All right, um it's time to get started. I'm going to call the meeting to order and this is the regular city council meeting for Minnetrista for June 15th, 2026. Um first order I'd like to ask that you join me in 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. >> So welcome everybody here this evening as well as those joining us on watching on YouTube later on. I'd like to start with introductions. I'm Lisa Whalen and I'm the mayor. To my right are city administrator Jasper Crogue, Brian Grimm is our finance director, David Abel is our community development director, and on the end we have our chief of police Craig Klausterman. And then next to me on my left we have uh council members Kathleen Ruffing, Peter Vickery, Claudia Lacey, and Brian Gover. And then on the end we also have our assistant administrator Paula Bowman. We have a few people joining us remotely. We have Sarah Sansola who is our legal advisor with Kennedy and Graven. We have Ann Meyerhoff who is our city clerk and we have Gary Peters, our director of public works. And who else do we have? >> Uh Allison Foskey. >> Allison Foskey, who is our city engineer. So welcome everybody. Um thank you for joining us. I'd like to ask are there any changes to the agenda or any additions? Hearing none then, is there a motion to approve the agenda as presented? >> So moved. >> Thank you. All those in favor, any Is there a second? >> Second. >> I'm just trying to move it along because there's a storm coming, you know? [laughter] Come on. All all those in favor signify with I. >> I. >> All those opposed, motion passes. Um Stephanie, you don't need to um add anything. Okay. Um Next we go on to persons to be heard. So, um Stephanie is just here to observe. Uh we're going to move on to consent agenda items. Are there any you wish to remove? Hearing none then, it goes um A is approval city council regular meeting minutes from June 1st, 2026. B is a resolution to approve claims. C is a resolution to approve findings of fact and record and the record of decision for the EAW for the property south of Highway 7, which is 7635 State Highway 7. D is a resolution to approve election judge appointments for the 2026 primary and general election. E is a resolution for the sanitary sewer lining project, approve plans and specifications, and authorize advertisement for bids. F is a resolution for street improvement project. Approve the task order 18 to prepare feasibility report and G is approve a temporary liquor license for Northwest Tank Alliance. And H is authorizing the hire of two public works seasonal employees. Is there a motion to approve consent agenda items A through H? >> So moved. >> Thank you, Ms. Lacy. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Mr. Govern. Any further questions? Hearing none, all those in favor signify with I. >> I. >> I. All those opposed, motion passes 5-0. You're good to go. Thank you. Yeah. So, um under we have no um other public hearings. Uh we have one item under business, and that's approving ordinance number 506, which is our water user utility fees update, which will take effect July 1st of this year, 2026, and then a resolution approving the publication of ordinance 506 by title and summary. Do you want want to weigh in or say anything to this? >> In briefly, Madam Mayor and Council. So, yeah, we had talked about this item at during the work session as well as the during the 2026 budget process. There was the pretty much the the phased-in changes to the water rates based on, you know, going to monthly um um billing in July 1st as well as, you know, just funding some of our infrastructure, you know, the water treatment plant that's being built right now. And um so, this ordinance that's in front of you on page 106 uh would do that to basically um update the fees from quarterly to monthly for water rates as well as updating the base rate and those tiers by, you know, gallon usage. And um the associated, I guess, uh utility rates for recycling, sewer, and storm that'll be the rates for monthly versus the quarterly users that will for the residents that'll be staying on quarter base or billing based on not having the water service. >> So, anybody that's not on city water will continue to get quarterly billing and they So, some of them are sewer, storm water, and uh recycling. Some are just storm water and recycling. Those that are on city water will get a monthly bill starting July 1st. >> Correct. They'll They'll get Yeah, basically, they'll be a their last quarterly bill will be at the end of June here for the basically the April, May, June usage. And then at the end of July, they'll get a monthly bill that would be from, you know, the July 1st through July 31st usage and so forth. I guess after that monthly. >> Right. And there's a slight increase, but we just want to make a note that our water rates are lower than some of our surrounding communities. And our water that we deliver to the homes, are is clean, healthy, drinkable water from your faucet. So, just want to make a note of that cuz I know some people have complained about their their water rates, but we have far better water quality than some of our surrounding communities. So, having said that, um any questions, comments? All right. Then, um is there um a motion to approve ordinance number 506, which is the water users utility fees update effective July 1st, 2026? >> So moved. >> Thank you, Ms. Rifkin. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Mr. Peter. Uh Mr. Peter Mr. Vickery. All those Any other comments or questions? Hearing none, all those in favor signify with I. >> I. >> All those opposed, motion passes 5-0. And next then, a resolution to approve publication of ordinance number 506 by title and summary. Is there a motion? >> So >> Um Peter. >> So >> Mr. Vickery, thank you for that motion. And is there a second? >> Second. >> Second. Thank you, Ms. Rifkin. Any further questions? Hearing none, all those in favor signify with I. >> I. >> All those opposed, again motion passes 5-0. So, we'll move on to administrative items. I'll hand this over to Mr. Krugel. >> Yeah, Madam Mayor, members of City Council, we have a few items uh to our newly moved meeting work session on uh July 20th. It was on the 13th, we'll be moving it to the the 20th. Uh we have a water meter software update uh on that. We have the comprehensive plan task force interviews. Uh City Council paycheck in and uh an ATB ordinance discussion. At the regular meeting on the 20th, we will have uh recognition of Mound uh fire chief Greg Peterson, and then an employee service recognition uh kind of program as well. So, those are the things that are on the horizon here. Um I do have one thing I want to just bring up to you guys. It's related to uh the ability of um developments to use stormwater ponds for irrigation. There's some things moving through the Minnesota Plumbing Board and the Department of Labor and Industry, which is a board of the The Plumbing Board is a board of the Department of Labor and Industry. They want to not allow stormwater reuse for irrigation for a variety of reasons. So, I wanted to bring that up as that's very um relevant to some of the things that we have going on. There's a lot of opposition to this just from watershed districts to other municipalities and and um all kinds of stuff. So, there might be a resolution that I'll bring forward at the next meeting on the 20th um where we don't support this. So, I want to talk to the building official about this first to get some input on that. He's the local authority for this type of thing. So, but there is a draft resolution that I could bring forward on the on the 20th. So, I think we'd like that. The alternative, which doesn't make a lot of sense for you know, water conservation is that these instead of using stormwater ponds for irrigation, they would likely just put in a well. Which then start potentially affecting our water supply and other water supplies of people who have wells in the community. So, the stormwater reuse the the the main issue is the the backflow prevention, you know, the bacteria potential of getting into our system is what the plumbing plumbing board is mostly concerned about. So, I think there's things that you know, we do and can be done with backflow preventers and just separate systems that that can isolate those things. So, I don't I hopefully it doesn't doesn't happen as this is something that we used to to try to curb some of the spikes in the summer for irrigation, but I just wanted to make you guys aware. Allison brought this to my attention on Friday and wanted to talk to you guys about it. So, on the 20th, there likely will be a resolution on consent saying that we don't like this move. >> All right. >> How's that any different than letting people pull water from the lake and water with it? >> Um separate systems. There you wouldn't be inter- They're concerned about it getting into the the drinkable water in a residential neighborhood. Those um most of those on the lake the regulated by so many gallons. If they do too many gallons, they need a separate permit, but it's a complete separate system. Where we are irrigation systems are completely separate, so we should be fine. >> Yeah, that's what I was going to say. >> some of the other communities they're too interconnect. >> Okay. >> I think that's where where some of the concerns are at. >> Yeah. Okay. >> I was trying to figure out how that would I'm like it's not like it's it's separate. That's separate. >> Yeah. >> Our only connection is like there's a pipe going into a storm water pond that's elevated and that's the disc you know, that's connected to our municipal system. A lot of communities have like a valve that you can switch between the two. Um which might be more efficient than putting water into a pond and then having it evaporate, but we we're just generally against it. We want to have the option to be able to to do this. >> Okay. [snorts] I mean I guess if we lose it, we'll make a lot more money on water again. >> Well, but but then you're you're you're watering your lawn with very expensive treated water. >> Well, probably as Jasper mentioned, they'll have to drill a bigger well and just um produce something, you know. So, we will have to cross that bridge when we get there, but yeah, possibly. >> Yeah. >> But there's a there's a there's a lot of opposition. I mean, the list that I have um I mean, it's basically every watershed district. Um right. League of Minnesota Cities, Storm Water Coalition, Minnesota Farmers Union. Let's see if there's any other that are pertinent to us. >> Well, we'll hear more about it or you'll bring it back on the 20th too. So, >> bring it back. That's about our role right now is to determine when we don't like it and then we'll we'll kind of >> All right. And I just want to make note in our packet it says 7:13 is our next meeting and it is 7:20 is our next meeting. We changed that. So, just want to make that