All right, it is 6:30. We will call the Monday, September 22, 2025 city of mayor, city council to order. If you could please join me in the pledge of allegiance. >> 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. Perfect. Thank you. Before we get to the agenda, I would like to introduce to the residents and council our uh newly hired public works supervisor, Greg Fashing. So, welcome to the community. He started September 2nd of uh just a couple weeks ago uh back filling our previous supervisor role. So, um, he's got 20 plus years in public works, uh, mainly through Shorewood and most recently at Chanhassen. So, welcome, Greg. Um, we appreciate it. And if people see him around in the community, certainly introduce yourself and say hi to him. So, thank you. So, with that, we will move to the agenda. Is there anything that needs to be added to the agenda tonight? >> I don't have anything tonight. Mayor, >> hearing nothing, I'll look for a motion to approve the agenda as presented. Motion >> second. >> We have a motion and second. All in favor say I. >> I. >> I. Post. Same sign. Motion carries. 4 Z. >> With that, we will move to public comments. If there's anyone who would like to discuss anything not on the agenda, please come forward. Seeing none, we will close public comments and move to consent agenda. Is there anything that needs to be pulled from the consent agenda for further discussion? Excuse me. Hearing none, I'll look for a motion to approve the consent agenda as presented. >> Motion >> second. >> We have a motion and second. All in favor say I. I. Oppose. Same sign. >> Motion carries. 40. >> And with that, we will move to business items. Consider approval of acceptance to accept resignation of Brian Lubkkey as public works utility operator. Mr. Johnson, it's yours. >> Thank you, Mayor. Um, sad to report that Brian Lipkkey has taken a position with the city of Carver. He'll be moving on. His last day will be September 26, this coming Friday. And uh in order to move on with our processes of hiring, first step here is to accept the resignation from Brian. >> So with that, I'll look for a motion to approve uh the acception resignation of Brian as public works utility operator. >> Second. >> We have a motion and second. Any further discussion? So with that, I just want to thank Brian for his time and all his efforts. Um he's done a great job. It's just under three years. >> Uh a little over five years. >> Oh, it's five years now. Oh my goodness. >> I've certainly lost track of time then. Um so I want to thank him for his time and uh certainly wish him well in his next adventure. >> So with that, all in favor say I. I. >> I. Post same sign. >> Motion carries 4. And with that, we will move to the approval to retain Brian as an on call utilities operator. >> Thank you, mayor. So, Brian has offered uh in the transitory period here until we have the new person hired and more people on the on call rotation. He'd like to stay on and help us out in the on call rotation shift. request is that he be uh paid his uh currently hour hourly rate for when he's doing rounds, which is what he gets right now, and then the current rate for on call uh duties for holding the phone, which is what he's currently getting now. Um mayor, you mentioned it, but I also want to echo in this portion. Um he came forward to offer this to make sure uh he helps the city out in this interim period. uh he may stay on long term with it, but he certainly wants to see the city do well and as he's outgoing. So, I uh want to echo and thank Brian for all his years of service and then also helping out the city here in the interim with this. >> Perfect. And the uh pay that we've uh determined aligns with what we're currently paying on call personnel. Correct. >> Correct. >> Wonderful. Perfect. Any questions for Nick on that hearing? None. I'll look for a motion to approve retaining Brian as on call operator. >> Motion. >> Second. >> We have a motion, a second. Any further discussion? So once again, thank you to Brian for helping out. That does certainly helps in the interim and may even going forward it, you know. So if we can keep this permanent for a while, I think that might certainly help out the community. So if no other comments, all in favor say I. I. >> I. Same sign. Motion carries 4 Z and that will take us to uh consider approval to open the public works utility operator position for hiring. Nick, please. Thank you, Mayor. Uh so our tenative schedule here uh that we have for hiring Brian's replacement, we'll open that up tomorrow, September 23rd. I have all the advertisement materials prepped and ready to go. We'll have this close on October tw uh so September 23rd. We'll close it on October 20th. Get a good solid four weeks in there of advertising. Interviews will be then be planned between October 27th and November 7th in those two weeks with the goal of having a recommendation to council for hire at the first meeting in November which is the 10th is our timeline on this. Um we have everything drafted ready to go. Uh the job description did not need any additional changes. And just for quick reference for