All right. Will you rise and recite the pledge of allegiance with us? 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. >> All right. Thank you very much and good morning on this day after Labor Day. Uh public comments is next on our agenda. We have a light agenda today and so unless any county staff uh feels an urgent need to stand at the podium, I will move on to agenda review and adoption. >> Uh Mr. Chair, I would move the agenda. >> Second. Oh, he got >> Okay, I got a motion by Commissioner Lynch and a second by Commissioner Fehee to approve the agenda. Any discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor say I. >> I. Commissioner Anderson moves approval of the September 1st, 2026 uh minutes and read my mind. >> Commissioner Fehee has uh kindly seconded that. Any discussion on the minutes from September 1? >> Hearing none, all those in favor say I. >> I. >> Those opposed. Motion passes. Community announcements. >> Commissioner Lynch, >> I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend and uh was safe. The harvest is coming up. You can see the beans turning. I would like to have a shout out to the Watertown Red Devils. Uh was down in Shakipi yesterday where they placed second in the state class B uh amateur baseball. It was uh they had a really good run, great season, but unfortunately the uh Plato Blue Jackets. Blue Jackets, whatever. >> Blue Jays. >> Blue Jays. Blue Jays. Uh we're victorious over uh but it was um it's I've always mentioned that you don't have to go to Minneapolis to see great sports. Um even though Chanhass didn't have a team this year, they won it four times in a row which is unbelievable. Um Del lost out. Plato won it. Watertown took second. Young America was in it to the quarters or semiis. It was just the the Crow River League is wonderful baseball. Anyway, I just wanted to mention that. Then the Cubs were in it too. Uh the Wakonia Lakers, the the Carver team, there's just uh great baseball here and you don't have to go to Minneapolis to see a great uh sporting event. So with that, thank you. >> Excellent. Go Carver County. >> Commissioner Fehey. >> Yes, that was actually my first community announcement. Also, just congratulations to the Plato Blue Jays. And more importantly, there were three Central High School Norwood Young America graduates that played on that team. Zack Stockman, Will Hernan, and Michael McIntune. So, congratulations to those young men and and the Blue Jays. Second, uh, Steamboat Day this weekend in Carver. If you have an opportunity to [snorts] go to downtown Carver starting on Friday, runs through Sunday for food, fun, music, and then there's a parade at noon on Sunday. So, we will see you at the parade. And then also we have the Marryiam Bridge ribbon cutting today. Uh that is 12:12:30 this afternoon. This initiative is a critical and breathtaking connection between Carver and Scott counties. This is much more than a new bridge or a new stretch of trail. It's a connection that has been more than a decade in the making and creates new opportunity for both Carver and Scott County residents as well as the entire metro region. The Minnesota River is one of the defining natural features of this area. It has also been a major barrier in trying to connect the two systems. Now that changes though the ribbon cutting will happen today. And then finally, Mr. Chair, uh the celebration of philanthropy dinner is on September 16th. The community foundation for Carver County will hold its annual dinner on on the 16th at the Chesy Event Center. The evening is focused on celebration, connection, and community. And the awards in philanthropy uh this year will go to Richie Richie and Leavon Crayals of Nor Young America and also David uh Ponyi of Chaza for their contributions [clears throat] of time and talent and resources throughout Carver County. [cough] But welld deserved for Richie and Leavonne. I know them personally. Just really great people from the NY area. That's all I have Mr. Chair. >> Okay. Commissioner Anderson. >> All right. Commissioner Fehey, thank you so much for um for mentioning the uh philanthropy dinner on September 16th. Uh Dave Pakornney is a longterm um member or resident of Chaza, used to be the city administrator and and has indeed um done a lot for our community. Um, I also wanted to um mention that Chan Hass Chanhassen Civic Campus is open. Got a chance to kind of visit that this weekend. They have done a beautiful job um creating um a skate park and and a playground um around both its city um city hall and its library. And it's really nice to see kind of how they have embraced their library and made that really part of their community. It's a huge part of their community and um having that playground is is only going to kind of drive and make it even more popular. Um, I also wanted to mention this Saturday, um, Revitalizing Veterans Dreams is, um, hosting an event, um, if you like working out and working out hard. Um, this is the dream. This is the place for you. Come on, Commissioner Workman. You'll you'll love it. Um, Saturday, September 12th at 10:00 a.m. in Veterans Park in Chaza. And um it's hard to believe it's been 25 years since that awful day on September 11th, 2020 2001. Um and uh they're acknowledging um that that event. So if you can make it, go ahead and and be there. Promises to be a great event. And that's all I have. Thank you. >> Thank you very much, Commissioner Hutderman. >> Mr. Chair, a couple minutes late. Uh buses on labor uh backup. So apologies for being two minutes late. uh a lot of conversations and uh emails and about Highway 10. Good feedback from the community. So, thank you for the project team for responding to that. I know Commissioner Lynch has responded to a lot of those as well. A win for the Chesa Hawks on the football side. I know Commissioner Workman follows a lot of those football ones. Um it felt like a baseball score on that one, but good good start for our Hawks. Had a chance to be outside of our community and a handful of other uh counties along the way. It's interesting how many different signs are up. data centers are on people's minds, not just in the Midwest or in in the metro, but um in the southeast as well. We had a chance