um or something you have an interest in, letting us know and we can either bring it to this format or a work session and really help you understand what it is, how we got there and is it something we can we can reduce or not. So, um, but understanding what you want will help us because just to look at the budget isn't going to be >> well and I agree with both of what you said that to look at the budget you we have to know what the goal is. Um, and what you're saying is you don't want to get too much into the nitty-gritty to use your words or all of us if we're if if all of us are going to Darcy or to Kate and spending hours trying to figure it out, it it's not productive. But in order to answer the question, what is the goal? where can we where can we cut back or whatever. We kind of have to go either go through that step or the department heads have to tell us what they think because they understand their budget, >> right? So that I think at some point you were asking the department heads to come back and say, "Well, you you tell us where you can you weren't even asking for a cut. You were asking for a less of a increase." And so what you're saying is that if we just look at the budget and say, well, we think we should cut here and here, but we can't do that unless we go through it line by line and get too much into micromanaging, which I don't think any of us want to do. And so in order for us to reduce if our goal can only be let let's we just want to have less of an increase or we want to have a percentage decrease. We need the department heads to be the experts on where that can happen within their budget. And so I I agree with what everyone's saying, but it's it's kind of a three-sided thing here. if we want it to we we honestly we only care about it going down. Let's just say we we don't know where that is. We're not the department heads. We don't know the budget like they do or like Darcy does and yourself. So I don't know how to get around the triangle on who should do it or who should but >> I think there's you see what I'm saying? >> Yeah, I do. And I but I think there's general things you could say >> which would be helpful I think to them. And and I correct me if I'm wrong, so I don't pretend I have the answers, but let's just say we said we don't want to see an increase bigger than 10%. Or or something like that. That gives them at least something to to work towards rather than just saying reduce it. Wow. >> Right. I agree. >> So I don't know, you know, I don't know how the rest of you feel about it. Open input on it. I just I just know it's not going to be productive. is going to not be productive for all us to go run into Darcy and and look through the budget line item by line item and that is available to the public just so the public knows that's all available so it's not like there's anything hidden here but to go into the what each line means Go ahead Joe >> so there's a delay that's why I usually raise my hand just because otherwise I'll be cutting somebody off um my whole purpose of going to Darcy is to look at what we can look at and it was kind of what I suspected too as far Whereas I mean we have the CIP, we have all that stuff, you know, we we can have talks and we can get information and and better our own knowledge on on a lot of things. I think obviously everybody's hurting with the economy the way it was. Um something the public I think it's not that they don't understand it, but it's it's almost as if you're kind of ignoring the fact that when everything goes up, everything else the city goes up. So, for instance, um, Mayor Bogle, you mentioned too, to keep everything the same the way it was, it would have been, I think it was a 9% increase. Um, I could be wrong, but I think it was it was 9 or 11% increase. um to keep everything it was the year before basically if you didn't change anything. Um I think the 9% would have got us we took out the inflation which there's there's different things that can factor into that and I'm not going to get into all that at the moment but it was like a a nine or 11 I think it was 11% increase just to keep everything the same. So it wasn't that uh people see things like at the federal level with Doge and everything and which I think is a great program and I think a great thing that people are actually looking into some of these nonsensical things that are going on and at the state obviously we have all that fraud right now uh being discussed um where all that lands I guess we'll find out. But the the thing with cities that I believe is very unique from both of those levels of government is we don't have we don't do things and I guess we could donate to some things and I'm usually against that kind of stuff but we don't have uh social programs that we offer money to to subsidize things. Um sometimes we have things that vote and we may feel like we're subsidizing something and you know you decide where you're going on each individual vote but I don't there's really not much of that at all at the city level. So when people see all the waste happening at the federal and state level or what they feel is fraud or waste or whatever, the city is the most accessible. And that's one thing I like about being on the city council is it's more intimate with the people. The problem is is some of those problems that are up here have nothing to do with the city. Um my my goal isn't to micromanage at all. Um I don't like being micromanaged. I don't usually have a good attitude when I'm micromanaged. I'm probably more confrontational than a lot of people when it comes to that. But for me, it it does not help my work. Um, you know, my the quality of my work when I'm being micromanaged, it almost hurts it. And that's just me. That's it that comes down to managing different personalities and everything from a management level. But I I think when we look at the CIP and everything too and just look at things of it's not where do we want to cut or whatever the the tax the tax number the dollar amount is always going to go up because cost of living goes up, cost of materials goes up, cost of labor goes up, it all goes up. Those dollars are always going to go up. Now it may go up 3%, it may go up 12%. Um, a lot of the economy over the past years has obviously affected where we're at now and this huge increase. Not to mention, we did do some things um you know before before uh you were you know some of us were here throughout the years that I've been here um that you know it's kind of like I we mentioned it all at once type of thing where we have a road program. Um right now uh this year it's at 720,000 um dollars