You're supposed to guess it. >> Well, yeah. You didn't get the memo to wear your blue gown. Come on. Go get Go in the back room and put on your blue gown. >> Your your city your city put on your city ball gown. >> You don't think you're on office staff? A city ball gone for? >> I hope not. >> Oh, we shouldn't waste our money on that. >> No. Do you think it would be mainst tears. Call to order the meeting on Tuesday, September 20th. Call to order the meeting on Tuesday, September 20th, 2025 at 6 PM. Please rise for the pledge. >> 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, >> mayoral, >> here. Council members Robinson >> here, >> big >> here. >> Neilbower >> here. >> And I did get a text. Amy's running late, so I expect her here, but not at this time. So, on to approval of the agenda. Do I have a motion to approve tonight's agenda? >> Make that motion. Mayor, >> motion made by Councilman Robinson. Do I have a second? >> Joe beat you. Council >> me a second. All those in favor signify by saying I. I >> Oh, sorry. Roll call. That's right. >> Sorry, guys. >> That's all right, Joe. Roll call, please. Jenny. >> Mayor Bogle. >> I. >> Council members Mbower. >> I. >> Advik. >> I. >> Robinson. >> I. >> On to the consent agenda. Do I have a motion to approve tonight's consent agenda? >> I will. >> Motion by Councilman Udbig. Do I have a second? >> I'll second. Mayor. >> Second by Councilman Robinson. Roll call, please. >> Mayor Vogle. >> I. Council members Robinson >> I >> Neil Bower >> I >> on to meeting open to the public. I'm presuming we got some speakers here tonight. So please come forward. State your name and address and welcome. >> Do I need to press anything? I'm good to go. >> You're good. >> All right. Uh Jackie Godell 23485 Hoppy Street St. Francis. Good evening, mayor and members of the council. My name is Jackie Godell and I am the president, vice president and the program coordinator of the Miss St. Francis ambassador program. And I am here today along with my ambassadors and fellow board members and chaperons um to present you guys with an award. Can the girls come up and present an award to you real quick? >> They may. >> Go ahead, ladies. This award was given to us from the Minneapolis Aquatenial as the top award for community of the year for our dedication, our most being the most friendliest, the most committed and welcoming communitydriven program in the state. The mayor seen what an impact we do and we have on other communities at this year's coronation. You can give them that. That's theirs to keep. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> We are one of the most attended coronations throughout the year for our dedication, our friendliness, and our welcoming I'm going to get choked up. I'm sorry. Our welcoming ways into the St. Francis community. If we're here in town, people are always here wanting to talk to us, get to know about our program. And if we're out in town, they come to us to find us because these girls make a huge impact on everybody that they meet. At this time, I would also like to invite you guys to the NOA Day Parade on October 25th at 11 o'clock at Rick Sorenson Park where we will be serving all the other communities at their parade with 10 to 15 different soups, grilled cheese sandwiches, desserts, and a hot chocolate bar. We also welcome you guys to come dressed for the theme. It is Alice in Wonderland. So, we are looking for people to dress up as the guards that are walking along or the armed guards. Um, I just want to thank you guys for the opportunity for us to serve you guys as the ambassadors of the city, spreading goodwill and cheer throughout the state of Minnesota and western Wisconsin. They were just over North Hudson and made an impressive um stance with the spaghetti eating contest. So, um, she finished under two minutes and the other three timed out, but they had to do a half pound of spaghetti in a spaghetti eating podcast. >> So, um, but I just wanted to come today and present this award to you guys. Um, it's not just mine, but it's the whole city's. So, thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for everything you guys do. I >> I I I I recognize after pioneer days I just there's no question in my mind you guys are >> you are top-notch when it comes to what you're doing. So I appreciate it. Thank you. >> Sorry. All right. >> Great. >> That's why you have so many. >> Thanks for calling. >> Thank you guys. I thought it was going to be like 15 minutes. >> Well, I'd say anybody else want to speak, but seeing nobody else here, I think we clear room. >> Go on. I >> think we'll move on to uh new business. Kate, >> yes. >> Mayor, council, before you tonight is a policy request change for personnel policy. Currently, our city personnel policy awards employees a stipen for the use of their personal cell phones. There are two different cost levels. Uh $75 a month for the supervisors, department heads, and building official, $45 a month for other staff. um with ongoing cyber security and ongoing um issues with security along with some upcoming requirements from the BCA which will be implemented into our Metro Inet um accounts and just the general crossover data privacy. There's several reasons. Um, the city is looking at going towards a not a stipen, but away from a stipen and to a device specifically. It's the same carrier that currently carries our hotspots, currently carries our officer devices. Um, so with them, we would get a rate of $40 a month, which is a savings from our current. Uh