Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Good afternoon. Today is February 20 23rd, 2026. This is a special meeting of the Minnitankka City Council um interviews for the W 2 city council position. We are going to be doing two interviews today and we'll just carry on where we left off on Friday, February 20th. So, our first candidate for interview. Do we need anything else? >> Oh, yes. That's right. So, we'll take roll call. Miranda, do you want to start? We can just go around. >> We just did introductions. >> Ma Diamond, assistant city manager. >> Paty Foster, Bolton, Ward One. >> Kimberly Wilburn at large. >> Rebecca Shack, mayor. Paul, W three. Deb Calbert, at large, CA. Kizzy Kopi, W four. >> Eric Nelson, city attorney. >> Saraki, senior management coordinator. >> Great. Well, we'll just wait for our our first candidate to come in and we will get started. Good afternoon. Just take a seat there and then we'll have you put the microphone on. >> And it doesn't amplify your voice, but it does help us get it on the record. >> Sure. >> So, we'll just um take the same process that we taken with the three candidates that have interviewed already, which is we've got 30 minutes designated. We've got about eight questions. We got eight questions for you. >> Okay. >> Um, however far we can get in the 30 minutes, we will get. So, just keep that in mind and we'll start. Um, I think you know most of us, but we'll just kind of introduce ourselves, go down the line. Paty. >> Hi, I'm Paty Foster Wolf in Ward One. >> Hi, Paty. >> Kimberly Wilburn at large. >> Rebecca Shack, mayor. >> Paula Romey, W three. Deb Calbert at large. High speedy copy war. >> All right. Well, we're gonna jump right into it. And the first question is, please provide a brief background about yourself and what makes you the best candidate for the W 2 position. >> Well, um I' I've lived in the district in in the ward uh for 41 years, I think it is. So, I I think I know the ward pretty well. And having served on the planning commission for six years, I got to know every ward in this in the city and that was a very illuminating uh experience. So, um I think knowing the the geog geography of of Minnetanka is one thing, but getting to know the people in Minnetanka too through all those those various uh encounters that I had with homeowners and land owners and developers and etc. So, um I think that qualifies me to be a good replacement year for yourself right here. >> Thank you, Paty. >> Oh, um what are the impacts of Minnetonka's changing demographics on the community and what role, if any, should the city council have in addressing those changes? Well, I'm not sure what role the the council can play, but you know, I I did serve on the um on the re-imagine Minnetonka task force, and we we did talk about on that uh on that task force about the changing demographics. You know, one of the things that's happening, and I'm guilty of it as well, is aging in place, and uh there's many homeowners in the in the area that don't want to move. So, uh it means we've got an aging population here, but also a a more diverse racial population coming into Menitaka, which I find refreshing. But um I I've wondered if the council could play some role in encouraging people like me to move on and free up housing for uh younger younger families, but I see that happening in my neighborhood anyway. So, um, I don't know if the the council has to make a determination about that or not, but and as far as the the changing racial nature of the of the city, I think just encouraging people that have moved here from uh other local to be welcome. And I don't know what events or role that the council might create to make them feel more welcome, but I think that would be worthwhile. >> Great, >> Kimberly. Um, tell us how you view redevelopment in Minnetonka. What are we doing well and what could be done differently? Well, redevelopment is going to happen whether we like it or not. And um I think you'll you'll keep seeing from uh the inner ring suburbs and even the outer ring suburbs greater density. And that was one of the things that we had to deal with when I was on the planning commission. um you know singlestory uh office buildings just aren't going to survive much longer I don't think and um I wonder about single family homes too you know we we need more affordable housing in the city which means greater density generally because of the the land prices here and um it it means that there's going to be more a multifamily units built and it's just going to be a fact of life. So I I'm not in favor of putting any roadblocks in front of uh developers to do that. However, it should be done in a thoughtful manner. >> Great. What, if any, part should the city council play to ensure a range of housing options in Minnetonka? >> I, as I said, I think encouraging more affordable housing. You know, I looked at the the development over at um St. David's, for example, and I was very positive about that because it was an opportunity to create more affordable housing for people to move into our community. and um I and I thought it was it created thoughtful development opportunities. You know, one of the things I found out when I was on the planning commission, I would go out and look at every property whether it was on the consent calendar or not and um or whether it