this year that went to the road program. And if you do the math, now this is not this is not a true number of what each household pays because I always obviously it's based on valuation and every household is different. But if you go by the data and we have uh 3,48 homes. Now this isn't counting commercial, too, because commercial would probably bring this number even lower. Um, but if you divide it, you're paying roughly, say, $236 a year to not have to have a road assessment when your road needs to be run redone and pay interest on that. Now, granted, the number is actually probably lower than that for most. Um, I'm I the number that I'm using is just households, so that doesn't even count the the commercial stuff that's coming in. But the road program, we did the parks program, which we never had any money to maintain our parks. So, it's like if something needed to be done, you had to say, "Okay, we're going to raise the levy a whole bunch this year." Now, we have a plan for it. We're planning for things like a household budget should, so to speak. Um, but we did implement a lot of programs. Um, road program, park program, building maintenance program. So, if you're going to build multi-million dollar buildings, you probably have a plan to maintain them. Um, all that at once, which that did kind of increase over the last few years. But, nonetheless, to me, these are things that should have already been on the books. Um, and I'm I'm happy to take responsibility for that and take the hit and be called what you know, whatever you want for that. But, um, the the cost and the increase over the last year, like you said, the increase still would have been 11%. Um, hike to keep everything the same. So, it's not like there's a lot of stuff that's being wasted. Um, just want to put that out there for the public, for the people that are watching, because it's it's definitely a different different ballgame than at the state or the federal level. So, there is that. And I think too it's not looking at line items so to speak, but you can look and you can ask questions. Um I'm kind of digesting the information I got with Darcy and I'm I have some questions that I want to ask some people, but um I'm kind of trying to just get to where I need to be to ask those questions to to get the answers that I need. But if we throw it in a work session and have discussions whether it's in June or whatever. Um to me I just was seeking knowledge too to to understand a few things more and see if there's any more I can get to understand and I I to end it I just want to say that I think our staff does do a great job. That's not a city line. Um you know always a company guy whatever. It's it's they honestly do do a very good job. I don't think uh you know different departments are very con very conservative. Um, you know, they find ways to save money in many different ways. Um, whether you're talking about public works or police or whatever. Um, you know, other departments too. Not to leave anybody out or whatever, but I do know of certain things over the years that I've heard that they've done to save a lot of money, too. So, it's keeping an eye on things and trying to rein things in, but it's people need to understand, too, that it's not just, oh, we're, you know, we made a mistake and we're going to come to you and get it, which I heard at the town hall. um that's that did happen with the water in my opinion and I was pretty much the only one that that was there then. So I have to bear that responsibility with the current city council um that we did the 20% reduction which was great at the time but it did end up hurting us now. So there is things that yes we made a mistake and yes we need to ask for more now but it's you got to weigh those options when you make those decisions. Um, so I just want to put that out there. But I do think staff does a great job and they're not out there wasting money and blowing money like you know might be the public might think. But um, my whole thing is just seeing where things are at, what's worth looking into or maybe we don't increase this budget this year, but then we're going to increase it next year and where are we at with our spending on these these things like roads, parks, so so on and so forth. Um, and some of those programs are building up to where they need to be. So, I don't know if there's a lot you can quote unquote cut, but uh slowing down what you put them in might be our only option there. Um, but I just want to put that information out there. But I don't think it's a it's a micromanaging situation like you say. Uh, everybody that runs their department knows their department. Um, I don't expect my car mechanic to come fix my furnace. Um, you know, or whatever the case may be. So, it's it's one of those things that you you just ask questions and get understanding for yourself. But I don't mean to waste a lot of time with staff and I don't think everybody going individually is. But if you have a question, a quick phone call, even an hour conversation to have that knowledge is I think far more uh valuable than that hour you may have spent. So that's what I'll say. >> Just off the cuff Joel, I agree with pretty much everything you said. The one the one catch is the staff still needs some overall direction. And I'm not saying obviously it's not happy tonight. We're not voting on anything here signing anything, but and so what happened this last time was they needed roughly 11% to keep everything the same. And and in response to them knowing that I I was hoping for some sort of shared shared pain. Kate went through the line went through the budget with the departments and knocked out like I don't know 96,000 or whatever what whatever something some somewhere around there. So, I mean it is and and the way it was explained to me, you know, the 96,000 in cuts, we should have been able to survive, but yeah, it takes it takes a little bit of comfort level away when you when you do that. So, that the the the cushion, so to speak, is some of the cushion's been taken away. But I I just think if we give them an overall goal of saying, "Hey, look, we don't want to see an overall budget increase over 10%." At least it gives them something to work towards. And I I I don't I don't I I don't know if that >> one the only other thing I would add to that too is um the one thing we can't necessarily look at um as far as cuts quote unquote or whatever within that 10% or whatever number you decide to give them for a goal. Um we do have union contracts that have scheduled raises in them. So that labor part of it obviously is something we have to deal