before you is the proposed or initial policy where we had existing staff having a choice and then any new staff hired after November 1st. Um having a requirement that they when they're hired, they will just get a phone for that. Um, as I talked to the mayor before this meeting, he is proposing changing that to um, all non-union will begin November 1st, but any of the uh, staff that are within a bargaining unit, it would change at the end of their current contract. Therefore, not giving the existing um, users the the choice of one or the other. Um, I have not had a chance to talk to Dave with that if there's any concerns. But what I would propose is um, looking at this language tonight and if you're comfortable, I could work with Dave and we could get that language changed in here if you're all in favor of that or or we could get that update and bring it back at the next meeting. So either either would work. >> Thank you. Questions? Uh, Kevin, >> I have a question. How many phones does that entail, Kate? Uh we have roughly 30 if I remember correctly. Uh 20 25 >> 25 phones. So then every every employee then would have their their personal phone. They'd also have to be carrying a separate phone. >> Correct. Mayor and council. We would not allow personal use on the city device. Um and it would be a separation of getting the business out of the clutter of the personal devices. Currently, is there is there uh city emails going through their personal phone as well as well as their personal email? I mean, if Paul's away from the office, his email chirps, is it is it tripping in his own phone now? >> Yes. So, currently, mayor and council, we as especially as department heads and then our our water and sewer supervisors have several business programs on our phones. Everything from the financial system to our emails, both personal and work. We've got um public safety tools. So, there's a lot of different software programs and apps that we're having on our personal phones. So, this would separate that completely. >> So, that that that was my next question. Your personal phone then become your personal phone. All the data and information, apps, whatever would go to the city phone, so to speak. >> Correct. It would it would clear it would clear the that kind of mix that we have now. Um a lot of us, you know, can use an app where you're merging emails or calendars. It it would separate all of that. Um right now Metro Inet doesn't allow you to transfer your email or your calendar to a Gmail, right? There's already some of those layers of protection because they're trying to stop it from that backside. They're having to put layers in into those accounts to even make that wall tighter because of the current cyber security just increasing. But by handing them a device, correct? We would all be carrying two devices and one would solely be for business as we put it in the policy that they can't get rid of their personal phone and just use the city one to >> to benefit themselves. That it truly is a business account. Um, but it would take all that business off their personal fold. >> And just on the darker side then the bad side would be you'd be burdened with two phones. If you go if Kate goes on vacation, she's now saddled with company phone because somebody might have to reach for something and then you have your personal phone. So you got to babysit two of these devices now. >> Correct. And that's that's fairly common. um a lot of cities are going this way and and a lot of cities are are looking even at different layers of management of the city devices. So this really would be our step one to separate the business watch the security continue to work with Metro Inet and then there may be some programming that would have to come even into our business phones in the future because cyber security is just becoming such a risk. So the employee then won't have the option period to have any of that data, any of that information on their personal phone. It will be completely separated. I know there's a convenient I guess what I'm getting as the convenience factor. Well, maybe I'll just have it on both devices. No, that's not the way it I'm was wondering if that's the way it should shouldn't go, right? >> It shouldn't, mayor council. So it the best step would be for them to take it completely off their personal advice. That said, if something is left on their personal device, they will get um another background program from Metro Inet on all the business accounts, all the city accounts. So, it it will be in the background if they keep it on their personal devices. >> I guess what I'm saying is then if somebody's insistent on keeping some of that stuff on their personal phone, why even invoke the second phone to begin with, then they're still going to they're going to ride the fence, so to speak. And not saying anybody will elect to do that, but you know how it goes. you get used to it or whatever. >> Correct. They could. Yeah. We we don't have a a system where we're checking the personal phones to ensure it's off of there. >> Right. >> Um but it would be a hope that if they're handed a a city device that that they're >> cleaning up their personal one and and getting that transfer. >> All right. And one last thing, I know with city council numbers, we all have our own numbers 20 like mine I think is 20 753 2315. when somebody calls me, my personal number is then exposed. I haven't had any issues with that in the six plus years I've been doing this, but is there anything down the