Chaska City Council — Transcript
Monday, November 2, 2026
Chaska Crime Prevention Fund Update
Consent Items Review
2027 Prosecution Contract Renewal
Council and Staff Reports
Votes (3)
Visitor Presentation: CHASA Crime Prevention Fund
Dissent: None
Julie, Barbara Carlson, and Peggy Hatfield presented the mission and activities of the Chaska Crime Prevention Fund, a 501c3 formed in April to support the Chaska Police Department. They detailed involvement in community events like the PD open house (serving 350 root beer floats), the 4th of July, and Fire and Ice. The fund has raised about $10,000, sponsored pizza for the Teen Academy, and secured $4,500 for the Heroes and Helpers program, including a $2,500 Target grant. Future goals include a wellness dog and reward funding for the PD. Council members lauded the initiative for filling budgetary gaps and recognized the dedication of its founders.
Approval of Consent Items
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member Benish [0:14:13] · Seconded by Council Member Gro [0:14:17]
Mayor Huard sought clarification on item 7A concerning low-potency hemp license renewals, confirming they are staggered approvals throughout the year. Council Member Gro inquired about item 7B, the bid award for a new transformer. The City Administrator explained the significant 24-month lead time due to industry backlog but assured the council of the vendor's reputability and the appropriate screening of the substation site in the West Creek business park.
2027 Prosecution Contract
Dissent: None
Moved by Council Member Chevlin [0:42:15] · Seconded by Council Member Hatfield [0:42:21]
Carver County Attorney Mark Mets presented the 2027 prosecution contract with the Carver County Attorney's Office, outlining an increase in fees stemming from a recent audit to better reflect service costs. A five-year phase-in plan was introduced to soften the financial impact on cities. Mets highlighted the county's victim-centered approach, strong inter-agency relationships, and commitment to prosecuting cases, as well as the diverse responsibilities of his office (legal advisory, child support, appeals, commitments). Mayor Huard raised concerns about the equitable distribution of costs among contracting cities, particularly regarding case complexity versus volume, and requested more detailed data on case types. Mets assured annual adjustments based on a three-year average of cases and a planned deeper audit in five years, acknowledging the challenge of hourly tracking but emphasizing overall value and commitment to public safety. He also showcased the success of the county's Substance Abuse and Veterans Court treatment programs.
Notable Quotes (6)
We're here basically to support the police department. So for their outreach and for their programs.
I think it's important because you guys kind of do some of that um gap funding or whatever you want to maybe call it... Things that just budgetarily aren't allocated through the normal police department. So, it's really special to have you start this 501c3 to kind of fill those needs...
Yeah. And unfortunately, this is one of the um one of the lead time things that are out there. Uh I mean there's some people it's taken as long as 3 to four years to get a transformer built. There's a extreme backlog of transformers out there.
This year we took a really deep dive to be fair to the cities, be fair to the county to see, you know, what is the rate that we're getting and should it be higher, should it be lower?
I'm not saying you're not of good value. You are. I'm just saying that the rate schedule set amongst the cities and the percentages cuz I ran kind of the data. Yeah. It's kind of like zigzag. There are some communities where their case loads went down but they are still having to pay more.
And it's it's a commitment like the people in Carver County that probation, the courts, others to take this on because we didn't go and oh Mark, you get another prosecutor and oh, court services gets another. They said no, we're going to take this on because they care.
Ordinances & Resolutions (5)
Tax-exempt status for the Chaska Crime Prevention Fund
Annual contract with Carver County Attorney's Office for prosecution services
Master plan guiding development and redevelopment in downtown Chaska
Design and development plan for the new Chaska library
Annual renewals for businesses selling low potency hemp