put that out there. So, we'll be meeting the third Monday in July, which is July 20th. So. Thank you for saying that multiple times, too, so. >> That's all I have. >> Any other? You need um >> I think I Peter, right? >> Peter. >> You volunteer already? >> Oh, for the uh yes, I did. Yep. Yep. Yep. >> Okay. Um any council reports? Nope. Okay. >> Nope. >> Um >> I >> Oh, yeah. Go ahead. >> I had a couple things. Um first off, I went to uh Officer White's going away party and it was kind of fun to see most of the department all of them in one place, you know, that's that's pretty rare, so >> [clears throat] >> that was that was fun. Uh sorry to see him >> Go with him. >> Um and then uh last week uh they started the alum treatment on um Wayland Tail. And um after a day they realized that the uh pH factor in the lake was was dropping too much. Um it uh alum is a is combined with sulfuric acid, which sounds terrible. Um but that was uh endangering the plant life, so so they've stopped and um they will come back in the fall and and do the rest of the treatment, uh which then should be safe. Uh and they're not going to charge us any more >> [clears throat] >> for that. Um so, we'll see, but um our funding from uh I can never remember all the initials of the state agencies. >> BALSER? >> It probably was. Yeah, BALSER. >> It's probably BALSER, yeah. Board of [clears throat] Asylum Water >> is that the Inspire? And so, um Uh, Brian Veech of Three Rivers is working with them to uh uh extend that. >> Okay, that grant. >> need that money. Yeah. So, >> [clears throat] >> we'll see what happens. So, >> Okay, keep us posted. >> We'll do. >> Can they Can they use the Bowser grant funding to pay them the first half? >> Uh, I don't know the details. >> Yeah, okay. Okay. >> But, yeah, I Brian seems positive that we'll be able to throw it, so he he really knows what he's doing. So, yeah. >> Yeah. All right. >> fingers crossed. >> Okay, good. Um, so I I attended Northwest League and at that meeting there was just a legislative um session update or overview. As you can imagine, much of the overview and discussion was regarding the preemptive preemption of city authority over planning and zoning. And one of the things they mentioned is that a lot of people don't understand what when we say preemption, you know, what does that mean? And so if you're talking to people, please let them know that it's very important that we keep and maintain local authority over local issues, especially when it pertains to planning and zoning. And there's a lot of concern regarding the upcoming comprehensive plan updates and how that would be how this if some of these bills next year go through, how that would affect our comp plans. Met Council is concerned about it as well. So, we're we're kind of but we need to keep on top of this and we need to continue to talk to our legislators about this and tell them they absolutely shouldn't be passing these kind of laws, bills, because it's really bad for all of our communities. So, there's a lot of talk about that. We had some other talks. I didn't know this and I'm sure Chief, you found out about this that now when you sell or trade in a vehicle, you now have to remove everything from that vehicle that is remotely police so lights signage all of that has to be removed from the vehicle. Obviously, it's because of the Hartman assassinations. That's the reason they decided to do go this route. Um But again, it's just something we need to be aware of and it's also probably going to add a little bit to the bottom line. But it's it's for safety reasons that they that they passed this. So Those were some of the big things that they talked about. Um There's and then so we had three people there. We had Patty Nauman from the it's called West Metro or Metro Cities. I'm sorry, Metro Cities and then Anne Flynn was there from Flynn was there from League of Minnesota Cities and then also Chuck something or other from Small Cities. So we had a report from each of them a little bit different take on some of them. But mostly it was regarding this um preemptive preemption of city authority is what we talked about and how we can continue to battle it. So all three are on board with not trying to eliminate or trying to stop these bills from going through. But they're going to come back next year. So we have to keep on top of that. That's about it. So any questions? >> Is there any news on the development on 110 here that like was starting >> one? >> January and >> Um nothing significant. They're still in redemption period that is supposedly going to end in 2 weeks from now. And so once that ends if that ends smoothly a new group potentially would be coming in with approvals of the same previous plan. >> So what is the redemption? I don't know what that means. >> There is inner lawsuits with the previous group that uh brought that forward. So that the redemption period is come up with the money or win a lawsuit basically. >> Okay. Thank you. >> So it's not going anywhere. >> Probably. >> Probably not. >> Not for a while. >> All right. All right. Then with that is there a motion to adjourn? >> So moved. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you Ms. Lacey. Ms. Rifkin made that and Ms. Lacey seconded that. Sorry Peter, you weren't fast enough. All those in favor signify with I. >> I. >> I. All those opposed, motion passes. We'll see you on July 20th. >> July 20th. >> So have a good vacation. >> July 20th was on the deck right.