to be at Niagara uh caves and also Mystery Caves. Um it's interesting to see other communities and then also stay in Rochester um to gather some some insights what's going on around the state. Uh kids and I had a chance to be at the library on Friday. It was bustling and the gals at the front um desk um rifled through [snorts] all of the kids' questions and got them dozens of books and sent them on their way. And then finally, we're in apple season. We have the benefit of having a number of apple orchards in Carver County. So, be sure to get out and check out those apples. Healthy for the kids and a nice treat for the adults. Thank you. >> Great. Thank you. Uh yeah, I don't have a whole lot. Uh of my five teams I keep an eye on, four of them won. Chanhassen did not win. Uh I think they went all the way to Alexandria to not win. Uh Gophers won big. What a fun game. If you have a couple of punt returns in a football game, it's a pretty fun wild affair, which it was. It'll be a little tougher this week with Mississippi State. Uh but I'm sure the boys will pull through. Uh I also want to recognize the 911 uh stuff. Find something, find a way to to honor that day. Uh, I've said it before, my daughter, my oldest daughter, turned 16 on that day. What a 16th birthday. Um, didn't make it out to dinner that night. Um, so that's how old she is. Do that math. Um, uh, but that's all I have. Uh, thank you very much. And let's get a motion for the consent agenda. >> So moved. >> Second. Got a motion by Anderson, a second by Fehee for the consent agenda. Any discussion on that hearing? None. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed. Motion passes. All right. Regular session item 3.1 adjust public hours for career force chasa. Good morning. >> Good morning. >> Good morning board chair commissioners. Um, my name is Kate Robert Ferdendes. I'm a deputy director for Health and Human Services and I'm here to discuss our proposal for your consideration to adjust public hours in the career force chest which is located downstairs in this building. So, just couple reminders. What is Career Force? Career Force serves all um I should be moving slides. Sorry. Career Force serves um as Minnesota official resource for all of the career exploration and job seekers. Career Force Chester is an affiliate site for the career force meaning um county boards actually has oversight over this specific site and Carver County provides space and funding and IT support for the site. So we do have small um relationship with state of Minnesota but the career force affiliate site is fulland administration of the Carver County Board at this time. Um so the idea is that um career force brings together job seekers and employers and really supports our community to um find um to gain essential skills and get connected to jobs. And as I mentioned, our career force just is one of the three career force centers located within Henipin Carbo workforce development area. We have one um in Brooklyn Park, one in Bloomington, and here is one in Chesca. So for proximity, of course, our residents will have harder time get to Bloomington or to the Brooklyn Park sites. So that's why and Korea Force serves any residents. So people from nearby start county or other counties do come to career force to get services. Our career force operates with our health and human services workforce development you unit and our unit focuses on providing all of the workforce development programs services to residents who may not be enrolled in the program. So anybody who works in into career force gets the help. SNAP employment and training, our public assistance employment and training and child care assistance program. So we have a collections of employment type related activities happening within health and human services and we absolutely love it because we then have internal connections to other areas of health and human services where we look on families in more holistic manner. out to rea staffed with two full-time um team members which one of them also provides help to the family resource center. So we do share one FD between career force and the family resource center. Those two full-time team members also provide all of the administrative health assistance and and do additional um assistance to counselors as uh we administer programs. So current request for your consideration is to change career force public opening hours from Monday. Currently, we're open Monday through Friday, 8 to 4:30, and we would like your support in consideration of being open Monday through Friday, 9 to 4:00 p.m. So, why would we would like to propose to shift 7 to repurpose 7.5 hours per week of staff time and why we're coming to you right now? Well, first of all, we want to be very fiscally responsible. We're understanding um that we are in a very hard financial times and we want to maximize each team member's skills, abilities, knowledge and potential. We also have conducted a deep analysis of how our career force is being utilized. We have been tracking for the last last few months who comes in and what time what comes in and we noticing there is very little to no customer interruptions or impact if we change our hours. Majority of our people clustering in the afternoon later morning. [clears throat] We actually do have a little bit of a traffic during lunch hours. Hence, we are not proposing to be closed during lunch. Um, some career force choosing to close during lunchtime. We choosing not to because we actually have seen traffic during that time. Operating hours will align with some other career force in our region. As you see latest Scott County Korea force is also open 9 to4 and we do have customers that we do share with Scott County due to our proximity and location. So that would kind of align with c um how we provide services. Anybody who would arrive outside of our public hours will still get support. Our front desk will be responding to their needs and we have a counselor on call who will also provide um and talk to them. So they will not be turned away just because public hours they may not be able to use computers [snorts] or before 9 but they will get support. We'll have a staff member to assist them and talk with them