councel, minimum qualifications for this position is a class D driver's license. Desired qualifications class C water license and class D wastewater license or higher in both. Then a valid class B CDL. Uh where we have some of the further requirements in here for continued employment. we have certain milestones that our staff are required to hit in order uh to maintain and grow their lensure with the city. So we have all of the uh lensure years and when they need to be obtained by and that's a about one year extra to obtain those than the minimums for the MPCA and the water license end of things. So, we have that. Perfect. And, uh, we did have some conversation, Nick and I, about, you know, would this be appropriate time maybe get someone, you know, a a level below, you know, from a a mowing perspective and doing different duties and kind of start tearing people in through our conversations. And I'm sure with some of Greg's input was, it really made sense. We got to keep that level up where it is. And we really need a succession plan and make sure we get these people getting on their licensing. So, we do want someone with some experience. So, it certainly makes sense to not go backwards by any means. We're just such a small a small city, small staff. We have to have backup. We have to have someone who can jump in and start doing some rounds, start doing some other things and really utilize that person. So, we did think through it and talk through some of that. It really made sense to >> keep at this level versus trying to get an entry entry level person. Um, so just a little background on that. >> One other quick note. Sorry to >> No, please. >> Uh, for the hiring process, it'll be I I'll be handling the hiring process. Uh, Greg and I will be doing the interviews. Uh, won't go before personnel committee for, uh, public works utilities operator position on this. >> Thank you for bringing that up, too, because we did have conversations around that. It just seemed to make sense at that level for you guys to take care of that. And I don't think you need personnel committee involved in that. uh have your recommendation come back to council as as we typically do seem to make sense. So, thank you. So, any other comments, questions for Nick before we um and hearing none, then I'll look for a motion to approve the opening of public works utility operating for hire. >> Motion. >> Second. >> We have a motion, a second. Any further discussion? >> I think we captured most. So, all in favor say I. >> I. I oppose same sign. Motion carries 4 and then we will move to consider action on al alternative quote for the city hall parking lot expansion project. Thank you, mayor. At the last council meeting, you guys had discussed about adding on to the project here. So, we're looking at something the original parking lot came across to about there and then we're having going to have that wrap around since this doesn't do angles terribly well. Something of that nature with it rounding out this way in this area to add that additional space. Uh Phil Shrup did contact Valley to get a hold of that quote. They did come back and for the additional paving that' be an uh an additional $10,900. So, in grand scope, we had originally had a project budget of 70,000. Uh, prices came in really well for the asphalt end of things, which brought our project cost down to 60. All said and done when we approved it the last go round. So, including this back in, if council wished to do so, would bring it back up to around that $70,000 mark. >> Any questions for Nick? Hearing none, I'll look for a motion to uh approve actions um or approve the alternative quote for the city hall parking lot expansion project in the amount of $10,900. >> Motion. >> We have a motion. Do we have a second? >> Second. >> We have a motion, a second. Any further discussion? >> Hearing none. All in favor say I. >> I. >> I. Post. Same sign. Motion carries 40. With that, we will move to approval to purchase two replacement mowers for public works. Thank you, mayor. Uh, so we currently have two 72-in Hustler mowers and with the addition of the disc golf course as well as the soccer fields for Mayor Lutheran. Um Kyle and I even before that were having discussions about upsizing more when another big park came online. Uh this golf course comes along that adds quite a bit of extra time for us on mowing. So we demoed two units uh for that uh improved uh apparatus. One was a Toro 4000D and 11 foot mower and then the other was a Hustler 104 in. The Toro was from MTI and the Hustler was from uh Carlson's Bob's Repair here in town. That's where we get our Hustlers from. After uh demoing both of the units, uh the original was we did the Toro first. Staff were very impressed with that and uh they had some reservations about how the Hustler would stack up to that. But after taking out the Hustler, staff were also very impressed with that per the performance of the 104. It didn't have quite the uh time savings as the Toro, but it came close. Uh even though the deck is a little bit smaller, made up for it with turning radiuses and speed overall that it could get