road that is there any barriers or any filters they can put in that in the future or because as council people, we've been exposed anyway all these years. So, >> yeah, mayor council. So, when they call your number that you should always be giving them your city number >> and that would roll it rolls to your phone. So your actual phone number doesn't come up until you call them back, >> right? >> But I think other counsel is it star >> six seven >> 67 where you can actually block your number when you're calling out. So it would take that step where you're blocking it if you continue to use your personal advice. >> I don't know about about the other members. I like I said I haven't had any issues. Thank goodness it's been you know it is what it is. So, do you think down the road we need we do we need an actual tutorial? Or Joe, do you know or Sarah, do you guys know Star 67? >> Have you known about that? >> Probably Google, >> Joel. >> Yeah, I do. I do know Star. Well, and I I don't know. We used to use it as kids. You know, you got the star star 67, star 69, and there's something with the star eight, too, as well. And I don't remember what that I don't remember what any of them are, but star 67, I believe, is the blocking one. Um, I've had to call people back and I just I don't worry too much about it only because what are you going to do I guess if you're going to call them back and kind of do your job or you can't just wait for them to call you back. But then the other thing is >> is all of our well at least I know my personal number is exposed on like the last filing. You have to put your your personal address and all that stuff when you file. So it is on the Secretary of State's website >> unfortunately I think. But I don't know if you know I think the the main concern is like with the the recent stuff that's happened in the state unfortunately with um some of those representatives uh that were targeted. Um I think that's the biggest concern. Um I don't know if at the city level and I would pray obviously not that it it wouldn't be an issue but um but yeah it's you can start 67 to block it. I just don't know if people are going to answer it. I mean me working where I'm working right now currently I mean when I call people sometimes I get blocks. It's an out of state number, so it can get frustrating to to deal with that, too. But I would think if they did call you, you could call them back and leave them a message and tell them to call you back. And then I guess if they if it's important to them, they could always do that. But that'd be one layer of protection you could use. Um, as of now. >> Okay, that's all I had. Thank you. Thank you, Kate. Joel, you want to go next or? >> Uh, yeah. I don't uh I don't have really any questions. I think obviously if it's going to save us money, it's uh not a bad thing. I think separating it for security reasons makes sense. Um I always kind of wonder how much security we need at the at the city level, but I guess the more the better. So I don't have an issue with it. >> Sarah, >> yeah, Kevin asked questions that I had and I agree with Joe. I think if it's a a cost saving and I think anything that we can do to just heighten that security a little bit. I know there's a little bit of an inconvenience with it, but I think that in this day and age, we have to kind of take those steps and it does become inconvenient. But, and I'm I'm also guessing that in the very near future that um personal addresses and cell phone numbers are going to be much harder to get in. Like, I think there's going to be a legislation moving forward very quickly on that to get those addresses and such off of there. Unfortunately, again, the people who want to find out where you live, the people who want to do the bad things, they're always going to find a way. But at least it's not just, oh, I can go on the Secretary of State's website, print it all off, and boom, I'm gone. So, yeah, I think I think it's a policy that we need to move forward with. >> Sure. Amy, >> I don't have any questions. Just Sorry, I'm late. >> That's good enough. Uh yeah and like as I Kate mentioned I mean I talked to her about it. I just think we have to I think we have to put a deadline for the conversion. So any current contracts when they expire that's the thing where maybe hold outs would have to convert. So other than that I think the fact that it's it's addressing the security thing it's making the security better and it's saving money. It's I think it's a win-win like Kevin said. I mean, it's the only downside is you're carrying two devices. I get it, but that's that's life. So, um, and the only other comment I could make, it has nothing really to do with the phone thing. I don't know if people caught it with with Todd's email about security, things you can do. If you read through, there's a lot of recommendations there as a as a public official, different things you can do to lessen your amount of information out there on you. So Joe, >> um I did have one quick question. Um so the I don't know if we're moving forward tonight because we did have to touch base with Dave uh as far as the legal stuff. I I would assume. So I didn't know or are we just kind of getting a consensus tonight and then moving forward to the next meeting or what's the goal there? I guess >> I'm going to let Dave speak to that real quick. Sure. That's my understanding and that staff and I will work to tweak the policy a little bit. Okay. >> Um the appropriate motion would be a motion to continue to