and explain and respond to their needs and our health and human service front desk will handle of our chats and rehetor for center usage so we continue to keep accurate data. We also want to remind another big shift for us is we have new little requirements for SNAP and Medicaid which is going to bring more adults to fulfill their work requirements with bulk with coupled with consistent reports and documentations. We're going to be repurposing those hours for our cases to complete those intensive reports and documentation to made those additional personalized phone calls if while career force is open to help them enroll with necessary pro programs. We have quite a few phone calls to return as they come in. So we do need some dedicated time for our cases to do that. We also need their support for verification processes to ensure that we have compliance and we are managing quite a bit more cases with reduced funding. Our employment service council is right now at about 80200 case loads and they do require indepth individual contacts. We also need to be very mindful as you know and continue to focus on fraud detection and compliance reinforcement as I start mentioning employment service counseling childcare assistance workers experiencing major rise in case loads which couples then with additional paperwork additional phone calls additional support for customers counselors at 80 to 100 in some cases we're going a little bit higher and our childcare assistance workers at about 100 to 120 and we do have a wait list right now that we clean through. The [clears throat] increased requirements for intake and eligibility and case management demand really requires additional staff time to be able to process all of that paperwork. Uh we are planning on responding to multiple phone calls and we're also planning on staying in compliance with audits. Currently in income support workforce development area on any given day there's about one to five audits happening at the same time based on the program requirements. We have not seen that many audits in one months for the last few years. However, we I've been seeing it this year and we plan on continuing to seeing it. Childcare assistance has and we dealing with state audits and federal audits. We getting very little notifications about state or federal audits and we are expected because it's states and state and federal programs that being administered through state and federal government to comply immediately and the focus of those audits are compliance eligibility payments accuracy and program integrity. We're also seeing a much greater sample that's being pulled for the audit. If in the past maybe they'll pull one to three cases now they're going to pull five to 10 cases and they are literally looking and checking every single point. Did you record that half an hour activity in the workforce one? Did you record that half an hour activity in the childare assistance systems? We want to make sure that we stay in compliance to avoid penalties to the county which could result in financial penalties and or performance improvement plans which ultimately lead to financial penalty. So I desire to clearly not get into that situation. Fraud has been fraud center of child care assistance. Everybody knows about it. So childcare assistance being audited nonstop and state has been incredibly involved. A matter of fact, federal government just had a great audit with our county being selected last week for childcare assistance as well as childcare licensing. So we continue to have weekly meetings with state and federal partners and we plan and we are seeing this continue for any unforeseeable future I guess to make sure that we remain in compliance. We are conducting ongoing monitoring and we have to comply with Minnesota legislative mandates uh which actually passed enhanced requirements for fraud reporting detection and it translates that our case are actually prepping cases coming in making sure the paperwork is filed making sure that our case works on basis to matching our state systems making sure that every hour every paperwork and every case note is entered and dated. So they're really supporting counselors with those behind the scenes work. As I said, we did a deep analysis of what other Korea forest centers in Twin Cities are doing. And as you can see, majority of them choosing to close during uh lunch and we intentionally chose not to due to our data and start county is 9 to 4:00 p.m. um opening which we would be aligning with them. Similarly that many an county and um couple of henipin county um workforce centers or career forces only open by appointments and we still want to make sure that people can just come in schedule appointments adds additional layer of complexities which we're trying to avoid. So this is our motions for you to be considering. Um our motion is to approve new public hours for Korea for Chesca which is Monday through Friday 9 to 4 effective Monday October 19th which then allow us to work with our communication team and we have had some discussions with them and have preliminary communication plan in place um put giving required more than 30-day notice to public and making sure that public is aware of the hours change and again making sure that everything in place to respond to public needs regardless of those hours change. So, any questions that I may be able to answer? Thank you. >> Thank you, Kate. Anybody have any questions? Commissioner Anderson. >> All right, Commissioner Workman. Thank you. Um I appreciate staying open during lunch. I think that that is um just um it can be so disruptive. Um so I I appreciate that. I guess my real question is I understand the need for this and I understand the additional work because of HR1. Is is this going to be enough to to is is reducing these hours is it going to be um enough of a relief for that staff to to get the work done that needs to get done. for chair commissioners. Um, thank you um, Commissioner Anderson. Um, it is a very hard question to answer and I know I know >> so based on the data that we currently have and based on what so to speak looking and how work is being disturbed and getting dispersed and getting some internal um, things in place. We