things done. Um so after staff had looked at all of that, uh the pros and cons of each, they were happy to go with the 104. And what we have here is the cost comparison between the two. Uh the toal 4000D uh for initial purchase would be $89,3472. We'd anticipate holding that for 10 to 15 years if that's the one we went with. Uh and we would anticipate approximately 24,000 in trade at the time of future replacement. So we went to purchase again roughly 24 in trade in. But that over that cycle, the annual cost to replace would be about $5,200 per year to do that. The Hustler 104, on the other hand, priced at 50,5206, we'd anticipate for holding this more for three years, and we would get an anticipated 22,000 in tradein, which brings the annual cost of that to about $2,800 a year. So that is based upon uh future uh tradein. What we have before us today is also uh the request to replace our existing 72. So, we trade in both 72s. One is a 22 and one is a 23. Normally, they're on a two-year rotation. Uh so, we're at that point where we're looking to trade in both of them, but since we had talked about the potential upsize, we held off on that. So if we uh do the initial if we do the tradein of the existing 72inch hustler for a 104 uh the base uh price on that was 30,5206 but with tradein that comes down to $22,206 and then consideration for the approval of the other uh 72-in hustler with a 72 in and that would be a cost of $9,0125. 5 cents original price uh on that that includes trade in of our 2023 mower for $10,000. So 1912 $19,125 would be the base price on that, but it's 10,000 less with the trade in. So happy to field any questions council may have on this. >> So do we feel the the Hustler 104 will become the main one? They're both 104s. >> No. Well, one will be a 72. One will be the 104 with two 104s. >> Nope. Just one 104. Uh staff would like it that way to have the smaller one. We have areas where we need to get in those spaces between trees around playground equipment with those tighter spaces where the 104 really can't fit as well. So, the 72s will take care of that and then the 104 will handle the big open spaces. Were these coming due on your little >> Yes. >> chart? >> Yep. >> Okay. >> Yep. Uh the 2023 would have been replaced this year, but then we also have a 22 and they're on an every they were on an every other year schedule and a two-year rotating, but we had a one year where we didn't mow quite as much, so we held on to it a little bit longer. Gotcha. Thank you. >> So, short answer, nope. We're not replacing anything early. And we should get more time out of the looks like a three-year for the 104. >> Perfect. And obviously dependent on hours, right? I mean, hours is going to really dictate. Correct. >> Yep. And I had good conversations with Bob Carlson about that. He figured depending on how many hours you put in, three we'd be looking at, but if you have less, you could push that out to four. but he figured about three years would be good for best retention of value on that. And then 72's, we're on a two now, but depending how much we offload onto the 104, we could see that go to a three-year rotation as well. >> Perfect. Thank you. So, I will I'll look for a motion to replace one of the 72-in Hustlers and replace it with a 104in Hustler from Bob's Repair in the amount of $22,206. >> Motion. >> We have a motion. Do we have a second? >> Second. >> We have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Do we have to include both more in this? >> Pardon? >> I'll do the other one. Yeah. Thank you. >> Um hearing none. All in favor say I. >> I. Same sign. >> Motion carries. 4 Z. Now I'll look for a motion to replace the second uh the 2023 72in Hustler and replace it with a 2025 72in Hustler for the amount of $9,125. Motion >> second. >> We have a motion, a second. Any further discussion hearing? None. All in favor say I. >> I. Post. Same sign. >> Motion carries. 40. And with that, we'll move to number 13. Consider approval to purchase a replacement water tower mixer. Thank you, mayor. We currently have a uh an electric water tower mixer inside of the water tower and it circulates the water, keeps it a bit fresh in the winter time, make sure it keeps moving so we don't get freeze buildup along the edges. Uh just overall improves the quality of the water in there. The last one was installed in 2015 and they have about a decade of useful life in them. So, we're getting to that point where we want to look at replacing it. Uh we have a uh Greg has obtained a quote to have that replacement done. So the replacement mixer would be in the amount of 13,797 from KM Engineering. And KM is the firm we use for a lot of our water tower work. So it makes sense to go with them. Uh one additional item for consideration is an optional addition of a SCA control box in the amount of $2,13. And uh so the SCA control box, what would that do? It would integrate the mixer into our existing SCADA system so we could monitor its uptime, how fast it's circulating, things of that nature. That one's really optional on this. Um, the city has wanted to work on integrating more things into the SCADA