with. And I I only put that out there for the public's understanding so they have that understanding that there are other things that we have to look at too that we can't just say fire 10 people or get do this or do that or you know whatever might be in their minds as a solution. >> Kevin or Sarah, you want to weigh in or >> you ready? I'll go. >> No, first of all, I just want to be able to show the public that we tried. you know, no matter what the outcome finally is. I know there were suggestions early on even from the public that the public could be involved in some committees like that. I don't want nothing against the public at all, but you elected people to sit in these chairs to do that kind of work. So, I'd hate to have to educate before we participate, you know, to start all over and take the time to let people be in, you know, see how the sausage is made. You know, I'd rather show them the final results of the people that they put in office to do that job. I think it's really it's our responsibility, you know, whether it's good or bad or whatever. Uh you I'm thinking something like a three or four year look back again. The contracts like Joe and the mayor said, those are intangibles. You can't do anything with them. They're they're coming. They come every year or every other year. They there's alternate times for law enforcement and and other uh unions that are involved. But I was just hoping that we could look at and I hate the word cut again and I know we don't mean it when we say it, but it's a reduction or not to increase So, you know, there's some areas to take some small bites out of. Again, you know, some communities got by with 4% this year, some 6%. But their day of reckoning will be coming. And I'm really uh concerned that the state the aid that we get from the state with an 18 billion surplus that was gone and then 9 billion dollars that was wasted in fraud. There's it's going to come from somebody's hide. I don't think it's all going to be from state taxes. So, that concerns me. They could easily Darcy could get an email saying guess what? Nothing for you this year. Then what do we do? I mean that's a really big deal that I mean I I it's very feasible that that could happen. So that's one of the things concerns me. Again I I agree with Joe that all the departments do a great job and I've always said that sincerely and I've tried to express to the public in the seven years I've been here. Everything we do has really been vetted thoroughly and we do it sincerely and it's not like there's any bull boy in wait till we get this there's been no skull duggery in the seven years I've been here I tell you that and anybody who who's still employed here or was employed here they did you know they worked their best along with the leadership that said you need to do your best everybody here has to bring their best foot forward so um again it's a zero to 4% I mean our colas are always 3% if we keep it under 3% %. It'd be nice because again, even though we're getting Highway 47 taken care of, there's going to be an obligation for St. Francis to come up with some cash and that that's the the bare truth of it, but it we knew it was coming. We they started this journey a long time ago. So my two concerns again that the state will pull aid away from us and it happened before during a terrible times and um again as a group maybe June we get I'm concerned too with Darcy you know she's been the gatekeeper all this time it'd be nice to have her more involved before June before she leaves you know like even April a you know pick a department and if you show there's nothing can be done nothing can be done but we showed the public we dissected it we did our forensics uh Darcy showed us, you know, everything's black and white, but maybe a three to four year look back aside from the contracts and stuff, the variables. Um, you know, maybe there's something to be said, but again, I'd like to see Darcy here while we start this journey before the June side. And, uh, I'm really worried about the the state not giving us any money at some point, whether it's this year or next. So, that's all. True. >> And that was one of my major concerns too, Kevin, is if the state pulls funding, that's really going to put us in a in a big bind. So, let's hope they don't do that this year. Um, but I think we I think we do need to start sooner, earlier, and start just kind of looking at it. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. and you know giving them a you know some parameters but understanding that they they are I mean they're they're working within their means the best they can but when you know we see prices of everything go up there's nothing you can do except for let your budgets increase or else you have to cut services and I don't think we're at a place where our public really wants us to cut any of our services right now. Um, so I think just kind of starting to look into it a little deeper isn't a bad idea and earlier than >> later always helps. So >> I don't know if it helps, Kate. I I mean I what I'm hearing is >> Well, it helps us. We have more time to to look through it. It's not necessarily a benefit to the public or the >> No, but what I'm hearing is we want to meet sooner rather than later, especially with the dark darling departing and and hopefully at one of those sessions we could just come up with some sort of >> correct. >> I'm just throwing it out there. It's not a number, but 10% or whatever it else come to some sort of >> is that helpful? I don't know. >> So, Mary Council, yes. So, first first I would start with I think it's really good to look at the city's website. We have the budget out there. So, then you'll get an idea of what our expenses are, where they've been, right? All of your documents are on your website. So, so our annual audit plan, >> this year's budget isn't out there yet. >> Well, our proposed is. >> Yeah. Not not the final. >> Yeah. But right >> looking for a >> the utilities aren't going to change from one document to the other. So it's your information's out there. Um I think to start early we can have discussions but there's not going to be numbers behind them because we won't know what our LGA is. We won't know what our tax capacity is. So it is going if we start in April and even June we are going to be very high level. So it will literally be our current budget and a look at that. But we will not have county numbers to even bring into the topic. So just knowing that that we will be talking without a discussion of any revenues. So we can definitely pull a few different programs, different services, department budgets