believe it's enough because we do want to find that balance between addressing needs of public because we also know we're going to be seeing increase of uh people who have to comply with the HR1 rules and SNAP and Medicaid. So we we do want to make sure that we don't impact anybody's medical or food assistance. So meaning we do want to stay open you know as much as we possibly can and we also need to comply with all the back and so we believe that's might give us that happy medium to the best of our abilities knowing the data we have and knowing what so to speak work that's coming to us >> right right >> so I appreciate your concern >> well and are you keeping track of you know how much I like data um are are you kind of keeping track of that workload. And um I mean as as I think we just need to I appreciate the balance. I just think we need to be mindful. Um if we overwork our staff then we can't um give our residents the the services that that they need and desire. So, um I just if we can kind of keep track of that workload and and keep us posted on how it's going. >> Absolutely. B chair to Mr. Anderson. Absolutely. Thank you. And I want to express deepest gratitude on your concern for the team members. So, we really do appreciate that. So, thank you. And yes, we we are keeping track of any data. We utilizing um we have a system where people signing in and out. We checking what they come in for and we of course checking and keeping track of work loads and how it's impact on the back end as well. But I want to again express gratitude for your concern for our team members on behalf of workforce team >> of course and honestly you know this is the most upstream work we do in the I shouldn't say that we do a lot of good upstream work but but helping people find um employment is is huge. >> Yeah. So, we need to make sure that we're giving you the resources you need. >> Thank you, Commissioner. Thank you. >> Amen. Anybody else? Commissioner Lynch. >> Um Kate, by shaving these hours off, do you anticipate lines? Um, Commissioner, board chair, Commissioner Lynch, um, we actually don't anticipate lines because we have been tracking it for about um, almost a year and we don't really have much traffic and if there's somebody comes in at between 89 or 4:30, they usually come in to pick something up. So that's why we intend in front desk to be able to provide that something could be bus card, gas card, um, sign employment plan quickly. The majority of actual work where staff needs to assist people happening between 9 and 4 with cluster being closer to noon and like between three. That's where we're seeing. We do have um some people who need more evening hours. You know, we're not open in the evening. So, the way we addressing those is we also do a lot of um communications and more individual work as well with people um in addition outside of career course. That sounds that sounds wonderful. Um I'm willing to go along with this. I would like to have a a sixmonth review though if we could just uh to report back and how just the reaction to the hours changing. Was it good, bad, indifferent? >> Absolutely. >> Okay. >> Word chair to commission Lynch 100%. I'll be happy to come back and provide updates and respond to all of you. >> It could just it could be just simply something as an email or you could have a full update, whatever you'd like to do. Perfect. Thank you, Commissioner. >> Thank you. >> Okay, >> Mr. Chair, I'll make a motion to approve the new public hours for Career Force Chaska Monday through Friday, 9 to 4, effective Monday, October 19th after the required 30-day public notice. >> Okay, >> I'll second. >> I have a motion by Fehee and a second by Anderson to approve item 3.1 here today. uh very important issue. Uh former Senator Coleman uh Norm Coleman would have said it more elegantly, but if whatever problem you have in your life, uh many of your problems in your life can be fixed by a good job. Homelessness, poverty, you name it. >> So, you're doing good work. [snorts] Thank you. >> All right. >> Just one comment for discussion. Uh I think this is an example, a good example of where constraint meets creativity. And you you wouldn't have wanted to do this otherwise given the environment we're in. You have to, right? And uh to echo what Commissioner Anderson was saying, we're looking at our staff and the impacts of those, but but even more so, we're looking at the impact of the community. And so creativity said, how do we at least interrupt and it doesn't sound like there's a big inter big interruption to be had by staff or by our clients. I also think that by expanding library access and also partnership with the F FRC, we are getting these services more than seven and a half hours incremental hours over the course of the last year into our community. And so, um, I I I can support I can support this because we're not reducing hours. We're just reshuffling them. And so, I appreciate you and your team. Sometimes you don't always get the credit because you got to come in and oh my gosh, we're going to trim ours and what does that look like and all that other stuff. But, I think this is a great example of where constraint meets creativity and we can find a good solution. So, thanks to you and your team for the work that you've done on this and the impact that's going to have. >> Thank you, Commissioner. If I may add, yes, family resource center does have employment services present at um on site during opening times for public to get support and we do have a mini computer lab in there and we continue to operate in Carver County libraries. So, and providing workshops there as well. So, thank you for making that point. >> Commissioner Worman, I have >> Mr. Anderson. >> Thank you. I have one more question. I forgot to ask what is our communication plan? >> So our communication plan is we will be uh providing updates utilizing career force website um family resource center um um and career force um Facebook pages. We're also going to be posting public notices. We're going to work with public health team to ensure that they actually put those flyers in the community itself. You know because we know that not everybody um able to access media. So, we're going to do some more personalized touches in the community that uses our services the most as well as working with CDA to make sure they senior housing and people who actually going to be impacted by AirH1 is also fully notified um utilizing their housing facilities and putting information in there. >> Okay. Once again, you have thought of everything. So, I appreciate that and yes, I look forward to that six-month update. >> Thank you, Commissioner. >> Thank you. Okay. Hearing no other discussion, we have a motion and a second on this item. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed. Motion passes. Thank you, Kate. >> Thank you. Thank you, board chair. Thank you, commissioners. >> Thank you, Kate. >> All right. Item 3.2, Minnesota DNR, Environmental Natural Resources Trust Fund Grant for Lake Minawashta Regional Park Restoration. Good morning, Mr. Chair and members. Thanks for your time today. I'll be brief. [clears throat] As you typically note, uh grant agreements and uh work through contract or vendors typically hits your consent agenda, but I thought this item in particular needed >> just 10 minutes on your regular agenda here. So, we'll we'll be brief going to cruise through a few things here. Some of the natural resource activities that have occurred at Lake Minasha Regional Park here more most recently, project overview in terms of what's coming and then our communication strategy within and then next steps. And I do have a requested board action for you to consider. Um so just briefly here where we've been at Lake Monawasha Regional Park in particular with um response to our stewardship of natural resource particularly in the EAB emerald ashbor response that's been of course the poster child in the natural resource scene last 5 years even be you know past that and and certainly looking forward around 600 uh dead ashes have been removed from the park through contractor mostly in high use areas where a safety hazard is is the concern along the park roadway couple three years ago now we took down the majority of those were in the off leash dog area that is a heavily used facility. Priority ash trees have been treated here a number of years we've been treating some of our priority ash trees which really means areas where again high use occurs around the beach parking areas kind of the boulevard trees as you come down that have some um value in that regard. Uh this last spring late spring we planted um about 60 shade trees there. a grant funded project um state dollars that allowed us to put in 60 about 3-inch trees out of Wilson's nursery did did a really nice job. Those are in the park. Um general stewardship of course is part of our work program every year whether that's invasive species management, tree removal, again responding. EAB, our guys are are doing that work. Beach vegetation management, making sure that the beaches are swimmable and safe. Um and then the rain gardens that we manage within the park. within the last three years. I'd say maybe more of the most significant things we did was complete a natural resource management plan for the park. And I bring that up because it's the only natural resource management plan that we have um within our park system today of the three park areas or trails would could have natural resource management plans. We completed that in 2024 and that's significant because it's really what opened the door to the funding that we'll talk about here today. So, we do have um a project upcoming that's funded um here through the LCCMR um which is really a pass through grant to the DNR um their environmental natural resource trust funds. 392K was awarded to uh Carver County in this last legislative session. Um again, it's uh a grant program managed by the DNR. Um, and I'll say here at this point that generally said there's a that's kind of the silo of money at this point in the parks and wreck kind of scene. There is pretty stable funding for natural resource work and that's again why it was a priority in 24 to establish our natural resource plan for the park and with the intention to continue to move through the park system and establish plans. So it opens up funding of this type for additional work in natural resource stewardship. The 392 will fund uh a restoration project about 12 acres at Lake Mowash Regional Park. It's consistent, of course, with the natural resource plan for the park. And really what it delivers is it it really elevates the condition on natural resource landscape value from what's there today to where we'll get into the future. General schedule here. Um we're working right now, I'll say, on all the soft things. Um again, executing the grant, project development, working uh towards bidding here, um mid I'd say midfall. uh removals if we're on schedule will start um here really at the turn of the year, but I think our our guys can conduct some of the work on the front end as an efficiency for the contract. Of course, the northern longeared bat, as you're all aware of with any construction project, is really the driving factor of of a removal schedule. Um planting and establishment would be scheduled for start of next growing season, Mayish, and continue through uh the fall, depending on the types of of habitat cover we're looking to to to plant. And then maintenance is part of the grant um agreement for a three-year period. Right now all um the intention would be all functions of the project be funded by the grant. Um we do have contingency dollars which are actually county dollars budgeted for schedule E money um of 100k that could support the project if bid response is not favorable or the intent of the 100k is to then use that as a future application matching dollars to again go out and try to get additional ENRTF funding at a later date. So here's a couple good visuals again of of where the project is uh planned to occur at the park. the pro uh the map on your right side of the screen with more color um is pulled from our natural resource management plan for the park. Um we're in management unit one, MU1 right up here is where the project will occur. And the map on your left shows a more specific representation of that 12ish acres approximately. It's the red polygon with hashes through it to