system. Um, and I'll let Greg, you could certainly chime in on this as well. I think you and I had talked and it would be nice to integrate in but for 2100 bucks. >> I don't know. Right. So, you'd be able to see it probably in real time. >> So, you'd be able to see it in real time if it was on SCADA. >> Okay. >> And probably turn it on and off and speed it up. I think those are about the only options. It would be nice. It's probably not necessary at this time, but >> Okay. Yeah, some of that with some pros and cons would be nice, but um you know, part of me is we've gone this long without one, how critical are they? But if we need to keep up with it and and the recommendations there, I certainly don't have a problem. Is this something we can add too at any time? Correct. >> Is it easier when you're replacing the mixer to add this? >> Do it now. I I don't know the details on that. I I don't think it matters. I think it can be added later. So it is a control it will work with u the internet, right? So high speed and that is at the bottom of the tower. >> So what do we do now? Do we manually go out there daily and check that this thing's working once a week? Once a month? >> Once once a month. >> Okay. And what's the cons if it had stopped working like in winter? Is like is it detrimental? >> Uh it can be. Yes. >> Winter with freezing I think certainly is our biggest our biggest >> freezes. Although they'll say freezing is not the issue with that. But I I think most of us will disagree with it especially with a tower that size. >> How about that? How how long is our quote good for? Nick. Do you know >> that? that I don't know off the top of our my head. >> Would it make sense to table this till the next meet? I mean, is there an urgency on this? Could we table this the next meeting? And in the meantime, um we just from a public works committee meeting with with Greg coming on, we just it just hasn't worked. And maybe we take time in the next two weeks to sit down, get some recommendations, get some more history, you know, background on this. Would that make sense to >> to do? I think we have we have time for that. Correct. Yes, we do. >> Yeah, maybe we do that so we can get a little bit more background and some information for us to make our decision. >> One more question. Is that the only thing we go to the tower to check on? >> Would it I mean would that lessen the rounds if we had the SCADA system? We don't have to go there. I'm just asking. There's always a site inspection that's recommended regularly, but going in not necessarily and is like half a block away from us, too. So, >> it is it's closer now and stuff. I understand. >> Right. >> I was just just curious. >> Yeah, >> they are hard to tell when they're running. >> I can tell you that. >> Okay. >> If it were to shut down and we didn't have the skated system, is there some sort of alarm or is it just tell you check on it next time? just till we check out. >> But the skater then would >> Yeah. We would be alerted like the lift stations and stuff. >> Exactly. Yep. >> See, I think a couple thousand dollars might be advantageous, but like Mike said, I think I we need a little bit more >> and I'll open it up. If someone wants to make a motion, feel free. Otherwise, I'd propose we just table it and >> a little bit more >> and we can come back with a little bit more. Yep. For everyone. >> Are we going to approve the mixer today or everything's tabled? We'll table it all because it's not >> Well, if there's no rush. >> Yeah, there's no rush on it. We can bring the whole thing. >> Try to do it as a package. Um, we'll do it that. Do we need a motion to table or is that fine? >> Uh, you can just table it. >> Okay, let's table that to next um meeting. Thank you. Thank you, Greg. I appreciate it. So number 14, let's consider introduction of ordinance 250 amending city code chapter 95 regulating hot air balloons in city parks. Thank you, mayor. At the last city council meeting after we adopt or approved the last permit for Valerie, it was brought up that it would probably be a good idea since we've had very good experience of uh delegating down that permit approval process to the staff level. So, I've gone ahead and edited the ordinance as such. One other item I would like to bring forward for consideration is right now the permits are good for a year. I would like to propose we change that to a lifetime permit unless revoked or otherwise cancelled. So, if they can just continue to be good balloonists out there, then we're not going to have a problem. We don't have too much work into this as from from a permitting aspect. They will shoot us an email when they plan to launch out of parks. And then all I do is I forward that email on to the sheriff's office, fire department, and public works at the extent of my permit work. >> Would you mind? Could you scroll down on page 13? >> Sure. >> Thank you. Just in case someone wants to from the audience. Yep. Thank you. Uh so with that I'll look for a motion to approve ordinance 250 updating or amending chapter 9505 of the city code. >> One one minor clarification intro introduce the ordinance. >> Introduce