was on the regular calendar or not. And uh I had a conversation once with uh a property owner just off of Baker Road and um he wanted to know who was this guy that was snooping around his neighbor's house and u he happened to be I think the assistant fire chief at the time and he said do whatever you can to get more affordable housing into the city because he said we've got you know a 15minute rule I don't know what it is now but back then it was a 15-minute rule. You had to be able to report as a volunteer fireman to your firehouse within 15 minutes. He said there's not a whole lot of affordable housing around a lot of these fire stations and we need to encourage more of that. So that really alerted me to the fact that uh there was a shortage and I don't think it's gotten any better since then quite frankly. And um it not only affects firemen, fire fire people, uh police officers, and as I found being on the Hopkins school board, teachers, you know, some teachers really have to commute a long distance to uh come to work in in the uh in the men or the Hopkins school district. So, um, those are some issues that I think need to be constantly in people's minds, especially on the city council. >> Excellent. Paula, >> thank you. Do you support the city's current budgeting and taxation approach, and what changes, if any, would you make? >> Um, well, I don't have a problem with it. Uh, you know, Minnetonka doesn't get any alleys. uh was it LGA local government uh assistance and I don't know if it ever has quite frankly but um and I know some some cities like Golden Valley have implemented a sales tax and I have mixed feelings about that. Um maybe if we can just impose it on Ridgedale, but u tax tax tax visitors to Minnetonka, not residents. But um I I'd hate to think that that's necessary for us to balance the budget. And I think we can survive on our local property taxes. And um I I don't know a lot of people think property taxes are discriminatory, but um I think there are ways to short circuit some some property taxes so that aging seniors who have valuable property but maybe don't have that much income um can avoid being hurt catastrophically. Great. Dem. >> Do you believe the role of the city council is to make choices based on what's best for the community and long term or to do what's important to residents today and why? >> Well, there's always short-term thinking. There's always long-term thinking. And um I I think you have to look at the long-term uh implications uh of of any decision that you make because um it it may be great for you know some decisions may be great for people right now but you want to make sure that whatever you do is sustainable into the future and um so I I think I would choose long-term thinking over short-term term gains if I were forced to make a choice. >> Thank you. >> How would how will you navigate complex and potentially controversial council decisions, especially when your views differ from staff recommendations, fellow council members, or neighborhood perspectives? >> That's a difficult question. Um, but I've had to thread that needle before. I was on the Hopkins school board during COVID and boy was that a difficult place to be. And I had some of my own personal opinions about how we ought to be doing things. But that did conflict with all the state uh you know epidemiologist uh suggestions. Um, and I tend to rely more on on the professional opinions, uh, people that are probably more versed in in the topic than I am and go by what they recommend. But I have bucked them at points in my career. Um, I was on the short end of a number of votes on the planning commission. So, I was not afraid to take a stance, you know, that might be in opposition to what other commission members were thinking. But, it was kind of interesting to me. Well, I found out later that the council was really listening to what I had to say. So sometimes the recommend recommendations that came from the planning commission got reversed at the council table. So um that was kind of instructive to me. >> What motivated you to apply and what are your goals for your seat and the city if selected? Well, having lived in the ward for as many years as I have and being concerned about my community and and uh being dedicated to being a public servant, that was really, I think, the motivational force. And um the fact that at this point it's only a two-year commitment or actually less than that was somewhat attractive. But um because I'm not sure how much longer I want to serve the public in any means whatsoever, but um gives me an opportunity to try out the seat, see if I like it. Maybe I'll stick around. Maybe not. >> Okay. Well, um want to give you an opportunity to give any closing comments or thoughts. Um anything you'd like us to know as we consider this. >> Well, I really believe in public service. And u I spent my first 35 years as a uh in private enterprise and working for public companies primarily in the IT field. 