orientate you. The off leash dog area really is about right here. Oh, I'm off right here. Parking for the off leash dog area. This is the shop supporting uh park operations here in the caretaker house where we rent cross country skis is there. So, kind of the northerly most portion of the park. Um this was selected for a number of reasons. One, again, uh ash trees are everywhere in the park. So, there is an ashtree concern there. Uh two, a thought of kind of working your way systematically through the park over time was really the intent. your start somewhere and continue to kind of work your way out or work your way in a particular direction and accomplishing things of course as you go. I'll flip to the next page here because I I really again the intent of 10 minutes with you is to make sure and I was able to take uh Commissioner Workman out and Commissioner Anderson out uh being it's in Tom's district. It it'll be a significant impact to the landscape of of the park and I want to make sure that that's uh understood by the board and kind of give you some good information should you hear from constituents and I suspect you will. This photo is a pretty good representation. Of course, you see plenty of dead ashries there, but you also see some more mature white pines in in this photo in particular, some taller ones. Again, means and methods and I'll say full scope is not nailed down at this point, but I would prepare for um again almost in comparison to 2019 at Lake Wonyi Regional Park. Effectively, all trees on the park landscape in that project area were removed. It looked very different when 2019's phase one was conducted at Wakoney Regional Park. I believe that'll be the most efficient way to look at this 12 acres. I don't believe a contractor is going to come and say, "Well, let's leave these white pines that are maybe 40 or 50 year old trees and then come behind and remove those at a later date because it doesn't set the project up for success out of the jump." What likely gets planted here is whips and maybe some smaller again 2 inch to 3 in B andB size shade trees, but it will not be likely efficient for the contractor to leave some of those larger things just for aesthetic value on the on the short term and then have to remove uh in the long term. So again, preparing the board for really what what'll change on the landscape and and having park users most likely reach out. So we do have a good communication strategy coming together with AR's group. You know, really the the the goal here, the the way to tackle work like this is tell the story on the front end, tell a good story in the front end. What are the objectives of the project? Um, clear messaging on the impacts. We don't want to, I'll say, mislead folks. Again, it will look very different. I want don't want to call it a clearcut, but it'll look very different than what is there today, the understory, some of those large trees. There is some areas within there where there is some good hardwoods that uh will remain. So, we'll work around that, of course, but generally said, a lot of the uh vegetation will be removed there. We're required to develop project website. That's an LCCMR requirement. So, we'll have that launch for the public. That'll direct people to full information. Signage is ready to go. That'll go in the field here um with an anticipation of board uh recommendation or approval, excuse me, of of proceeding with the project and the and the grant. We'll get that out in the field um you know, this month and then we'll continue on with our typical tools, our social medias and our press releases and our e-newses. um I think will be key to update you all through email. um I'll say significant milestones or things you'll hear from folks on which again example might be means and methods has not been nailed down but with all that vegetation it'll probably be something the contractor's interested in and piling things up and burning it on site and so we're not talking a little campfire we're talking probably a fire that's you know 20 to 30 feet tall potentially right so those are things that we'll update the board on those are the things that we'll make sure our city partners are aware on with that one in particular of course the city of Chanessen uh would need to issue a burn permit So, we'll go through accomplish those things, but um key updates to the city partners and to you all about what's what's coming and when. So, again, do have a request for the board to consider and then some next steps. Um park commission is going to with the way this board count or the calendar fell this month, park commission will see this tomorrow night. So, we're a little bit of uh out of normal process. Uh I anticipate them uh recommending the project and the grant tomorrow night without without any concern. again deploy field signage uh ASAP so get folks aware of what's coming. Um we'll finalize the product project website and launch that and then we're going to proceed with with what's in front of us related to planning um bidding and and getting the project put together. So with that I'll stand for any questions Mr. Chair. >> Okay. Uh thanks Sam. Um it was a nice tour out there with uh Commissioner Anderson and I. Um uh in trying to maybe get ahead of this. Uh I think I think your language was right on and polite. Uh but this isn't going to look very polite. Um and so we we have to imagine uh I thought it was 15 acres. It's only 12. But that's a lot of brush and trees. And I'm not sure a person could even walk through this 12 acres. It is thick. It's not good. This is a project meant to improve the park. Uh it just won't seem that way by next spring when there is a lot of it missing. And so certainly people will have concerns and questions, but it is a project just like a just like a bad road. Um, you got to imagine that we're going to get rid of that and we're going to have a better, safer, prettier road that I've noticed over my career. Uh, Minawashta Parkway comes into mind. That was a bad road. Um, [clears throat] but it was hard. Um and this this will to the uh usual user of Minowashta Regional Park uh it will look like uh I think I think we use the word a bomb went off and so um >> uh but you