and and really take a closer look at them. But just understand it will have no ties to revenue because it's way too early for that information. >> Joel, go ahead, Joel. >> Just just a thought too on the discussion when you hear, you know, the state could pull their funding and this did happen. I don't remember exactly what year, but it was during Tobate's tenure um as mayor. Um I do remember that. But um that's one of the reasons too having those reserves. And there's been talk over the last couple years of you know, take a hundred here, take 200 here. uh they didn't go through um but there were talks of taking you know a couple hundred thousand to lessen the blow um to the residents which you know it's it's a nice thought it's a nice gesture but I think too that's one of the good reasons of having reserves there because that stuff does happen um and that's kind of you know that's again household budget right we have our own savings account um we try not to dip into it too much because when something catastrophic happens that's what that's there for um and that would lessen the blow at that time. So, just throwing that out there for reserves. Just a thought I had. Um, the other thing, too, and it's it's not that this could be taken very wrong, and I hope it's not. Um, but it's it's we have intentions, we have goals when we we run for election, when we try to get into office. Um, I know what mine were. I think I have achieved some of them, but some of them obviously uh not as much as I would have liked. Uh, my goal was always to reduce a lot of things, too. Um, but that's one of the things is we have goals and we think there's a lot we can do, but I think like Kevin said, it's important. We make the effort. We show the public that we are making the effort. Um, and the only reason I say that is not that I don't want to try to do it, but it's because you want I want I want to set realistic expectations. Um, again, I think that our staff is not they're not out there wasting a lot of money. And whether it's I mean, whatever we find is what we find and whatever we decide is what we decide. and we'll get to that. But it's it's just one of those things that it's it's we think, "Oh, we can do this and we can do that." And then when it comes down to it, and I think that happens a lot in a lot of places, even at the state and federal levels, um despite the negative stuff, um but just to set those expectations is realistic that it's it's we all think that we know how easy it is to save money and and how much the government wastes. And then you get in and you look at what's really going on. And you know when I got in too I was looking at uh uh there was rumors that we were going to get rid of the police department. I don't know where the hell that came from but whatever. Um and you know it's like well our police budget is you know a large amount of our budget. And so I sat down with Todd. I look at the schedules, you know, and you look at how they were operating at that time many years ago and you're like, it's almost like we need more police officers to actually, you know, do a good job. But that that again, that would have been a huge increase with the budget. Um something we didn't do, but at the same time, it's you you think you know what you're talking about just by looking at the numbers. You look at the real data and what reality actually is, and it's vastly different than what you thought. So again, that's just my last thought on that. But uh as far as the reserves, I think and the state pulling funds, that's something to consider of why those reserves are there that if they do that one year, you can really lessen the blow with some of that at that time rather than saving $3 a month this year or 10 bucks a month, you know, next year or whatever it might be. I mean, it's a it's usually a pretty small amount if if you can take from the reserve. So just to throw that out there. >> I have a question here. Go ahead. I'm going to bleed ignorance here, but um are we m are we getting I know there's probably parameters that's set forth by the state, but are we maximizing our return on our investments? We have that reserve money in there. Who meets with the would elders be in charge of our as far as the reserves and whatnot? >> Yep. >> And who they they do our investing for us. Yes. >> And who meets with that? Do they meet with you guys quarterly? And who do they meet with to talk about where strategize that they're maximizing within the safety parameters and etc on a return on our investment? >> They they meet with me monthly. >> Monthly. >> Yep. >> Just you or is Kate involved or >> No, it's usually just me. >> And is there any again they have to there's they got have guard rails on things, but um how I guess how long those mess usually last and are you satisfied with what they're doing? Do you know enough to be satisfied with what they're doing with the your money, so to speak? >> My money? >> Well, you know, the money >> when you leave, you know. >> Um I'm I'm very satisfied with them. They've done a really wonderful job. Um it shows when they were investing the money for even the the bond funds, you know, we got a lot of interest there. They they worked with me on when I needed money available and added invested and did a much better job than um I could ever have I mean I used to do it. I I can't do what they do. >> Sure. >> They they're the expert have to. >> Yep. So yeah, I think they're doing a wonderful job. they, you know, they I talk with them each month and I've kind of like I just had a conversation with them that, hey, you know, this summer I think these projects are going so I really need this money available at this point and so I tell them when I might need money coming back from those investments. >> Yeah. >> So I would think if you really if you wanted to, you know, they could come out and give a >> no >> a presentation, but that's how we've been doing this. >> Okay. Thank you. I guess I'd like to >> I'd like to see the the what if what if we did get an email saying we're not going to get any aid this year. I mean a a bad scenario that you're you're not going to get this kind of just a mock setup of what if what if they said we're cutting your state aid in half. What are we going to do? We don't have to enact it, but at least I mean go in the in to this with the mindset of we got to do some fixing here or get by with and like Kate said you do you want to cut parks? Do you want um community uh I want to say >> events? >> No, not well events and or community development, you know, whether we people start trash starts getting in people's yards and