[0:15] of the Albert Lea City Council for  Monday, October 27th, 2025. Clerk,   please call the role. Councilor Christensen,  here. Councilor Baker, here. Councilor Howland,   [0:25] here. Councelor Olsen, here. Councilor Van Beek,  here. Councilor Anderson here and Mayor Murray   [0:31] here. Would you please rise and join me in the  pledge of allegiance? I pledge allegiance to   [0:37] the flag of the United States of America  and to the republic for which it stands.   [0:43] One nation under God, indivisible,  with liberty and justice for all. [0:51] Welcome to everybody tonight. Whether you're  here in person or online, we're glad you're here.   Uh item three tonight is ceremonial items  and uh the first one is an oath of office   [1:00] for two of our fire firefighters uh Kyo Htoo and  Blair Bonnerup. So we'll ask Karla to come down.   [1:08] First we're going to ask uh Chief Laskowske  to come up and uh give us a little talk. Well,   [1:13] good evening council mayor. Thank you. Thank you  for the opportunity to come up here and present   uh Blair Bonnerup and Kyo Htoo to you guys for uh  ceremonial pinning and swearing in. Um it's been   [1:25] an honor to work with these two for the time we've  had with them. Um they're a couple of interesting   [1:31] young young gentlemen. Um just to get to know them  a little bit. Uh Blair Bonerup comes to us from   [1:37] Hollandale Fire. That's where he got his start  was on Hollandale Fire Department. Um had quite   a few years there. Matter of fact, when I was  indicating to his chief that we were hiring him,   [1:45] he was upset with me because he thought he  wasn't gonna be able to continue to help out   his community. Um, with our full-time members  are able to continue to help out our community,   [1:52] and Blair continues to do that. Um, he's had a  lot of interesting jobs in his young life. Um,   [1:58] he's been a person that puts on a scuba diving  type suit and dives underwater and welds. Um,   [2:04] he's worked for companies building machines  where he designs it, builds a machine, and   then go takes it to the facility and teaches the  people how to use it. So from birth to inception,   [2:13] everything with the machine. So he's been a  very valuable asset to our department. U great   personality and just somebody that's a go-getter  and goes after it. So really appreciate him being   [2:22] part of the department. Uh Kyo Htoo comes to  us from our paid on call ranks. Um saw an ad,   [2:27] decided to show up one day. Um accidentally  signed the wrong line and got pulled into   our uh fire academy. Um he's always got a  smile on his face. Um, we realized that he   [2:40] was meant for the career fire service. Uh, the  day we went down for one of the Karen festivals,   it was a blast. Went down there. Uh, Deputy Chief  Berven, it was Captain Berven at the time, was   [2:49] there. He was his captain. And he walked over with  a bowl of noodles for Bart. Anything about Bart,   [2:56] Bart does not like spicy things, but he also will  not turn down. If he starts eating, he will finish   [3:01] it out of respect. Handed him the bowl of noodles,  and Bart's like, "Is this spicy?" And he goes,   "No, no, no, not spicy. not spicy at all, laughing  the whole time as Bart takes the first bite. So,   [3:12] we knew right away he was meant meant to be part  of the department. Uh, but both of these young   men embody what we expect at Albert Lea Fire  Rescue, which is part of our mission statement   [3:20] that we're committed to help people and do  what is right today and in the future. So,   at this point, I'd like to have Karla come  down and swear these two young gentlemen in. [3:41] Okay. All right. So, raise your right hand.  I state your name. I Kyo I Blair do solemnly   [3:49] swear do solemnly swear that I will support  the Constitution of the United States that I   [3:54] will support the Constitution of the United  States and of the state of Minnesota and of   the state of Minnesota and to faithfully and  impartially and faithfully and impartially   [4:04] discharge the duties of firefighter discharge  the duties of firefighter within and for the   [4:10] city of Albert Lea Fire Rescue within and for the  city of Albert Lea and Albert Lea Fire Rescue and   [4:17] the state of Minnesota. And the state of  Minnesota. So help me God. So help me God. [4:58] Welcome, welcome, welcome. Thank you. Welcome. Welcome.  