children out there listening will have a really nice uh park uh and this will be really good for you guys down the road. So, any any questions? Any motions? >> Mr. Fehey, >> thank you. Sam, just a question on the removal part of it. Um, will they go in and cut them all down to the stumps and then come in, for example, with a bulldozer and tear the stumps out or do they grind all that down and then what is the soil restoration after that? It's is it going to look like a plowed field when it's done and then they'll come back and do the planting? >> Good question, Mr. Chair. Commissioner Fay, that's a great question and very honestly, I don't know right now. I don't know what the means and methods will be in the plan. Again, we're that's what we're going into next is planning and specifications on items just like that. What what will make the most sense? >> I have some background in natural resource. It I had, you know, was a minor when I was in college, but I'll say this. This is the most significant natural resource work we have done in my 16 years with the county. And if Marty was sitting here, I think he'd say the same thing. You know, we have not been able to really take a full step into this line of work, uh, this area of work to this degree in magnitude. So, some of the stuff where I'll say we're we are very much learning as we go. We'll have a consultant on that'll again, um, put together the plan, and that's where their expertise will come in and say, well, what is the best means and methods to set the project area up long term for success? >> And then, do you want to go back to the map, please, Sam? So, in general, the public is probably going to have no idea that this is taking place unless they're driving into the park. Good, good question. Yep, Commissioner F. The blue lines um represent existing pedestrian trail. So, there is um there will be visibility. I would be shocked if people are not keenly aware of this. Um again, I anticipate I don't want to say logging grade equipment there, but there will not be hand tools and skid steers. there will be very large equipment there that won't be missed. Um, you know, again, if we get a winter, these are all maintained as as ski trails. There will be some small impact there in that trail within the project area will not be usable, of course. And I could even see the outer perimeter being an area that's not suitable for for pedestrians, of course, depending on on how that comes together and the timing. Um, >> did I answer your question, John? Sorry. >> Yes. Y question. Um, I think you're doing the absolutely the right thing. It's all about communication, getting ahead of this. Uh, make sure it's posted uh a month or two before I see Lyndon in the room and his construction updates are absolutely wonderful. I've been on the phone uh a lot and emailing with people up and down Highway 10 and I get them on the the construction updates and they get the emails and it settles everyone down. They want to know what's what's going to happen. If if Commissioner Workman is correct, he said it's going to look like a bomb went off and it probably sounds like it is. What are they doing and why? And if they can just click on to the the Oh, okay. That's going to be really nice in the backside. It's all about communication and you're doing it right by being here today. [snorts] >> Maybe maybe a picture of the Garden of Eden as we imagine it. Something like that. Commissioner Anderson, you did have a >> I did have a question and and can you go to the slide um with the trees? um that one. Um and and thank you, Commissioner Workman, for inviting me along on on this little this little trip. Um [clears throat] when you look at these trees, you do realize that this isn't and as what you said is this isn't quality. And so kind of returning it back to its natural resources is what its natural state is what we're going to um is what we're going for here. Um, this is a longterm plan. This is 20 or 30 years. And um, so I appreciate you kind of giving us a heads up about it. I I was grateful to to have the tour um, the communication plan. Tyler was out with us so that so that we could talk through that. this will be noticeable and it will be looked like like we're destroying this area and um sometimes things have to get worse before that they get they get better. Um what are we doing to ensure that um those that are still visiting the park and on the off leash dog park are are going to um remain safe in this process because when I hear big equipment when I hear potential fires I think oh my um so so what are we doing to keep our residents safe? >> Yep. [clears throat and cough] Mr. Chair, Commissioner Anderson, great question. I anticipate trail closures. I anticipate, you know, a perimeter here that's unavailable to the public. Certainly, >> again, depending on timing and what kind of win. I'm hearing El Nino. Is that the El Nino? What's the dry one? >> I'm hearing dry and warm. So, don't uh >> don't your skis yet, but you know, I see closures here, right, where the pedestrians are not park users are not able to use a portion of the park, this portion of the park. >> Yeah. I see potential using our our highway signage that we frequently do at the front of the park indicating again burn pits or burn fires um brush fires occurring today so people come in and are at least on an alert that if they see 20 foot flames they are not calling 911 you know so that that's a tool we've used in past with Lynon's group so >> those kind of things will come as a part of the contract what's required and then where do we need to support through park operations >> y >> do you anticipate closing the entire park down for a couple of days for any of this? >> Great question. And I would say I'd come back to you all for that decision. I cannot think of a time in my 16 years we've closed the park. So, no, I that would be something I think the board would want to weigh and consider because again, low time of the year, all those things, but closing a park that people are, you know, heavily using >> I get it is a policy decision. So, >> yeah, >> I would I would not think so. I think there's certainly ways we can work around what's got to occur here and keep the