10 years running my own company in the city of Minnetonka. And um I really got got well we moved into the city from St. Louis Park initially back in 1986 I think it was and um really got to love the city but it's not like I was unfamiliar with it. I graduated from Metitaka High School back in I don't want to tell you but um very familiar with the city of Minnitanka and some of the attributes and some of the shortcomings that the city of Metitaka may have experienced and um I I just really love the city. I love the state. And um I was thinking about that today because recently in Palm Springs and you see a lot of people that retire there and thought, can I live here? I said, no, I can't do that. You know, I I need to stay in Minnesota. I was born here. I think I'll probably die here. And um I just have a real sense of commitment to the state and to the city. So um that's I guess what drives me to apply for this seat. >> Excellent. Well, Steve, thank you so much. Spoken like a person who maybe went to a concert over the weekend where there was a lot of love for the >> didn't go to it, >> but I live streamed it. Well, thank you so much for um for your commitment to public service here in Minnetonka. It's not unnoticed, I'll tell you that much. And we appreciate you um applying and we're going to make a decision today. So stay tuned um one way or another. I you know, we'll we'll lean on you and your commitment to the city and expertise whether you're the next council person or not. So we really appreciate it. >> Thank you. How will candidates find out your decision? >> That's a good question. >> That's the process. >> Yeah, Miranda, >> can I expect a phone call or >> Good question. So, they will do their scoring tonight. We'll know later tonight who is um being announced. I will likely interview during the council meeting tonight. >> Announced >> just to let the candidate know since it will be uh live streamed after the council meeting this evening. >> So, I will send an email this evening. probably regardless and then I'll make a phone call in the morning. >> Okay. >> So, go through further details. >> Excellent. >> Thanks, Steve. >> All right. Uh we will take a break for about 10 minutesish. Thank you. Thanks very much. >> Hello, Hamilton. Welcome. Thanks for coming. Have a seat. And then just put this little microphone on your lapel there. It doesn't amplify your voice, but it will um pick up your voice for the recording. So, that's why we need to have it. And then we'll start by introducing ourselves. We'll start here with Paty. >> Hi, I'm Paty Ward One, Foster Baldman is my last name. >> Kimberly Wilburn at large. >> I'm Rebecca Shack. I'm the mayor. >> Hi, I'm Paula Romey. I represent W three. >> I'm Deb Calbert. I'm at large seed day Kizzy Copy work for >> Thank you for coming. So the way we've got 30 minutes slated and we've got eight questions so we'll just go through the questions and get Nobody's had trouble getting them in in the 30 minutes. So >> um shouldn't be a problem but we will um get started. I'll start with please provide a brief background about yourself and what makes you the best candidate for the W 2 position. >> Okay. Well, good afternoon. Thank you so much for this opportunity. It's truly truly a blessing. I'm I'm really excited to be here. Um, a little bit about me. I am um from Minnesota, but I grew up in Indiana. So, I was raised in Gary, Indiana, Midwestern Rust Belt City. Um, and so I um I went to school at Purdue University. And upon graduating at school at Purdue, I was a advertising account executive for a company called Ganette. And what that meant was I went out to the businesses and worked with local businesses to understand what kept them up at night and how to grow their businesses. So through that position, I learned a lot about um the economic engine of towns like Minnetonka through the support of small businesses. Um one thing about me um when I was a kid, I would go to Chicago a lot and in Chicago we would go to the suburbs. We'd go to the Brookfield Zoo in Maywood Park or um we go to Odyssey Fun Roll in Tinley Park. I always remember going through these cities and these um cities and suburbs and looking at like the well manicured prominades and thinking like wow this is so nice but this is only a place where I come and visit. And about a year ago, um, I was driving down Richdale Drive and I was looking at the well manicured prominades and I thought like, wow, this is one of those places where I thought only people like me went to visit and here I am here. >> And so I want to make sure Minnotonka is a community and a city that everyone feels that way when they drive through here, that they belong. Um, and and it's integral to Minnetonka's growth. Um, I know that there are a lot of issues facing suburbs. I spent time as a regional program manager for Whole Foods Market and um, I went to a lot of communities similar to Minnetonka. If you can support a Whole Foods, they're very similar to Minnetonka. Whether it's Wawa Tulsa, Wisconsin or um, Carmel, Indiana, but it's the same thing, the same issues that I see um, that are going on. And nothing tells what's going on in the community by more than what they eat, right? You can learn a lot about the community. And so I did a lot of merchandising around the different cultural aspects of it, the different demographics that were changing. Um, also economics. You can tell a lot by what people buy based upon, um, economics. So um, you know, looking at different promotional strategies and things like that. So these are things that tell a story about what's going on in America's suburbs. And a Minnotonka is no different. Um and in order for it to be s for it to sustain itself, growth