the place starts it's hard to reverse once you once you open that door and and cut back on some of that stuff >> code enforcement. Thank you. I don't get frustrated there. But um maybe we should go in the mindset that we're not going to get some money say 50% of the money from the state. What if and you don't have a choice then you've got to make some tough decisions. If we we don't have to enact those decisions but we have a plan just like a an escape plan or a contingency for safety etc etc. We do we have a what if plan from a financial standpoint? I know it's not an easy I'm just throwing it out there but um it might not be the easiest thing to accomplish but um that might be one way to look at too. You know this is a must do but we don't have to you know we don't have to press that button just yet. Thank you. >> I don't know if we helped or made things muddier for you. You tell me, Kate. I don't know. >> Mayor Council, if I have till April to sort it out, we'll begin. >> Okay. All right. We I will work with Darcy and we can put together some highlevel conversations. Um I mean, this is this is very early, but I think we could also touch base on some of our fees and stuff, too. So, we'll bring you we'll bring you a date um one of the next work or council meetings as far as a date and date. >> Thank you. Any other questions for Kate under administrator report? >> No. Thank you. Thanks, Kate. >> Council member reports. Uh Kevin, >> I attended the town hall meeting with our senator and state representative. It was very beneficial. Uh in the future, I'd like to see us make an appointment with them to come whether they go to other cities or not. I'd like to see him come see our city. They did an excellent job. Uh Andrew, um Kate said he's you know he hasn't been around for quite a while. I think it was our is he a first year? >> Correct. We got redistricked into his area. >> Okay. Well, he did an excellent job for being the new guy on the block. So, they both did a good job. And I there was time from 5:30 to 7:00 and they stayed till 7:30. But, uh it was very good. I wish more people could have come, but again, it was impromptu. And thank you for the staff. uh Paul for jumping in the breach and the chief for getting people here to keep things safe and whatnot, but it was really awesome. Um but again, it'd be nice to make an appointment with either one or both of them and they don't have to be the same time, but of matters we need to discuss. It'd be awesome to talk to him. Um I attended the Jaylick meeting with the chief of police. It was kind of a short one. He said we looked at our watches and go, "Oh my goodness, you know, didn't go that long." So maybe that's a good thing. There's not that much to talk about in a crime situation. Um, I also met the new barber, uh, Bill's Barber Shop. God bless him. Uh, the gentleman named Peter is taking over, and I think today was his first day, and I think Tim had the first appointment at 8:00. Tim Holton had the 8:00 appointment this morning. So, I met him and his dad at the uh, Chamber of Commerce uh, festivities the other night. Nice young man. I uh, I tried to encourage him to talk to the athletic department, and my son runs a wrestling uh, program or works with the Gladiators and whatnot, and the youth. Uh, I did ask him right off the bat, does he know what a high and tight is? And he said, "Yes, I do." So, that seems to be the most popular haircut for any of the the young lately, some of the kids here anyway. So, and I also met the owners again, neighbors to our north of the Stone Lion, a husband wife who bought it. He's a a concrete contractor from Isanti and him and his wife bought the Stone Lion Winery. It's an event center not too far for uh from us. I did mention that early in my early years here there was some noise concerns from the venue and I made him aware of that and however to deal with it. They are actually I think going to build a structure to an indoor facility for there. I have never been to the place myself but uh it was nice to meet them and they're very enthusiastic just like the barber is. So that's all. Sarah >> um I attended the pioneer days planning meeting last week. Um it was very good informational. Um it is the 60 or 60th. So their um theme is going to be dinosaurs and dragons or dinosaurs and diamonds diamonds. >> And they brought that into the chamber dinner. So we got to try to figure out what dinosaur was in our ice egg. And it was a really good really good time. And um but the the pioneer days is going to be it's going to be really good. They have a lot of really fun different things. Um, if Tim gets his way, there's going to be a I think a mustache, beard, and mullet competition. So, yeah, I I'm not >> Yeah, Tim Tim had some great ideas, let me just tell you. Um, so, and then, um, also I just encourage people to check out the new walk-in cooler at the bottle shop. It is very nice and, um, Joe is doing an amazing job at a bottle shop. He has broughten it to a next level and and people who stopped going there because they thought we didn't have enough and it was too high have come back and they're like, "Hey, this is a pretty I like stopping at close to home, five minutes from home instead of going out of my way." So, I think that's that's great. That's Oh, and the other thing is is um at a future work session, not anything. Um I think I think we need to revisit the the community uh room where people if we're going to let them that was kind of a selling point for part of this building was that there'd be um you'd be able to have grad parties or wedding receptions or things like that. And I think we've been up and running long enough now we need to figure out what that fee how the staff will work. I think that's something that we just need to revisit. >> That's what I have. >> Thanks, sir. >> Amy, >> um well, I agree with Sarah that we need to revisit that. Um I've had a couple of people ask me about it. Um the only other thing I have to report is, um Kevin, you mentioned it once at the First Baptist Church. They did an amazing job on the on the construction. They are I'm I'm not a member there, but my one daughter goes to school there. Um they are open now and they had their first um service two weeks ago. Well, two Sundays ago, so they've had two services now. It's beautiful. Um so I'm really happy that their construction all went well cuz um pickup and drop off was pretty hairy there for a while. Um um but it it looks really nice. They're really really happy with how it turned out. Um and my only other thing was I was just going to ask um Paul um how's it going at the ice rink? I