park open. >> Okay. Thank you. If I can back up, Mr. and I meant to mention it. I think this is probably the most um usable information for you all when you get questions from constituents. And it's generally said that through mech council policy language, natural resource stewardship is at the same priority or value as developed portions of the park. So, this is by design. This is this is certainly a choice, but it's by design that this is an an importance or a priority uh for the county and for obviously for our park operations to do this work. It's no different than again building a building or maintaining a beach in terms of regional policy language. This is rooted in the mission of what we do as natural resource. So I think that kind of helps maybe when people say well why are you doing this? Um that maybe helps a little bit that it it is important. It's part of the mission. It's much like the DNR stewardship of our natural uh areas and our landscapes and our open spaces is rooted in our mission. So >> uh want to mention that as kind of again the why. >> Yep. >> Mr. Chair, >> Commissioner. Uh, I know that we've had a lot of conversations with Three Rivers and you mentioned that we don't have an in-house expertise in this scope. Uh, have we bounced stuff off of them to see if they do and if they could be a partner and helper in this? I'd imagine they've done stuff like this given the size of their holdings uh, in the last decade. I >> have not bounced this off them, Mr. Chair. Commissioner, I have not bounced this off them. We're kind of keeping our head down and moving forward on this. There is some timing of course of keeping going depending on, you know, where the board goes with that topic. I do see the potential if that were to go forward. But I do see them folding in here and supporting. They have forestry groups. They have a natural resource division. So again, whether that's an efficiency of this project in terms of how a contractor might support. I I would say again the dollars are there. It's most likely we're going to go forward with using you know using outside help to to execute. But I think in terms of expertise, means and methods, efficiencies, they could potentially support. >> Thank you. So there will be uh obvious disruption on the trails bordering this piece of land, but the piece of land itself is not usable that nobody's using it, right? It's just thick and overgrown and so >> you're correct. Again, there's trails through here, but as as Commissioner Anderson mentioned, this is lowquality natural resource habitat and cover. Really, I didn't want to get too granular, but this was an old agricultural field that was left to go. [snorts] I didn't even show you the aerial there, but you could see again the agricultural practice, you know, decades ago, and there was really not a thought as to what it does it look like into the future, of course, at that time, and it was let to go. What's what the plan shows for the park, the natural resource plan is a deciduous basswood or hardwood forest around, and that's the intent. high level with this project is to point point this area down that track of not a not a you know a coniferous landscape or an lowquality deciduous trees like ash trees something more quality that aligns with the rest of the park in that particular area which is again native to the area. So >> our fore parents were forward thinking and obtaining this beautiful parcel but probably didn't have the money to get a good plan down. Mr. Attorney, >> thank you. So you probably anticipate the public also is going to want to know about the impact on wildlife. >> I'm sure you don't have all the answers for that, but wildlife's going to disperse. I don't know if there's a lot of deer living in there, wonderful squirrels, chipmunks, but I know the public wonder is this going to cause more accidents because they're relocated or whatever, but you probably don't have the answer, but be something to consider as well. >> Sam, [clears throat] >> yep, good comment, Attorney Man. The one of course, as I mentioned, is longear bat. So, we will be avoiding that because that one circled on everyone's list. When you're cutting trees down and are you in the in the in the bat season, [snorts] that would be detrimental there. There will be some some dispersement of wildlife. I know Commissioner Lynch is track tracking that big buck that lives right in this parcel. Hope he moves north and west. >> That's his bedding area. >> Yeah. So, [laughter] there will be some impacts, but again, I think minimal minimal uh [snorts] Lake Mash Regional Park is 301 acres. Not that 12 acres out of that doesn't have an impact, but >> I do think it would be minimal. We know how much Lyndon and your group and you love the bee and the bats and >> we love our wildlife. All of our wildlife. >> Okay. Who wants to read a long motion? >> Mr. Chair, I'll make a motion to authorize the execution of the grant agreement with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in the amount of $392,000 for the restoration of natural resources on approximately 12 acres within Lake Minowasha Regional Park contingent upon recommendation of the park commission and successful review and completion of the county's contract review process. >> A second. >> Second and you'll read it, too. Okay. No, I I like seconding questions. >> Okay, I have a motion by Lynch and a second by Anderson on this matter. >> Uh, any more discussion? >> Hearing none. All those in favor say I. >> I. Those opposed? Motion passes. Good to see you. >> Thank you, >> Sam. 16 years you've been around. >> It's either 15 or 16. I think 16. >> Getting to be a long time. >> Congrats. All right. County administrator report. >> Yes, Mr. Chair. I just want to note excited to see the Marryiam Junction Trail ribbon cutting 12:30. That is a rain and shine rain or shine event. So, doesn't look like it's going to rain, but in case a shower pops up, we'll we'll still get it done. So, see you there. That's it. >> All right. Motion to adjurnn. >> So moved. >> Second. I have a motion by Anderson, a second by Lynch to adjourn this meeting. Any discussion on that hearing? None. All those in favor say I. I. >> Those opposed. Motion passes.