is um inevitable and with that that comes diversity, that comes diverse thoughts um and it comes people who have lived experiences that um can relate to people that we want to attract and um retain. So that's one of the reasons why um I always grew up um interested in government. I actually have a D on my um vest because the last time I wore this suit, it was to my u my aunt Doris's funeral. My aunt um she was a human relations commission's director in Gary for 30 years. So that's kind of where I got some of my knack for public service from. And um when I went to put this on, I almost took it off, but I kept it on because I it reminded me of her. But, uh, I think that I would bring, um, my well-roundedness, my experience to this role. Um, and I'm ready on day one, um, to jump in and I'm I'm really excited about it. >> Awesome. Uh, pass. >> Okay. Question. Um, what are the impacts of Minnetonka's changing demographics in the on the community, and what role, if any, should the city council have in addressing those changes? Good. I kind of u mentioned before. Yeah. Um it is changing that you know the demographics are shifting and changing and I think um >> I spent time um in Lafayette, Indiana. When I was there um it was a similar thing that's happening right now. What's happening in Lafayette? So Lafayette, Indiana is about a town of about 35,000 or so and the surrounding communities about 150,000. But they were at an inflection point because you have a world-class university, Purdue University, right there in the middle of cornfields and Purdue was wondering how do we attract and maintain and retain diverse professional staff and we had um new businesses were moving in. Um you had GE was building a plant there and I think at the time there was also lots of jobs. Wash Nationals was headed there. That's the largest tractor trailer company in America. um Subaru, they built Subarus in Lafayette, Indiana. And while that was going on, you had Purdue University looking to expand their reach um for diversity. And you also had a community that a lot of in a lot of influx of diverse people were coming from those jobs that I just named. So they were coming from large population centers like Chicago, Cleveland, um Indianapolis for those particular roles. And there was a lot of tension going on racially and um just because of understanding. And one thing that happened was the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce started what's called conversation circles. And I joined the steering committee because I knew that there was no one who looked like me that was in those conversations. So, I joined the steering committee of the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce um conversation circles to have those conversations with community around um the diversity and the change that was happening. And what we were able to uncover was that at the root of it was just fear. It was a lot of fear. It was actually a thing called the great Chicago myth, right? Where a lot of people from Chicago were coming in and they were increasing crime and and things like that. And um we we we we really talked about some of those things and just I think it was a really good opportunity for people to have their voices heard. Um and one thing I learned through that experience is how to listen and have conversations. You know, it's not about winning an argument. It's about building consensus. And um through that experience, I was able to learn how diverse communities can actually grow. And how to do that is by having conversations, >> right, Kimberly? Yes. So tell us how you view redevelopment in Minnetonka. What are we doing well and what could we what could be done differently? >> Sure. Um as I mentioned a lot of things that are happening in Minnetonka are happening aren't in a vacuum. They're happening in a lot of suburbs, right? Um I know Minnetonka's retail sector is a hefty one. Um, and a lot of big box stores are leaving and and cover and and leaving holes in shopping centers and things like that. I've noticed that it's happening all over. Um, but Manitaka does a really good job with um making it easy for businesses to come and relocate. Um, and like the rent tape process, the the less bureaucracy, if you will. Um, I think they do that really well in in attracting businesses. Um, one thing that I do think, um, could be better, um, I have to think about that and I don't want to say, >> yeah, I have to think about what could be done better for redevelopment purposes, right? >> Um, what part, if any, should city council play to ensure a range of housing options in Minnetonka? So the city council represents the people right and um one role that they should play is understanding what exactly is needed from the people in that particular ward. So for example for the 14,000 people in w 2. Um it's it would be the city council person's job to go out to see how survey how many um affordable living options are there and work with different developers to bring more affordable um living opportunities. I think one thing that the city council does and would should should do is just be a voice for everybody not just the people who come to the meetings. It's also being a voice for people who who aren't necessarily involved but are impacted by the decisions that are made in those chambers. So, it's our job to