the next meeting. Okay. >> And then we'll do our work, bring it back to you folks. We've got your feedback. >> Um and you can take a final look at >> the full policy. >> Okay. >> So, any more discussion? I I'll make that motion to continue discussion for the city's cell policy. The continu continuation. Do I have a second? >> I'll second it. >> Uh roll call, please. >> Mayor Vogle >> I. >> Council members Melbour >> I. >> Ponis >> I. >> Edvig. >> I. >> Robinson. >> I. >> Thank you everyone. Thank you Kate. Meeting open to the public. Seeing no one, we will continue on down to city administrator report. >> Mayor and council, I don't have a lot tonight. Just to mention, we received four additional applications for the community development director. Two have qualified for first round of interviews. So, that will happen tomorrow and then we are still looking at the 22nd to bring the candidates to you. Other than that, we are still sitting with a potential 2 million on the federal bonding request. Uh, but we have had no updates in probably two, three weeks again. So, that's been quiet. Other than that, just I think everybody's getting back to new routines with school starting and here we go. So, >> any questions? Kate. Okay. Thank you, Kate. on to council member reports. Uh we'll start with Amy. >> I have nothing to report. >> Thank you, Amy. Joel, >> um well, I spoke with Kate earlier today just to kind of catch up on things. Um other than that, I'm hoping to be in town. Um well, I've been told I've been coming home on Monday, but now that might have got pushed back a few days, so I'm hoping I'll be in town for the town hall. Um, I don't know 100% um yet, but we'll see how that goes. So, that's all I have. >> Thank you, Joe. Sarah, >> um, I was supposed to go have a upper runwater upper water management. That's can't I make it? I hate saying you are. Um, they did um, they are meeting tonight at 6:30. Of course, I'm not there. Andrew was supposed to be there. Um, they did send out an email earlier today. We are rescheduling a pontoon tour. So fingers crossed they get to go. That sounds fun because we have to do it. We'll have to do it before our next meeting will be doing ice fishing instead of a pontoon tour. So and then I we had the work session on August 25th and I that I don't know that's all I have. >> Thank you sir. Kevin >> nothing really to report. Just a reminder that September 15th, um, we have the count during our regular council meeting, we're talking about upcoming tax levy, sewer and water rates, etc., and some it'll be informative and I hope people make the opportunity to come out. >> Kevin, >> uh, I got several things. I went to the chamber meeting on August 20th. Just again, can't thank them enough for what they what they're doing. Uh, that was quickly followed by a Bridge Street Extension think tank meeting I'm going to call if nothing else and the discussion continues. So it's it's been a very good discussion. I I don't know where it's going to take us yet, but we we are progressing and I I would say sooner rather than later we'll have some final things to come to council with, but it's it's progressing nicely. So uh then I also met with Paul and Parish just to try and increase my knowledge about our sewer and water water rates. So that was a very good discussion. Thank you for your time on that. I sat in on a uh zoning request meeting that will be coming come between up to planning and zoning here at the next meeting. just sat in with Kate on on that to clarify things and they're coming through with an application now. So, uh, last one then was the fire district work session that we all were at on August 25th. And the only other thing I have to report on is sadly Anoka County rephrase this carefully. Noa County declined our request to come speak to them about to come speak to us about ASAP. They want to do it on a small scale level rather than a public level. So at least to get the ball rolling, Kevin and I will be meeting with uh rep representatives from local county along with some staff to hear their take on it and then potentially we'll involve all the rest rest of you. I we just have to go along. I'm curious what they're going to say. So, at least the discussion continues, but they they will not be coming forward anytime soon at one of our meetings. Let's just put it that way. So, that's all I have. And now I'm going to read. We're going to go into uh close meeting here. >> Thank you, Dave. In a few minutes, I'm going to close the meeting. Under Minnesota statute section 13D.03, subdivision 1. The city council has the ability to move into a closed meeting. Two, the governing body of a city may by a majority vote in the public meeting decide to hold a closed meeting to consider strategy for labor negotiations, including negotiation strategies or developments or discussions and review of labor negotiation proposals. Labor negotiations are a proposal between the city of St. Francis and the 49ers representing the public works department. I now ask for a motion to move the meeting into close session for discussion of labor negotiations. >> Motion >> motion by council uh Councilman Udvig. Do I have a second? >> I'll second it. >> I am now closing the meeting at 6:24. >> Oh, roll call. Sorry. Roll call vote. >> Jenny Vogel. >> I. >> Council members Melbour >> I. >> Bonis. >> Hi. >> Uvig. >> I. >> Robinson. Hi. >> I'm now closing the meeting at 6:24 p.m. >> Joe, I'm going to end this meeting and then start the other one. Okay. >> Yep. No bands.