think I saw some different lights or something or something going on there. >> U council, so we've lost somewhere underground. We've lost the ability to light the lights. It's a good thing that we're we're looking at that next year. Um I was able to acquire a temporary set. Uh I was just in touch with Mr. Stigley today. He's the one who kind of runs the program over there. Uh they're working out really well. Um uh it'll be Uh we got a few more weeks here and we're we're glad that part of it's done. Uh normally I try and repair on site, but because of the frozen ground with what's going on, I chose just to spend a little bit more, rent the lights, get through the season, and we'll look at that here. >> I know it depends on the weather, but when is the end date for the rink to be open? >> Is it around the 20th? >> Four weeks in February here and then it's finished. Okay, >> Mary calls what happens is as a February sun comes on, it's really difficult to keep ice out there without the cool, you know, without a cooling system underneath. So, um it doesn't take long for an asphalt parking lot to see through. You think even if we had to put ice out there, >> one, right temperatures and full sun will actually just it'll kill the ice sheet. So, >> all right. Thank you. >> Ask a question, Mayor. >> Yeah, absolutely. And with I think it was 51 days. We have a contract with the uh home run club. >> Is 51 days too long? >> No. No. Uh mayor council 51. It took a while to get to that number. Uh going long a little too short. It's about right. A lot of times uh and we're hoping this year maybe we can go a week longer because we do have ice this year. Though most of the time they ask for an additional week. Not typically isn't shut down before that. So excellent question. >> Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Mayor. You're welcome. >> Joel, >> I attended the town hall with uh Matthews and Lawrence and I thought it was awesome. Um I was really surprised at how well it went honestly. Not that it's not that I thought it was going to go horribly bad or anything, but just that we had as much engagement as we did. Um it's with shut short notice. Um the questions they answered, um I I loved it. I I left maybe 15 minutes early um before they were done, but I was really impressed with it. I thought it was awesome and and encourage uh you know, I said I hope that Mark invites them back in the spring. I don't know when a good time to have him back is, but nonetheless to to keep them coming here, I think it's awesome. Um having that engagement and um you know, maybe it's something that we can do too at some point whenever, you know, warrants it. But I I do think it was awesome that they did that and especially uh Matthews being new to the district being redistricted to stop here and and and let us know he's here. Um I thought that was really great. Um the only other thing I would say and I agree that everybody going to each staff member for two, three, five hours asking whatever is is is not an efficient use of time. Um but you know if you if you think of something or have a question like oh what if we do this or what if we do that? Shoot them an email. They'll look at it, they'll respond. If they have questions, they can always call you too and it might be a five- t minute thing. Um, I used to do that all the time. Um, you know, with Coleman even, I would call him and say, "Why don't we do this?" Because it just made sense to me. And it would be something where it's, "Well, we can't do that. Technically, it's illegal for the city to do something." And it's like, that might sound bad to people who have no idea what I'm talking about. I honestly don't even remember what it was, but there's there's certain things that we can do as a city and certain things that we can't. Like I say, I throw out the idea of putting ads on the uh the city website, partially joking, but if it works and helps to lower taxes, I'm all for it. But, um, you know, whether or not you can legally even do that, I doubt it. But those are things like, you know, you have a question or an idea, throw it out to the, you know, department head email or whatever. You don't have to waste a lot of time. They might look at it, but if they have questions, they can call you or respond to the email when they have time. So, I encourage you guys to to engage with department heads. I think, like I said, the more knowledge we have on things, the better decisions we can make to um, you know, keep those departments running efficiently and and, you know, just get better results overall. So, that's my report. Thank you. >> Thanks, Joe. And just to piggyback on I I don't want to come across as if anybody wants to dig dive in deep on something, citizen or council, go at it. I >> Gosh, I you know how I feel about that. If you got a question, ask it. I I don't believe in not asking questions. So, uh my report on January 21st, I got the I got the phone call just just a shout out to all just so you guys are aware too. You know, when a call comes through on your cell phone and it's unknown number, you got to answer it because this time it was it was Senator Clolobachar's office and they called me with the that that 2 million had been approved and I right away got on the phone right away and texted Kate. like h got it through. >> But I'm just I'm just saying it's very easy to look at my phone and go, I don't know that number and not answer. That's some some of those calls are citizens coming through on an un unidentified number. So, uh on January 22nd, I went to an NOA County Fire Protection Council meeting, our fire chief and uh or Rum River District Fire Chief. But uh only my only big takeaway from that was Kevin may be familiar with this is the county is considering they got approval from JLE the the law enforcement side now they got approval from the fire department side of researching further the the possibility of putting drone stations up across the Milka County. A 911 call comes out and immediately a drone or multiple drones fly out to where to where that is. So, the county is doing a deeper dive now that they got approval to do a deeper dive from Jaylick and and fire protection to send drones from pre-station areas across the local county right to the 911 call when it comes out. So, just wanted to give you guys a heads up. That was one of the things that was talked about at that meeting, which I found very interesting. It's sounds good, but somebody did bring up too. There's maybe constitutional issues with if they're used improperly or whatever else, but it like I said, it's just in the talked about stage, but