make sure we're out in the community being seen and letting everyone have their voices heard so that we can understand better understand exactly the need because if you don't really know what the need is, you can't really find solutions for it. So that's the first step is being um going out in the community and really understanding what exactly um is the need. Is it jobs or is it housing or is it both or how do they play off of each other? That's one thing I think that the city council um should dig in and really understand. Excellent. >> Paula, do you support the city's current budgeting and taxation approach and what changes, if any, would you make? >> I do support it. Um, I think uh, Minnetonka is a city that works. Um, and I say that because I've lived in places that don't. So I, for example, I I live off of Hopkins Crossroad and, uh, one of the snow trucks came and took my mailbox away and I needed a new mailbox and someone told me, "Well, just call Public Works." And I called them. And literally like I don't know if it was the next day or the the the two days later I had a new mailbox. Like that just really blew me away. So um it makes me feel good about the property taxes that I pay and because it makes it I'm comfortable knowing that it's going towards good. you know, I spent time um I'm a proud 2025 graduate of Minnetonka Academy and I went through all of the different um organizations and um departments within the city and I was really impressed about how well how well ran they were and how resident focused they are. Um so I do think that um you know our taxes go to support that and as I said you know Minnetonka is a city that works. Um I don't think there is necessarily a change. I I know that there could be incentives more incentives to encourage um small businesses I would suppose um because I'm definitely an advocate of small businesses with my background understanding small businesses um and making it and I do understand like you know they do a really good job with um diversifying business like I was doing some research and I saw most of most of the small businesses in Minnetonka are woman womenowned which is really really cool. So, it just shows just how progressive and forwardthinking um this this city is and and it operates. >> Excellent. Deb, >> do you believe the role of the city council is to make choices based on what's best for the community and long term or to do what's important to residents today and why? >> Great question. I think it's a balance. I think long-term has to be in a part of the equation. Um, we have well, Minnetonka, we I live in Minnetonka, so I can say that. Um, I know we have issues with our infrastructure, right? Most American suburbs do. Um, you know, they were built around the same time and a lot of that. So what we're doing now is going to impact like what what was happening in the 60s and the 50s is impacting where we're at now. So where we're at now will impact what we do 50 60 years from now. So it's very important to be a long-term thinker and planner. However, our job is to serve the people and our job is to go out into the community and actually understand what they want and what they need. And it's our job to explain those discrepancies. Right? So if there is a discrepancy between short-term and long-term, it's our job to make sure we're communicating that and communicating why the why behind are the decisions that we make because if we don't do that, that's a failure on us. It's our job to help them make help the residents understand that we are making the best decision possible and stewards good stewards of their tax dollars. >> Excellent. Kizzy, >> how will you navigate complex and potentially controversial council decisions, especially when your views differ from staff recommendation, fellow council members of neighborhood and perspectives? Wow, that's a good one. Um, I'm just a principled person, you know, I have strong morals and I have strong convictions and strong beliefs. Um, that doesn't mean that my mind can't change, but I think it's very important for people who are in this position to be one of principle and and and one that stands by their word and do what they say they're going to do. Um, it it's it's difficult. It's hard. I mean, I've had I've been in that situation um before. Um, we had an issue. Um, I'll explain that here. I am currently I supervise the Ridgedale Library um one the second largest library in the county. Um and we had issues with with our displays and we they one and it when it we had community outcry a certain direction but we also had American Library Association policies that pulled us in another direction. And so it's our job to kind of listen and understand and communicate to people why we're making decisions that we're making. Um, but also let them know that we understand them and listen to them and hear them out. Um, it's very important to actually People never remember what you did or said, but they always remember how you made them feel. So, um, we're working for the taxpayers. They're like they're literally we're working for them. So, it's our job to make sure that everything that we do um is conducive to the betterment of their lives because they're trusting us that that's what they move to Minnetonka for. They move to Minnetonka. That's why I moved to Minnetonka be and so it's our job to