Yeah. Thank you. Thank you for an introduction. Yep. Thank you. I always uh mess up on that. >> And then it'll get posted and it'll come back then at the next meet correct next meeting for actual approval. So yes to introduce uh with the proposed changes. Do we have a motion? >> Motion second. >> We have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? >> Hearing none. All in favor say I. I. >> I. Post same sign. >> Motion carries 40. So we will move to 15. Consider approval of request for a disc golf tournament on November 8, 2025. Thank you, mayor. Thank you, mayor. Uh, we've had a request come in to host or not us, but to have an tournament hosted on our disc golf course. This comes from a PJ Lens. He's part of 10,000 Lakes Disc Golf LLC. And in the packet had some background information about what he's doing, the events he's put on. He's put on uh nearly 30 tournaments across the state. They're based out of Victoria. Uh they've included a proposed event schedule which would start at 8:30 and go till about 400 p.m. for that day. Uh this would be a PDGA uh so a sanctioned C-tier tournament. Uh the one we had before was more of an exhibition. It wasn't sanctioned. So this would be our first sanctioned one. And he's planning to cap the participants at 90 for this event. So uh looking at having uh this one approved. Normally we thought this would go before the park board just but park board it doesn't meet until October uh 14th I believe it is and that's just too close to that November 8th for them to really get organized. So bringing it back before city council but that's where our next agenda item will come into play about what you would like to do about delegating that downward if you would like to do so. Any questions on the request for the tournament? So there's it's just a tournament. It looks like there's no like food trucks or anything. It's just straight up tournament. >> Yep. So the first one that happened that was uh tournament plus open house. Yep. >> As the grand opening. >> Yep. >> This one is just a request for a tournament that has happened. So they'll handle everything. The city won't be involved. It'll be the same if somebody wanted to reserve one of our ball fields for a baseball game. >> Okay. Wonderful. So with that, I'll look for a motion to approve the request for the disc golf tournament on November 8, 2025. >> Motion. >> Second. >> We have a motion to second. Any further discussion? >> And then will will we put signs up for close or just kind of hit social media? >> We'll put a sign up at the start of the course. >> Okay. >> Uh L will laminate stick it on there. Says November 8th course closed for private tournament. >> Perfect. Just shortly before. >> Yeah. a couple weeks in advance >> if Okay, >> perfect. I think this is wonderful. I'm so excited to hear that um this is going on and and help >> even showcase the disc golf course even more so than what we did um at the grand opening. Um so that's wonderful. So hearing nothing more uh all in favor say >> I oppose same sign. Motion carries 40 zero and we will move to the consider action on delegation of authority for disc golf league or disc golf course usage. Thank you mayor. Uh so cons the action to consider on here is whether or not city council would like to go ahead and delegate down the authority of disc golf course usage in general. Can say if you want to have all these requests come up to you guys, you can certainly have that out as your right. But if you would like to delegate that down to the park board to handle these sorts of requests as they come into the future, that would certainly be an option as well. >> You even have to go to the park board. Can't be delegated to you. >> Uh you could park or if you want to delegate it down to me. That is also an option. It is within your scope and realm to delegate it down to whoever you'd like. Or you could delegate it down to parkboard. And if parkboard wants to delegate it down to me at that point, certainly can do that as well. just don't see a need to >> I agree >> be at a meeting to say you can use the golf course. >> I think it it it falls in line with like the the hot air balloon. I mean, >> right. That's kind of what I'm thinking or rental of the community center or absolutely ball field or hot dog hut or whatever. >> My thoughts on that were only because it's actually closing it. It's closing the entire park. I think you know just to kind of keep things where they should be. I thought park board was the appropriate place for it, you know, versus just something happening in one of the parks where it's not affecting the entire I mean, this course will be shut down for it. Um, it just seems it should be there, but I'm not >> I just don't see many I I'm not saying they're not going to have an annual tournament here, but if it's maybe once or twice a year, I I don't I mean, either way, it really doesn't matter to me. Well, and I trust city's judgment on that too as far as >> that they're going to post weeks in advance and advertise. >> All right. And and I will offer up if someone wants to make a motion on who they want to delegate it to. I