Congratulations. Glad you're here. And I'm excited   [5:12] to see these young families and these little  kids. That's wonderful. Welcome. Congratulations. [5:24] Did you just make another one of them cry? I think  they took them back from the guy holding them. All   [5:30] right. Next on the list is a proclamation uh  on crash responders safety week. Whereas uh   [5:37] crash responder safety week observed November 17  through 21, 2025 is a national initiative led by   [5:44] the US Department of Transportation's Federal  Highway Administration to bring attention   to the critical work of traffic ex incident  responders and promote safe driving practices   [5:55] around emergency scenes. And whereas every day  police officers, firefighters, emergency medical   [6:01] services personnel, tow operators, and highway  maintenance workers risk their lives while   responding to roadway incidents. And where as of  September 15th, 2025, 19 first responders have   [6:14] lost their lives nationwide this year, uh, being  struck by incidents while performing their duties   [6:19] on roadways. And whereas Minnesota's move over law  requires motorists to move over one full lane when   [6:26] approaching stopped emergency or maintenance  vehicles with flashing lights activated and to   [6:31] slow down if a full lane change is not possible.  And whereas the city of Albert Lee recognizes that   [6:37] public awareness and responsible driver behavior  are critical to keeping both responders and   [6:44] motorists alike safe. And whereas the theme for  the 10th anniversary of Crash Responder Safety   [6:50] Week, safety starts with you, move over and slow  down, emphasizes that every driver can help save   [6:58] lives by staying alert, moving over, and slowing  down. And whereas the city of Albert Lea stands   [7:03] with the state of Minnesota and the US Department  of Transportation in support of crash responder   [7:08] safety week and the dedicated professionals  who serve our community safety every day.   [7:14] Now therefore, I, Rich Murray, mayor of the  city of Albert Lea, do hereby proclaim the   week of November 17th through 21st, 19 or 2025  as crash responder safety week in the city of   [7:26] Albert Lea. And we encourage all residents  to join in recognizing and supporting our   [7:31] emergency responders by practicing safe driving  habits around incident scenes. So, we'll present   [7:38] this. Uh, are one of the chiefs coming up or would  you guys like to come up? Is Teresa still here? [7:51] Thank you. Congratulations. And did somebody  want to say a few words or and then we're   [7:58] going to have Teresa come in maybe take  a picture too for the uh Here we go. [8:06] So, I wasn't prepared to say a few  words, so I will make it very brief,   but uh we took this opportunity because  it's a good chance to highlight the men and   [8:14] women that go out on the interstates, on the  highways, and help with crashes. Uh crashes,   [8:20] as everyone's driven by, everyone  wants to look and see what's happening,   and they're not always looking at the road. So,  this is a good way to highlight what goes on,   [8:28] the people that respond to it, and remind people  to be careful around crash scenes. Thank you. [8:49] You're here. Get the picture. Should  have thought of that before you came. [8:59] That'll be a good picture. [9:15] All right. Item four on our list  tonight is a public forum. I believe   we have one speaker on our public  forum. Is that correct? Yes, sir. [9:29] All right, we have Jeff Dolan tonight, our uh uh  veteran service officer. Come on up and tell us   [9:36] what's going on with veterans in the community  and and the other reason you're here tonight. [9:44] Uh yeah, good evening, uh mayor, uh  city councilman, guests, and staff,   [9:49] uh everyone listening online. Hey, thank you  for allowing me this opportunity to speak about   Operation Greenlight and the meaningful initiative  that Freeborn County has taken and hopefully uh   [9:58] that Albert Lea City will will soon follow.  Um each November as we approach Veterans Day,   [10:03] we pause to recognize the men and women who have  worn the uniform and armed forces. Those who have   [10:08] served our nation, protected our freedoms, and  strengthened our communities. Here in Freeborn   County, we roughly have about 2,000 veterans.  These are our neighbors, family members,   [10:18] and community letters leaders. Uh their service  doesn't end when they return home. They continue   [10:24] to give back through participation in local  groups like the Disabled American Veterans,   the VFW, American Legions, and other veterans  groups, including Beyond the Yellow Ribbon   [10:33] and a great new group out of Clark's Grove  that's been helping a lot of veterans ride for   heroes. These civic organizations and volunteer  efforts make our country and our city stronger.   [10:44] The impact of Freeborn County is significant.  