they are researching it and it is being done in some other cities already. So, look look for more from Monoka County on that coming down the line. Uh, I also was at the January 26 town hall. I thought it was fantastic and I recognized the turnout, you know, short notice. There's only about 30, but I thought it was fantastic the questions and the interaction and more primarily from the relationship building between us and our legislators. We and even us as council, we need to build those relationships. So, and my two biggest takeaways rep one of them was from Representative Lawrence and he just said he says this country has got a we've got messed up and he went back to a quote John JFK our pre past president said was it used to be ask not what you can do for your country but what you can do for your country well we completely flip-fpped that now everybody's there saying what can the government do for me well it it comes comes with a price tag that you can't possibly possibly meet if you if you take that approach. So, I found that interesting. And then one citizen asked a question about they had a special I'm going to call it just a special need and they asked about you know what what what are my taxes for? And Representative Lawrence took that and that's a great question. I'm not saying I have the answer, but he he sent it back and he said that is a great question. What is what are taxes for? Are they for subsidizing this person, subsidizing this company? Are they for what what are they for? It's just a big bigger question, but I found it an intriguing question nonetheless. And my only other thing about the town hall, I'm actually unfortunately I couldn't link up with them at the LJGO meeting, but uh I I want to try and get more people in here like that even at our meetings. So like we've got two uh county commissioners that are in St. Francis and I'd like to get them both up here at the same time or at different times near before council because we got to build those relationships with those folks as well and I want them to be engaged. So, I'm going to be reaching out to them and hopefully get them to come. If nothing else, come to a our our city council meeting and give them some time. So, maybe a Q&A um public if if they're willing to do a Q&A too. >> I agree. You know, 30 minutes. I mean, our meetings are reasonable enough even, you know, put them on the spot, >> right? >> And they they should actually be coming to us as well, but again, you reach out first, which is awesome. We'll see what happened. >> We'll see what happens. So, the last one then I was on uh January 28th. I went to the local government officials meeting down there at Bunker. And the main two agenda items were were the shotgun shotgun versus rifle zone. The state changed the rules that there is no shotgun and rifle zones. However, communities can if they Todd Todd's nodding, I know Todd knows about this. Communities can say, "We wish to remain shotgun only." The the catch is what they what a lot of people don't know is if you opt to go that route or you want to say shotgun, you have to do an annual public meeting every year and you have to renew it every year if you go that route. But the but the biggest takeaway I took from that and I didn't know this and I I learned this. I always perceived the shotgun versus rifle zone as being a safety issue and that's definitely not the case. They had their the parks director of noa county up there legal up there saying that was not why it was created. The shotgun versus rifle delineation in Minnesota was created simply for harvesting purposes. They were afraid that if they had rifles in the southern part of the state that the deer herd would be cleared out and that's not not the case on. So it it was a very interesting very interesting pardon me. I found that very interesting. So it's really up to no county right now. The rough, it hasn't been decided what Anoka County is going to do, but the rough takeaway I had is most likely we're just going to go along with the state recommendations and and just accept the rifles. So, like I said, it's not been decided, but that it was just a very interesting conversation. And the last thing, this is more about networking. This is why it's so important that we go to these meetings. I had a really good discussion with Pam Leblanc with the with the Noa County elections a after the meeting, whatever else, and and I talked to her about the letter that we were sending and everything else. And and I she understands it was a very good conversation and and the bottom line is all I'm asking is for if the county if the county is putting themselves up as the election official for St. Francis and the majority of cities in the Noka County come to them and say we would like to do post election review. I feel it's the county's job to also be going to the state then because she's right now it's the state. It's their job then to represent us as cities in Anoka County and go to the state and say most of our cities are asking for this post-election review. So we'll see. We'll see what happens. I I'm I'm inclined after my conversation with her and I I told her so that I'm I'm inclined to maybe put a resolution out before us shortly basically is saying the same thing as a letter but uh we'll we'll see. So with that I don't know anybody got any questions for me? >> I do. Mayor, >> go ahead. >> Yeah, it's interesting the other time. Can you expand on the fact of and the chief to me as a sportsman like that the rifle would have a it's a faster projectile it's a deadly projectile is the way they put together but I mean what was this not what was the consensus as far as safety goes because I could see you know a shotgun doesn't go as far I mean if danger is going to happen it's going to happen correct but it's the operator error is what causes the big problem so correct >> and with a rifle situation you got to know what's on the other side of what you're aiming that with the shotgun slug, it's more it could be a 30, you know, any 30 yard shot or smaller. But what was the safety portion? Didn't anybody express that? >> No, they No, that was talked about. So, I'm just going to give you some of the notes I took and don't take them for gospel. Go back. But they were saying with a with a slug, effectly, most people aren't shooting beyond 150 yards with a slug. >> Correct. They but they also talked about how slugs have been refined over the years here now rifled and they're and they are more accurate than >> they they they're >> how I want to phrase this they became more lethal or closer to a rifle over the years with with with