know for me if it's not part I'd at least like their buy in on it to at least weigh have them weigh in on it just to make sure we're not stepping on toes. It just seems like this is a park board decision and I don't want to step on any toes. So, um, but I will open it up if someone would like to make a motion to delegate either staff or public works. Um, >> well, could we motion to bring it to parkboard and then ask parkboard if they're okay with moving? >> Oh, yeah. We have plenty. We have plenty of time. So, maybe we can start at parkboard and see where they're comfortable. Like, it just seemed to make sense that's where it should be cuz they're our park board and that's what we have the commission for. Yeah. Is that your motion? >> Are you looking at me? >> Two parts. >> We can just table we can just table it, right? And take it to parkboard. Do you need a motion to take it to uh park board first? >> So if you want to delegate it down to park board and then park board can decide if they just want to give it to me, that's certainly an acceptable path. They say have the motion tonight to delegate it down. >> Okay. >> Given them the option to move it to staff. Okay. All right. Go ahead. I'm sorry. I'm >> part second. Okay. So, we got a motion, a second to uh delegate it to park board at their discretion to um delegate to city staff if if they see fit. >> Perfect. >> Is that that's the motion in the second? >> Perfect. Any further discussion? >> Hearing none. All in favor say I. >> I same sign. >> Motion carries 40. Thank you. >> The big item 17. Consider adoption of resolution adopting the 2026 preliminary levy and budget. >> Thank you, mayor. Down to our final item here. Uh so by state law, we have to adopt a preliminary levy and budget. Well, I guess we don't have to. Uh it is certainly recommended. If you don't adopt a preliminary levy and budget, then you are forced to go with previous year's uh levy and budget in the interim. Uh so but we always adopt one and you have to have that done by the end of September each year uh by state law and then this sets the preliminary levy. The final levy can always be lowered but it cannot go up from this point. So just to recap, uh general fund we're proposing uh general fund led levy of four 420,445 for capital improvement levy $560,000 and for debt service $339,434 for a total levy of 1,319,879 which is a 0% increase from uh the current year. So, we're proposing a flat levy from this year to next. >> And just for clarification, once this is approved and sent to the county, it can only go down. It cannot go up. Correct. >> Correct. >> And we can fluctuate numbers between departments or like in capital improvement, we could shift monies even if one went up. >> Correct. >> Long as the bottom number does not increase. Correct. >> That is correct. >> Perfect. And then also with that just to uh set the public hearing, the truth and taxation public hearing would be set for December 8th at 6:30 p.m. Wonderful. Any questions for the city administrator? Hearing none, I'll look for a motion to approve resolution 2025-17. >> Motion. >> Second. >> We have a motion, a second. Any further discussion? Thanks for making this so clear-cut for us to understand so it's not painful and confusing. >> Agreed. >> Yeah. Thank you. Very much appreciated. >> No other comments. All in favor say I. >> I. I. >> Posting sign. Motion carries 4. With that, we'll move to council reports. C. Council member Halt. Anything to report on? >> I have not had any meetings. >> Council member Fouch, anything to report on? >> I have not had any meetings. I was at the fire station celebration and it was very successful and a lot of fun. >> Agreed. Council member Jackson, >> uh we picked out coloring sheets for the coloring contest which is really important. >> Wonderful. Good. That's so fun to go through all those. >> Oh, it is. Yeah. >> There's a little bit of a heated discussion. >> Oh, yeah. >> So, >> that'll happen. >> Yep. Just discussing Christmas stuff already. So, yeah. fun meetings right now. >> Good. >> And I don't have any meetings, but again to uh uh piggyback on Sam's comment on the fire department celebration. It was a wonderful a wonderful celebration. It was well attended. I tell you, I give kudos to that committee and the fire department for their planning. I know they were planning for over a year, but they did not miss one item. They had everything planned out perfect. I thought it ran smooth. Um I don't think we could have asked for a better um celebration. >> Every attention to detail was amazing. Um so kudos to everyone involved, >> the uh committee, all the fire department, all the members, all their families, the volunteers, the lion. It was well thought out, well planned and really a big success. So I thank for everything. >> Um it was really fun to attend. Um, so with that, I will look for a motion to adjurnn. >> Motion. >> Second. >> We have a motion second. All in favor say I. I. Oppose. Same sign. >> We are ajourned. >> Yeah. I'm so sorry I missed that. >> I know. We were out of >> I was wondering why I didn't we had a wedding. We had to go to Florida.