According to the most recent GDX report for 2024,   [10:50] veterans and their families received over  $13 million in direct federal VA benefits,   [10:56] including 12 million in compensation and pension  directly to veterans and 1 million in dependency   [11:03] and indemnity compensation or pensions to their  survivors. Additionally, there was $17 million   [11:09] in indirect benefits that came to our county  through Memorial Educations programs, home loans,   [11:14] and medical care. That's a total economic impact  of over $30 million right here in Freeborn County.   [11:20] This is a powerful reminder of how deeply  our veterans are woven into the fabric of   our community. But beyond our numbers, Operation  Green Light is something that's even greater. It's   [11:29] recognition. It's letting every veteran know that  their service is seen, appreciated, and supported.   [11:35] Uh this year of course marks the fifth anniversary  of Operation Greenlight and a joint effort by the   National Association of Counties and the National  Association of County Veteran Service Officers   [11:45] which I belong to. From November 4th to November  11th, counties across the nations will illuminate   [11:50] their buildings in green and show a visible show  of gratitude and unity. By shining a green light,   [11:56] we send a simple but powerful message. You are  not forgotten. You are valued. You are home. So   [12:02] Freeborn County is proud to join the country's  the counties across the nation are passing a   resolution to declare our participation. Uh we  will light our veterans memorial and other county   [12:12] buildings in green and we encourage residents and  businesses to do the same by placing a green light   [12:17] in a window or a storefront during the week of  November 4th through the 11th. America's counties   [12:22] have a longstanding and proud history of serving  our nation's veterans, and the legacy continues   [12:28] as we work with our federal and state and local  partners to ensure that our former service members   [12:33] have access and resources to the recognition they  deserve. So, as we prepare to c celebrate Veterans   [12:40] Day and honor all those who served, I invite uh  everyone to be the one that makes a difference and   [12:45] show your support. Turn a green light. Let our  veterans know that our relief stands with them   today. always today and always. Thank you. Thank  you, Jeff. We appreciate you coming and speaking   [12:56] with us tonight and we appreciate the service  of all our veterans uh that we have here in our   [13:01] county, in our community, uh for the sacrifices  and and all that they've done for us in the past   [13:07] and continue to do for us every day. Thank you,  sir. Thank you. All right. With that, we'll move   [13:14] along to item five, the consent and approval  of agenda. A is the approval of minutes of the   October 13, 2025 regular council meeting. Item  B is approval of minutes of the October 13, 2025   [13:25] work session. Item C is the approval of minutes of  the October 18, 2025 strategic planning meeting.   [13:31] Item D is license and permits. Item E is the  appointment of Pam Schmidt to the heritage pro pre   [13:38] preservation. I wanted to say pre pres prevention  to the Heritage Preservation Commission and item F   [13:47] is the resolution supporting operation greenlight  for veterans. Council move to approve the consent   [13:53] and approval of agenda your honor. Motion by  Councilor Baker. Is there a second? Second. Second   by councilor Howland. Any further discussion?  Hearing none. All in favor of the motion signify   [14:02] by saying I. I. Oppose. Nay. Motion carries. Item  six is petitions, requests, and communications.   [14:09] We have none tonight. Item seven is unfinished  business. Item A under unfinished business is   [14:14] ordinance 25-147 amending zoning and land use  map from R2 to B2, 642 Marshall and 437 Bridge   [14:24] Avenue. This is the second reading. Security Bank  Minnesota applied to reszone 642 Marshall Street   [14:35] and a portion of 437 Bridge Avenue, a parcel with  split zoning from one to four family resident R2   [14:43] to community business B2 to allow for future  expansion of parking and building areas for   [14:49] Security Bank. A portion of 437 Bridge Avenue is  already zoned B2, which eliminates the concern for   [14:56] spot zoning. In addition, the 2040 comprehensive  plan identifies this area as commercial,   [15:02] which includes both large-scale and local  servicing areas. Planning Commission recommends   [15:09] approval of this second reading. Council move  to approve, your honor. Motion by Councilor   [15:15] Baker. Is there a second? Second. Second by  Councilor Van Beek. Any further discussion? [15:22] Hearing none. All in favor of the motion  signify by saying I. I oppose. Nay. Motion   [15:27] carries. Item B is ordinance 