make sure that we are able to maintain that standard of living. >> Excellent. All right. What motivated you to apply and what are your goals for your seat if selected? What motivated me to apply was um a lot of different things actually. So um I've spent a lot of time in corporate America. Um I just switched over to public when I um took a position with the county and I absolutely love it. I love public service. Um that was one of the reasons why I wanted to get out of um um the corporate world and uh there's nothing more that I would really like or really enjoy than to work for the people of Minnetonka and W 2. Um one thing that I would do is get out and meet my neighbors in my community. Um I'm a young parent. Um I have a eight-month-old because he just turned eight months last week. I had to make sure I got it right. Eight-month-old and a sevenyear-old. So, I have a vested interest in this community. And there are lots of young families in war 2. And so, what are the decisions that, you know, that our council is making that's going to al that's going to shape my children's lives, not just mine, right? So, that kind of goes back to those decisions about 20, 30 years from now. And so, I have a vested interest in this community. Um, uh, my stake is planted. And like I said before, I also bring a perspective to the council as being a young parent, right? And so there are lots of parents here. A lot people come here for the for the great education systems that we have. Um so it's our job to make sure that um the decisions that we make that impact those young parents and impact all the the members of Ward 2 are um sound and made with their thoughts, feelings, and um desires in mind. >> Excellent. We'll um just ask you if you have anything else you'd like us to know or any closing remarks um regarding your uh application for this position. >> Um those are really good questions. Um I like I said, I want to reiterate um I'm very happy to be here. I it's just really good opportunity to get out and and and meet other people here, meet the council members. Um, like I said, I really enjoy living in America. It's a place that I feel welcomed in. Um, and I'm just grateful to be here. I, you know, if I, I would never in a million years think that, um, this is where I would be, but at the same time, I know this is where I belonged. >> Excellent. Well, thank you so much for your interest in your application and also your service to the community. I'm kind of invested in the library display drama. I uh what I'll tell you is, you know, we're going to make this decision. We had really qualified candidates. So, one way or another um ask you to stay involved. There are a lot of opportunities. If this isn't the thing that pans out for you, you know, boards and commissions, lots of opportunities there and I I think you'd you'd be great there as well. So, um keep your eye on on the call for those applications as well. So, thank you so much and we'll we'll see more of you in the future. >> Okay, great. Thank you all. >> Thank you. It's good to I remember door knocking your house. I know exactly where you live. >> Oh, yeah. >> I remember our conversation and I knew it was you when I saw your application. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Okay. We are going to um sus suspend. Is that the word? >> I think the first based on time 4:56 p.m. right now. If you could complete your scoring sheets now as Miranda wants the final candidate out, that would be good. And then uh yes, we'll we'll break uh and and Jeff is going to come in to actually set up the IT is going to come up and set up so we can do the line tabulation. >> Excellent. Okay. Well, we will um do that now. We'll take a break to allow for tabulate or to gather colate. everybody can finish their scoring. We'll come back on and tabulate see the tabulation of the final scores and then um we'll know who our who our candidate is. So we will be on um video as this as Miranda tabulates the scores. So >> just a reminder, one is first choice, five is last choice. The lowest score wins or is the person that we are selecting. >> So I'm just going to >> what >> what's going on? >> One is first choice. >> Lowest score wins. >> So one was your first choice. Five was your last choice. >> Yeah. >> So we're just going to go through and see if these numbers are on the bottom >> and then the lowest number wins because that would be like the first choice for everybody. >> Okay. Does that make sense? >> Okay. I think. Yeah, there we go. All right, those are the scores. >> Okay. Well, based on that input, then Amanda Maxwell has the lowest score. So she's the person that collectively we've selected to fill the ward two seat um very closely followed by behind Hamilton Hines. Appreciate the candidates all excellent candidates. Very difficult decision I think in the end and we we really appreciate that. So, we are going to direct staff to prepare us to appoint Amanda Maxwell as the W 2 council member, which will happen prior to our study session next Monday, March 2nd, right? >> Yep. At 5:30. >> At 5:30. Anything else we need to cover? >> That's it. I will complete the top section of this and we'll get this posted. >> Excellent. Um, that is all for now. So, we'll adjourn this meeting and we'll return at 6 for the regular city council meeting in council chambers.