innovations they talked about a rifle is >> an ethical hunter whatever else same thing you know most hunters are it's up to 400 yards with a rifle you know they'll be shooting beyond 400 yards. It is crazy, but they were talking about if somebody put a shotgun up at 30 degrees and a rifle up at 30 degrees and shot them off, the slug would go roughly 3/4 of a mile and the bullet would uh would go two and a half miles if if shot up at 30°. But like they said, to your point, any ethical hunter isn't shooting up at 30 degrees. You're shooting down if anything. They just what did they say here? Yeah. 1942 was was acted the rifle the shotgun zone was enacted in 1942 to limit the harvest was was the reason. >> So the alternative would be to everyone's got a rifle and the harvest increases. >> Correct. >> Which is actually what they're what that's reason. While the state wanted to simplify the rules and also in simplifying the rules right now, if anything, there's a deer overpopulation down here. Not a not too few. There's too many deer. >> But they they said Wisconsin did this. I don't didn't catch the year when Wisconsin did this and they had no rise whatsoever in in least a couple years data that they have in slugs going errant or bullets going errant. So Wisconsin's already in front of us on on doing that. >> That's really concerning because, you know, to get a conceal and carry permit in this state, I've seen stuff that you can get online. You can do a test online and you can go to the range yourself and do 10 rounds out of a any caliber pistol and then you go to the range master and they sign up on it. It used to be four and a half to five hours or longer for a concealed carry, which is rightfully the way it should be. I would think they would want to change the educational portion of this if people are all if everybody's going to rifles now. Wouldn't you agree, Chief, that I mean, it's terrible. I'm a concealed carry. I have a permit and haven't worked for a long time. >> I don't some firearms safety uh certificate requirements just for hunting in general. So, I think a lot of these people that are now going to be allowed to use rifles and and former shotgun zones, they're still going to have those firearm safety certificates and have the training, even though it may have been when they were a lot younger. But, um, I don't know that we're going to see a huge increase in new hunters and uneducated hunters and reckless hunters just by going. >> So, I think they're gonna have general training anyway. All right. Because what the youths go through is to me much more intense and longer duration than what a conceal and carry person does. It's amazing. And they're just turning them out. They're cranking around as fast as we can talk about it. And you know, then people now have pistols. They don't have near the education that that a 12-year-old does after he gets his patch for him or her. So, I appreciate you expanding on that. Thank you. >> You're welcome. And like obviously, if you want to reach out to Moa County Parks Director, he was the one who did the presentation. he could he could shed more light on it. I forgot one other last thing that was at the LJGO meeting and I talked to Kate about this is >> and I know we'll have to involve Todd in this and and others but Everbridge is what they call it and it's their it's their way of reaching out to their citizens and they have two branches of it would be local county if I understood them correctly would do this for free for a city like St. Francis. And you can have emergency alerts go to the whoever opts in and or community alerts or both. It's up to each person to choose whether they want to do one or both both of those alerts and then Noa County would be putting those out. So I know Kate and Todd eventually will sit down. I'm I encourage us to talk to Carrie Morrisy with the county and maybe have her come out here and go with a deeper dive about this versus the Nexus that we're using right now which I I don't I don't know what we're paying for Nexl or Nixl >> 3500 a year isn't it cheap? >> Um I I think it's just over 3,000. Yeah. And but there may be advantages to keeping >> what is it nex from from central communications come from central communications. So anytime we would want to put something out uh we would have to re information to central and they would have to put put that out on our behalf. So there could be >> an increased time delay. This would be the major >> um downfall of that. But but they are capable of guess putting very similar messages to what we put out currently. >> I'd just like to explore it a little closer. I'm not saying we have to switch or anything like that, but I just was an interesting discussion. So, would be a traffic situation as well because Nexos is is beneficial for traffic alerts for our town, especially with the thorough affair we have. >> Yeah. Again, the information that we received from Central Perry um the supervisor down there is uh just for general community notifications. Um we would have to alert them. So, if we had an accident in town that we want to alert people to that a road closure occurred or whatever, as a result, we would have to call center communications or the officer would and say, "Hey, we have this incident here." Um, did you put out a notification? And I'm not sure if they use the like a a mapping system to do that. I'm guessing they probably do send to um iPod alerts. But again, I think the the major downside to that is that there would be an increased delay. Um just, you know, you'd have to get that information to them. They would have to uh get that person to then put that out when they get time if they're tied up on something else. Not sure how quick that would happen. So again, I'm not shooting down their system at all. We haven't used it. It's pretty new um for what they're doing with that. Just general communications like that. Um, yeah, and I think it's only been in effect for a couple of months. So, and we did kind of blast that out, I believe, on our social media page to the public when, uh, when dispatch sent that out to us. So, fairly new, kind of just getting their feet wet with it. And I'm sure we'll get some updates from car some future meetings on it next time. Anybody anything else? Doesn't sound like it. So, do I have a motion to motion to adjurnn? >> Motion by Councilman Udbick. Do I have a second? >> I'll second it. >> Second by Councilman Vanis. Roll call, please. Jenny. >> Mayor Vogel. >> I. >> Council members Robinson. >> Hi. >> Uvig. >> Hi. >> Vonis. >> Hi. >> Yower. >> Hi. Meeting adjourned at 6:59 p.m. right when I was doing