25-148  amending zoning and the land use map   [15:35] from single family residence district  R1 to Interstate Development District   ID for property located at 21133 and 21135  775th Avenue. This is the second reading. [15:53] Terry Jensen, ALC, a listing broker on  behalf of the property owners at 21133   [16:00] and 21135 775th Avenue applied to reszone  the properties from single family residents   [16:06] R1 to Interstate Development District IDD  to proactively plan for future sale and   [16:13] development of the properties. Property directly  across Interstate I35 is currently zoned IDD,   [16:20] which eliminates the concern for zone uh spot  zoning. Planning commission recommends approval   [16:27] of this final reading. Council move to approve,  your honor. Motion by Councilor Christensen.   [16:33] Is there a second? Second, your honor. Second by  Councilor Anderson. Any further discussion? Yeah,   [16:40] your honor. Councilor Baker, I just want  to make sure that uh as I brought up   [16:45] last time that there's going to be, you  know, in the event that something does   um end up being built there, that there's  proper screening to to soften the look of   [16:56] an industrial area right across the street  from um residential. I just want to make sure   [17:03] that that's kept in focus as this goes forward.  All right. Thank you. Any further discussion? [17:12] All in favor of the motion signify by saying  I. I oppose. Nay. Motion carries. Item eight   [17:20] is new business. A is a public hearing  regarding declaring a property without   public purpose wave planning commission  review and authorizing the sale of 917   [17:30] South Broadway Avenue. We'll open up with the  p uh with public hearing with the staff report. [17:45] This resolution is to declare the property at   917 South Broadway Avenue with  the description of 34-033-0580 [17:55] as no longer serving a public purpose and to  authorize its sale. The property located in the   [18:01] B2 business district previously housed a blighted  structure that has since been demolished. This   [18:07] property will be divided between adjacent land  owners for future business expansion and staff   [18:13] recommends approval. I did receive a little  additional information which I will share   with you before we ask for a motion. This property  is being sold for its assessed value of $15,400.   [18:25] Given that the city has invested approximately  16,000 in code enforcement, demolition, and   [18:32] related efforts, this sale represents a favorable  outcome, recouping nearly the full amount uh   [18:38] expended. The property sale will be split between  the owner of Kelly Plumbing and Dick Davies, each   [18:44] paying $7,700. They are both in need of the extra  space, so it's a win-win for them. Kelly Plumbing   [18:51] may consider expansion in the future and Dick  Davies is looking for additional parking for his   [18:57] apartment building that he invested in a couple  doors down. Council move to approve, your honor.   [19:04] Motion by Councilor Baker. Is there a second? I'll  second, your honor. Second by Councilor Anderson.   Any further discussion, your honor. Councilor  Howland. And I since the city manager is here,   [19:13] I don't know this can be answered, but I I tried  looking at this on uh on Google Maps to determine   [19:19] what uh this property is. So just so I'm clear  on this. So this is just to the south of the   [19:26] old AS sewing property. Is that know if that's  correct? Back up there. So it's an empty lot   [19:33] now. It is an empty lot. Yes. Okay. Yeah. So, so  the one just to the north, that's the old Abest. [19:42] And am I correct that this was a property that  we tore down? Is that right? Yes. City eEngineer   [19:48] Steve Janke. Yes. It It was a business It was  a business property that was there. It wasn't   [19:54] a residential home, right? I believe it was  a home, wasn't it? I I was thinking it was a   [20:01] home as well. Okay. You look up If you look  on Beacon, it shows a picture of the house.   Okay. Okay. Yep. All right. Thank you.  All right. Any additional questions? [20:16] All right. Uh if there's no additional questions  from the council, we will go ahead and open it   up to the public. For the first time, would  anyone like to speak regarding this resolution? [20:32] For the second time, would anyone like to speak? [20:39] For the third time, would anyone like to  speak? We'll close the public hearing. I   [20:46] would entertain a resolution declaring  property without public purpose. Waive   planning commission review and authorized sale  of 917 South Broadway Avenue. Council. So moved,   [20:56] your honor. Motion by Councilor Anderson. Is  there a second? Second that, your honor. Second   by Councilor Olsen. Any additional questions from  the council? All in favor of the motion signify by   [21:08] saying I. I. I. Oppose. Nay. Motion carries.  Item B is a resolution accepting donations   [21:15] as presented to the city of Albert Lea. The  City of Albert Lea is generally authorized   [21:22] to accept donations pursuant to Minnesota  statute section 465-03 for the benefit of   [21:28] its citizens. Staff recommends acceptance of the  following donations as submitted by the council   for review and approval. Uh, Chevron Renewable  Energy Group of Glennville uh presented to the   [21:39] Albert Lea Fire Department. All right. Is there  a motion from the council? So moved. Motion by   [21:46] Councelor Christensen. Is there a second? I'll  second. Second by Councilor Anderson. Any further   discussion? All in favor of the motion signify  by saying I. I. I. Opposed? Nay. Motion carries. [22:01] Item nine is the mayor and council reports and we  will start tonight with Councilor Olson Ward 4.   [22:07] All right. Don't have much tonight, but I would  like to congratulate all the fall sports teams.   [22:13] Football had a wonderful season. Volleyball  did well. Uh the girls soccer team made their   [22:19] first trip to state in either 11 or 14 years.  I don't remember which one. Well, they got got   [22:25] to the first round and lost to the number one  rated team in the state. So, great memory for   [22:30] those girls and I'd encourage everyone to get  out in the winter season, hockey, basketball,   [22:36] wrestling, get out and cheer on those athletes  if you get a chance. That's it, your honor. All   [22:42] right. Thank you. Ward five, Councilor Van Beek.  Thank you, your honor. Um, this next Tuesday, uh,   [22:48] tomorrow, I have an HRA meeting. Um, ward items. I  have nothing to report at this time. Um, tomorrow   [22:54] I'll be meeting with John Schipper on the Eddie  Cochran Festival for next year, looking at a major   [23:00] motorcycle component. And later in the month, I've  got a meeting for with Ride for Heroes to help   [23:07] keep supporting this area for our local veterans.  That's all I got. All right. Thank you. Ward six,   [23:14] Councilor Anderson. Thank you, your honor. Uh,  no ward items right now. And uh there is an HRA   [23:21] meeting tomorrow. So that's all I have. Thank  you very much. Ward one, Councilor Christensen.   [23:26] Thank you, your honor. Uh actually, it's been a  very busy couple of weeks for me. Um the senior   [23:33] center has now um met their advisory group uh  to re review three proposals for a new facility.   [23:42] Uh there were really great turnout of members of  the senior center and its advisory council that   [23:49] met uh first to review the proposals and uh the  week after to tour uh two of the facilities that   [23:56] have made proposals. The group will be meeting  later this week to further discuss those options   [24:03] and we look forward to uh seeing what comes out  of that. Um, also with regard to our seniors,   [24:12] um, the age friendly Freeborn County group met,  they've got so many wonderful things going on. Uh,   [24:19] one of the things that's going to be happening is  they're bringing back Tech Tuesday sponsored by   [24:24] AT&T. So, we thank AT&T for doing that. Uh what  they'll do is they'll have uh people who are   [24:31] knowledgeable who can help you with your laptop  or uh with with the your cell phone or whatever   [24:40] you're having troubles with because we all know  that if you don't have a young person around you   to show you how to do it sometimes it's kind of  difficult. Um, also the National Vitality Center,   [24:52] which is the kind of the funding arm for our  blue zones project, met and started a kind of   [24:59] a planning process, trying to get refocused and  came up with some really great ideas for kind of   [25:06] re-engaging uh with the Blue Zones project  and bringing it uh back to its importance   [25:12] within our community. and and our mayor uh even  spoke. We did a strategic planning meeting la a   [25:19] week ago Saturday. He talked about that and I  was really happy to hear his support for the   blue zone saying this is something the first  certified Blue Zone city in the United States.   [25:31] It's ours and we need to keep being uh kind of  in control of that and making the most of it for   [25:37] our community because people do come here and  know about Albert Lea because of that project.   [25:44] uh one of its subgroups, the work site wellness  committee is meeting. They too are very active   [25:49] and have a lot of things going on. Um and I  guess that's about it. All right. Thank you,   [25:56] your honor. Thank you. Ward two, Councilor  Baker. Thank you, your honor. Um I did have   one word item. I've turned it over to the chief of  police um which he's going to look into. Um I've   [26:08] also I that's the only word item I have. Um, last  Tuesday I was able I I took uh a day off from work   [26:16] and went on that Freeborn Mower Electric bus tour.  Um, first of all, we met we met at 7:00 there. Um,   [26:24] they gave us a tour of of Freeborn Mower and then  we had a little conversation with with some of the   [26:31] u people that work u work there. And from there  we went to um La Crosse where the uh headquarters   [26:41] for the Dairyland Power Company is. Um and there  they um also gave us a com you know a tour of the   [26:49] of their facility and I tell you what it's a  it's quite the facility. I mean it was really   [26:55] um informational. Um I look at it different now  when every time I flip the light on I think about   [27:02] things differently because of what I saw. And then  after we got done there, um, on the way up to,   [27:10] uh, Alma, Wisconsin, where the, uh, power station  is, we we ate a box lunch on the bus, which I   [27:16] think they the uh, bus drive was about an hour and  10 minutes. And when we got to the power station,   [27:22] they they took us through us. They sat us down and  kind of went over it. They took us and showed us   [27:27] the control panel that they have for for this  whole Dairyland power. And this is five states   [27:36] part part of five states. And this this board goes  uh it's probably twice as wide as this room and   [27:44] it's continuous from one corner to the other.  And there's there was only like five people in   [27:49] there and they're monitoring all of this stuff  throughout southern Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin,   [27:57] Illinois. Um, I think they even have a little bit  of it in South Dakota. I think they have. Um, but   [28:06] it it's amazing what they can what they can see  just by that board. They can tell when stuff is   [28:11] offline. They can tell when stuff there's issues.  Um, they're they have a great communication center   [28:17] there. Um, and then we went through the facility  and it's it's really unbelievable that as we drove   [28:23] into the facility, there's like two mountains  of coal. I forgot to say this is a coal burning   [28:29] power plant and it's it's probably it's it's  unbelievable the amount of coal they had there   [28:38] and going through that plant and some of the  things that they have there the the burners the   [28:43] generator the I mean they're huge. Um we were  I don't know fortunate or unfortunate depends   [28:50] on how you look that they were they were shut down  at the at the time that we were there. Um, and the   [28:57] reason I say unfortunate because when that plant  is running, there can be places in that plant as   [29:03] you go through it can be up to 100 degrees.  And so, um, we were able to go through the   [29:08] whole facility. And, uh, um, like I said, it was  it was a truly a learning experience. And I, um,   [29:16] I'm really grateful that I took the opportunity  to, to go. And I want to thank the people out   at Freeber Mower Electric for for putting  this on and also the people at the Dairyland [29:26] Power who who welcomed us and was more than happy  to go through their their day and and what they   [29:34] do and how they do it. Um with that um I do have  an HRA meeting tomorrow which uh I I'm sure we'll   [29:43] discuss it at our next meeting. With that, your  honor, that'll do it. All right. Thank you. W   three. Councilor Howland. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.  Um, as uh uh Councelor Christensen uh already   [29:54] mentioned, uh just uh since our last meeting, I  attended the city council retreat, which all of   [29:59] us did, um and uh hashed out uh over uh a day uh  coming up with plans for a strategic plan for the   [30:10] city. So, I want to thank uh all those involved  in in uh uh putting that together and all the city   [30:17] staff that were there and participated in in those  conversations and uh excited to see uh uh what   [30:23] we come up with here in the future. Uh other than  that, uh last week attended the park and rec board   [30:29] meeting and um and it was out at city arena and  so uh the park and recck board got a tour of of   [30:37] uh some of the progress that's happened out at the  arena. Uh uh there is ice now in uh the main arena   [30:44] in Nystrom Arena. So uh the ice went in a little  over a week ago and it's getting used quite a bit.   [30:51] Uh I can't remember how many hours they said  of ice time every day, but um um thankful uh   [30:58] for all of the uh user groups that use the ice  for their patience and understanding. I know   [31:03] uh some of the teams are having to go in there. I  think it's like 5:00 in the morning to to be able   [31:08] to to use the ice until we get that second sheet  of ice on there. But um the ice is up and running.   [31:14] it is with the temporary uh chillers until uh they  get the main uh chiller in there in place here   [31:21] hopefully in the next few months. But um second  sheet of ice is expected to uh hopefully be in uh   [31:28] Colstrup Arena. Uh I think the plan is in January.  Let's cross our fingers that that does not get   [31:34] pushed back um any more than it already has.  But um uh yeah, the it's amazing how many groups   [31:42] uh utilize the city arena every day. There's  everything from the high school teams, girls and   [31:48] boys hockey to youth hockey to uh figure skating,  the Waldorf College team, um and many others that   [31:57] uh are using that ice every day. So, uh, kudos to  staff for scheduling all of that ice time and and   [32:03] making sure that, uh, everybody's as happy as they  can be when it comes to that. Also, some of the,   [32:08] u, uh, improvements made to the arena, I think,  uh, people once they step in are really going to,   uh, uh, kind of step back and say, "Wow, this  is really nice." So, uh, the lobby that, uh,   [32:20] the lobby extension that's been added, uh, wasn't  quite finished when we were there uh, last week,   [32:25] but uh, it's it's coming along really nice. And  uh once it's all up and running and has all the   [32:31] furnishings and everything, I think it's uh people  are going to be really proud of that. And uh as   well as uh some of the um efficiencies made in uh  like the skate rentals and that office space area   [32:42] is is uh all positives. So all good things out at  the city arena and um won't be long and there'll   [32:50] be hockey games starting pretty quick. That's it,  your honor. That's good to hear. I know there's a   lot of groups that are awfully happy to have that  sheet of ice back in action. So, that's good. All   [32:59] right. Uh my report on uh October 14th, I had a  lead a project review meeting. And then on the   [33:05] 15th, uh the city manager and I met with a few  members of the watershed uh committee uh to talk   [33:11] about some different things that we're working on  together. Uh on the 15th, which was a Wednesday,   I joined the Crime Victims Crisis Center on their  walk from Central Park on over to New Denmark   [33:22] Park. Um and uh on the 16th I went out to the St.  Croix Hospice uh group. I met with a number of   [33:30] their staff and uh and then got to uh be the judge  for their pumpkin fest. So they had all decorated   [33:37] some pumpkins. So we had a little fun with that.  But a nice uh group of people. There were probably   [33:43] uh close to 30 employees there. So that was  nice to see. So they employ quite a few. Um   [33:50] our executive or our group at ALEDA is also  uh beginning the executive search. Uh so we're   [33:56] working on that with DDA. Um we got together on  the 17th and and started that process uh on the   [34:02] 18th as a few other members have mentioned. We  had our strategic uh planning meeting. I'm hoping   [34:08] great things come out of that. I think we had  some good ideas that day and I think we kind of   come to a consensus on what some of the important  things that the city should be working on. So,   [34:17] uh, it'll be, uh, fun to get the those things  going and and keep this momentum going that we   built in this city. And then on the, uh, 20th,  we had a groundbreaking for a new location,   [34:29] a new building for Affinity Credit Union, uh,  which will be out on East Main. So, it was fun   [34:34] to be out there and, uh, visit with the local  group that works there. Plus, they had people   come in from some of their other home office  and things like that. So, that was good to see.   [34:43] Uh you probably saw some dirt start getting moved  out there over the last few days and uh you'll   [34:48] see a building going up there uh shortly. Uh on  Tuesday the 21st uh the chamber had their annual   [34:54] meeting. Congratulations to Cargill, our large uh  employer of the year. Uh to the Children's Center,   [35:00] our medium employee of the year, employer of  the year, and then also to Three Oak Vineyard   [35:07] and Winery, which is our small employer of the  year. So congratulations to them. Uh it was a   [35:13] great program that night. We had a lot of fun. Um  people got to meet uh the new uh chamber director.   [35:19] So that was uh that was fun to uh get to meet  her and just hear her speak about some ideas   [35:25] uh going forward. So if you get a chance, stop  by and uh visit with the new uh chamber director.   [35:31] We'll be going out and hopefully doing some calls  together with some of our local businesses. Um,   on the 22nd I had an interview with Peter Cox,  uh, who was with NPR now, uh, and he came down and   [35:43] talking about how cities and counties, especially  in rural Minnesota, are adapting to these,   [35:49] uh, huge budget increases that we're all faced  with right now. Uh, interesting note on Peter   [35:54] Cox. He got his start at the Albert Lea Tribune,  I believe, back around 99 to 2000, somewhere   [36:01] right in there, and also attended college at St.  Olaf. and he was naming off some of the Albert   Leans that he went to school with. So, that was  kind of interesting uh to chat with him. So, uh   [36:11] that should be on their website uh coming up. Uh  10-22 uh we had a bonding committee meeting. So,   [36:18] uh engineer Steve Jahnke and several others on  there talking about what we need to put together   for our bonding meeting coming up here uh in a  week. We'll be having having the House bonding   [36:28] committee down here to talk about our wastewater  treatment plan. So, we want to make sure that we   can, you know, get a good presentation to them  and just show how important this project is for   [36:38] uh Albert Lea and the surrounding area. And then  I would just like to echo uh Councilor Olson's uh   [36:45] comments there on some of our sports teams. It  was exciting to watch the girls soccer go off   [36:52] to state. Um pretty tough that they got to play  Providence Academy first game. Uh and they have a   [36:58] heck of a team. So anyway, uh but it's fun to see  him get there. Um soccer, we've got Andrew Schaw,   [37:04] uh who will be going up to state, so good to see  uh him or on the cross country team. So that's   [37:09] good. And then the football team won their first  game uh come up a little short in the second game,   but what a year. And so just exciting  watching all our fall sports. So get out,   [37:19] support these kids. Uh as Councelor Olson said,  a lot of uh winter activities that'll be starting   [37:24] up. I think we have about a two week break right  now and then we'll start up with all the winter   activities. So get out and support those kids.  Uh very very important. And then what's going on   [37:32] uh in the calendar here? Wednesday, October  29th will be the last farmers market of the   season. Uh so um get out there and uh see what  they have yet and get some goodies. Uh Thursday,   [37:44] October 30th, the spooktacular trick-or- treat  event in downtown Albert Lea from 4:00 to 7:00   p.m. at participating businesses. And then  after trick-or-treating downtown on Thursday,   [37:54] you can head to the History Center of Freeborn  County for the creepy doll scavenger hunt. This   is a free event and goes from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00  p.m. at 1031 Bridge Avenue. And that is the end of   [38:06] my report. Item 10 is the city manager report. And  all we're going to say tonight is the city manager   [38:12] is off at a conference. He's learning a few  things about housing. So hopefully he brings back   uh some good ideas and thoughts for us. So,  uh, he'll be back at our next meeting and I   [38:22] I think he gets back to town Wednesday. So, with  that, we'll move along to item 11 is approval of   [38:28] claims. A is a resolution approving claims and  one is a presentation of claims over 25,000. [38:36] We have $57,217.35 to Freeborn Mower Electric Cooperative  Electric Service and the wastewater   [38:44] treatment plant. And then $57,804.15  to Platinum Plumbing Solutions. This   [38:49] is pay estimate 14 for lead service line  replacement project. We have $72,892.27 [38:57] to Jensen Excavating and Trucking. This is pay  estimate 5 for the Eberhart Street and Water   [39:03] Construction job 2413. We have $107,114.40 cents to Neo Electric Solutions pay estimate   [39:12] one AWOS replacement project and then we have  $148,092.79 cents to Midwest Injection Inc. This   [39:21] is biosolid removal. Uh $198,021.56 to Brennan  Construction. This is pay estimate number seven,   [39:30] the recreational facilities project, the arena  lobby. And then lastly, we've got $203,769.40   [39:39] to Brennan Construction. This is pay estimate six  for the recreational facilities project. Again,   [39:44] the arena library lobby. Um council moved to  approve, your honor. Motion by Councilor Baker.   [39:50] Is there a second? Second. Second by Councilor Van  Beek. Any questions or further discussion? All in   [39:56] favor of the motion signify by saying I. I oppose.  Nay. Motion carries. Item 12 is adjournment. Move   [40:03] to adjourn your motion by Councilor Howland. Is  there a second? I'll second. Second by Councilor